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With 7 vacancies for Higher Apprenticeship roles across Bri-Stor Group, the scheme is the perfect opportunity to kickstart your career in a variety of roles.
Based in Hixon, Staffordshire, the Bri-Stor Group is looking for ambitious people who want to kickstart their career with a Higher Apprenticeship, with roles available across its four companies; Bri-Stor Systems, Alpha Manufacturing, Atlas Coating and Hex Signs and Graphics.
With an established and ever-growing Apprenticeship Programme, recruiting at least 13 engineering apprentices each year for the last 11 years, the Group is now looking to expand its scheme with the recruitment of a number of Higher and Level 3 and 4 Apprentices, across a variety of roles.
Group HR Manager, Karen Barnacle said: “This is an exciting time to join our business. After experiencing significant growth across all Group companies, we are looking for ambitious and driven people to support all areas of our dynamic business, while gaining recognised qualifications.
“This year’s intake marks the official launch of our Higher Apprenticeship programme. Having achieved such success previously with our Level 3 Engineering Apprentices, we believe this will be just as effective in producing the dynamic team members we need to take our business forward.”
The Mechanical and Electrical Engineering roles will take place in collaboration with Derby University, allowing successful applicants to work towards a degree while gaining hands-on experience, while also benefiting from their course being fully funded by the Bri-Stor Group.
Other roles will allow the apprentices to study towards a Level 3 or 4 qualification while gaining real-world experience in areas such as; purchasing and signage/graphics. With an already 500 strong work-force across the Bri-Stor Group, the Higher Apprentices will be supported by experienced and expert teams during their training and education.
Bri-Stor Group Apprenticeship Manager, William Davies-Hill added: “We are proud to have supported over 100 young students through our established Apprenticeship Programme and are now looking to strengthen our programme with the recruitment of 7 Higher Apprentices. Over the past decade, not only have all of our previous apprentices achieved exceptional pass rates, but all have continued onto full time positions within the company, contributing to the future success of the Group.
“Our hope is that with our record of outstanding support for our apprentices, this new intake will flourish in their roles and be an asset to our company as they start on their chosen career path.”
With these exciting opportunities still up for grabs, those interested in applying for the Higher Apprenticeship positions should go to: https://bit.ly/AlphaHigherApprenticeships
For more information, please email our HR Team at personnel@bri-stor.co.uk
Last week Alpha Manufacturing and Bri-Stor Systems welcomed our next generation of engineering apprentices on site for their induction, before they are due to start their course this September.
The Apprentices were met by Group Apprenticeship Manager, William Davies-Hill who talked them through their programme of study for the next three years and to receive all relevant work equipment, PPE and safety instructions. They were also taken on a tour of the Bri-Stor Group 35-acre site and state-of-the-art facilities.
Speaking about this year’s apprentice intake, William said: “I’m thrilled to have now inducted our next cohort of talented engineers to the Bri-Stor Group. This is always an exciting time for both the apprentices themselves as they take the next step in their career, but also for the company as we look forward to welcoming this new group of budding engineers into the company to start their official training with our trusted partner, the JCB Academy, and eventually on site to add their skills to our workforce.”
Having worked hard to pass the rigorous interview process, these young engineers were selected over ninety-five other potential candidates. As of September, they will begin one year of studying at JCB Academy four days a week with one day per week with their respective
companies. Following this first twelve months, they will switch to four days with their companies and one at the academy for another twenty-four months.
The JCB academy have been training partners of the Bri-Stor Group for the past five years, providing the ideal setting to nurture local young engineering talent. The majority of those who have passed through the academy and onto either Alpha or Bri-Stor are now employed full time and making important contributions to their businesses.
Other apprentices have gone on to further education alongside their employment, such as Production Engineer Gemma Smith, who completed her degree in advanced engineering at Derby University, and Corey Hammond, who has made the leap from qualified engineer after the completion of apprenticeship, to Technical Sales Engineer, and is now pursuing a degree in Business and Management from the Open University.
This year, we will also be welcoming our first intake of Higher Apprentices, as we expand our Apprenticeship Programme to support more areas of the business such as Purchasing, Graphics and Marketing.
As well as a robust schedule of training, featuring a rotation programme allowing the apprentices to spend time in each area of the production process, the Apprentices will also have other activities to look forward to, such as designing and building soap box carts, reviewing areas of the business and analysing lean Manufacturing processes and a trip to Wales, where they will partake in team building activities. Some of the biggest challenges the apprentices will face are personal ones as they develop from school leavers into young men and women of the working world, but with our tried and tested programme in place, they will be supported every step of the way.
Recently, the International Organisation for Standardisation released ISO 45001 – the world’s first International Standard for occupational health and safety (OH&S). This new health and safety initiative enables organisations to proactively improve its occupational health and safety performance.
The ISO 45001 replaces previous frameworks such as OHSAS 18001, and was developed with the input of experts from more than 70 countries. Due to the nature of the ISO 45001 being the first of its kind in OH&S, many organisations are still working to previous and sometimes out-dated frameworks.
As a business that values the importance of keeping our workforce safe and happy, all businesses within the Bri-Stor Group moved immediately to implement the new framework, in order to create effective policies and objectives to keep quality high and risks low.
Darren Bates, Bri-Stor Group Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, explains why being an early adopter of the ISO 45001 benefits our business, and therefore our customers: “The Bri-Stor Group employs over 500 people across our four companies Bri-Stor Systems, Alpha Manufacturing, Atlas Coating and Hex Signs and Graphics. Our large workforce alongside as well as the risks involved in the manufacturing industry, means that having a robust framework in place to ensure occupational health and safety is a top priority for the Group.
Many companies have relied upon earlier frameworks, but here at the Bri-Stor group, we understand that with a changing workforce and business booming more than ever, risks are ever-present. It’s only by identifying these possible risks early that we can avoid possible issues that could affect our workforce and out output.
At its most basic level, the benefits of this new framework to businesses are related to productivity. This productivity comes from reduced
absenteeism and staff turnover, an increase in staff moral and a culture built around an informed workforce with individual autonomy for their own workplace health and safety.
Having experienced success in implementing new health and safety reporting systems and building awareness of risks in our business to new starters, we embraced this new International Standard and strove to gain certification as soon as possible.
We are proud to have gained the ISO 45001 certificate, as our early adoption of the framework exemplifies our commitment to keeping our workforce safe and happy, and therefore our output and productivity remain high.”
Jonathan Holyhead, Bri-Stor Group Finance Director, celebrates thirty years with the business this month (July 2021) and has been an instrumental part in the company’s significant growth and achievements during that time. Joining the business in his late teens, Jonathan has accomplished many great things in his career so far, and is excited for the next chapter in Bri-Stor Group’s expansion plans.
Commenting on Jonathan’s contribution to the business, Bri-Stor Group CEO Martin Smith, says: “Jonathan is the very essence of this business and is a loyal, trusted advisor to the Bri-Stor Group. In the time that Jonathan has been in the Group we have grown significantly and added new divisions to the business, new premises and grown our workforce ten-fold. Combined, all of these things have presented opportunity and risk and with Jonathan’s fierce control of our financial status, we have been able to deliver controlled and measured growth.
“I am personally, delighted to congratulate Jonathan on this significant achievement. His support and commitment during the pandemic has been unwavering and there’s no doubt, with Jonathan’s skills we remain strong and in a position to continue investing in the Group’s continued success.”
In response, Jonathan adds these words: “As Martin explains, the business has delivered incredible growth in the last thirty years and I am delighted to be part of the success story. Working alongside the senior leadership team has been rewarding in itself and there’s no question, my own professional development has been down to the company’s investment in me. As we look towards even greater growth and prosperity, I am excited for the next chapter of my career and achieving the next milestone.”
Supporting great British businesses is at the heart of Alpha Manufacturing, working with some of the UK’s leading pioneers in the markets they serve. Tufftruk, the market-leading articulated walk behind mini dumper, is a fantastic illustration of how Alpha Manufacturing has supported this dynamic business to achieve global success.
Neal Lafford, Alpha Manufacturing Operations Manager and Andrew Simpson, Tufftruk Managing Director talk about the importance of collaboration in delivering new innovations into the construction industry.
“There’s no question, our founder Ron Blackhurst knows the construction industry inside out and back to front. With decades of experience growing the Belle Group to a fifty-million-pound business, nobody can question his capacity to deliver innovation-led products into the market. However, the construction industry is very wedded to working with the same types of tools and equipment – breaking into the sector with new innovation is notoriously difficult.”
Despite that, in 2009 Ron did just that with the launch of the TRUXTA 4 x 4 Mini Dumper, which today is accepted worldwide as the construction workers preferred articulated, walk behind mini dumper. Neal Lafford continues: “Our relationship with Tufftruk goes right back to 2013 when they approached us about delivering the first parts for the rigid machine. This was the start of a truly collaborative relationship. As a start-up business with big ambition, we worked hard with the team to value-engineer solutions that made the TRUXTA an appealing proposition both in terms of costs and durability. By 2014 we were supporting the business with the development of the BENDie, which today, remains the Tufftruk flagship model.”
With Tufftruk expanding at a rapid rate into overseas markets, by 2018 the business moved into much larger premises in Leek, Staffordshire while retaining its original Sheen site as a new product development (NPD) facility. Andrew continues: “The business has experienced such rapid growth we have become heavily reliant on our supply chain partners to ramp up their own production to fulfil our needs. There’s no question, Alpha Manufacturing has become a highly trusted partner in the delivery of parts for our product range and we value Alpha’s expertise in helping us evolve our product range. We’ve grown our business with Alpha five-fold in the last five years and we have come to rely on the team’s proactivity, customer-centric approach and capability to value-engineer our increasing range of machines. In truth, the construction industry is a bit of a double-edged sword, on the one hand it’s a challenging sector to break into, but now we’ve gained the trust of the wider construction community, the appetite for new products and innovation is vast – it’s a pace we must keep up with. It’s with Alpha’s support that we’re able to meet this increasing demand.”
With sustained and continued growth across Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Tufftruk is conscious of the wider environmental impact of its operations, with the vast majority of suppliers, including Alpha Manufacturing, operating within a 30-mile radius of the site thus reducing the overall carbon impact of its operations. Neal picks up on this point: “The geographical proximity of Alpha to Tufftruk brings about many advantages – not least of all from a production efficiency point of view. But the wider narrative of achieving net zero carbon is at the forefront of our relationship with the business. Every business is implementing ways to reduce its carbon footprint while retaining the same level of service and Alpha is exactly the same. In Atlas Coating, our sister power coating business, we are using materials that have a negative impact on the environment, this is a pre-requisite of working with Tufftruk and it’s a responsibility that we take incredibly seriously.”
As the construction industry embraces new methods of fuel to power on-site machinery, the emergence of electric vehicles (EV) is also becoming 
increasingly common. Tufftruk is undoubtedly one of the forerunners of bringing electric-powered machinery to construction sites, as Andrew explains: “Going back to the comment I made at the start, the construction industry is pretty wedded to the tools and machinery it knows best, so bringing an EV TRUXTA to the market was an inevitable, yet high risk move. Machinery needs to operate at maximum capability throughout the day so we needed to be able to confidently deliver a solution that a site worker could rely on throughout the day – in exactly the same way as the fueled version. Modifying the product, reducing the overall weight while retaining the stability of the machine is a key consideration and working in partnership with Alpha, has enabled us to design a solution – building on Tufftruk’s reputation as the market leader in this space.”
As Tufftruk continues to build its global dominance in the markets it serves, Neal concludes with these final words: “Tufftruk is a fantastic illustration of a business that in a relatively short period of time has achieved global success. Andrew and the Tufftruk team are progressive in their ideas and through their deep insights into the construction sector continue to develop a range of products that far surpass the performance of any rivals. The very definition of a great British business.
With up to 30 roles available in a range of skilled and unskilled roles, Alpha Manufacturing is offering the chance to interview for your preferred role on the day
Hixon based sheet metal manufacturer; Alpha Manufacturing is hosting an open day in order to recruit for nearly 30 new roles created due to recent businesses growth. Part of the Bri-Stor Group, Alpha Manufacturing occupies a 35acre site, shared with sister companies; Bri-Stor Systems, Atlas Coating and Hex Signs and Graphics.
Since the start of this year, Alpha Manufacturing has seen a surge in demand for quality UK sheet metal manufacturing, resulting in the opening of two new divisions; Alpha Integrated Technologies and the most recent being Alpha Manufacturing Chemical Technologies, a 35,000sq ft purpose-built manufacturing facility in Beacon Park, Stafford in partnership with global chemical company INEOS Electrochemical Solutions.
This recent success has led to the creation of new roles, including both skilled and unskilled positions with quality training in place for those looking to begin their career within the engineering industry, such as; MIG and TIG Welders, Production Team Leaders, CNC Machine Operators, Quality Inspectors, Press Brake Operatives and more. Offering robust training schemes and professional development opportunities, a Group bonus scheme and competitive salaries, Alpha Manufacturing is anticipating large numbers of applications.
Talking about the scale of the opportunity, Managing Director Paul Clews, said: “This is an exciting time to be part of Alpha. As we respond to the recent demand for our services, business is booming and we are pleased to be able to offer a number of positions within our production facility. With the opening of our Chemical Technologies division planned for mid-2022, we hope to be able to offer even more quality jobs going forward with our ambitious, yet achievable growth plans, which we hope will be a big boost to the local economy and for local people.”
The open day, on the 18th August 2021, will provide prospective employees with the opportunity to take a tour around the factory and to view the state-of-the-art machinery for themselves, which includes the longest STOPA Storage System in the UK. With three time slots throughout the day, interested parties will also be given the chance to participate in an on-the-day interview for the role they are interested in, or hand in their CV.
Group HR Manager, Karen Barnacle added: “I am very excited about the opportunity to recruit for such a large group of new talent to enhance our 500 plus people strong workforce across the Bri-Stor Group. The Group is renowned for our apprenticeship programme, employee development opportunities, as well as our people retention, with a number of our employees having been with the Group for over 15 years – This recruitment drive really does represent a great opportunity to kickstart your career.”
The open day will be held at Alpha Manufacturing premises in Hixon, Staffordshire, with three time slots throughout the day available to pre-book. Book your slot here: https://bit.ly/AlphaRecruitmentOpenDay
The Bri-Stor Group, which includes Bri-Stor Systems, Alpha Manufacturing, Atlas Coating and Hex Signs & Graphics, has been recognising and developing young talent since the business started trading over 35 years ago. In that time, the number of apprentices on our accredited scheme has increased year-on-year, this year seeing the formal launch of the higher apprenticeship programme, with a large proportion of the workforce progressing their career supported by company-funded professional and educational development.
The manufacturing and engineering industry are facing an ever-growing skills gap, and with this in mind, working on a model that creates quality vocational work options helps to encourage young skilled workers of the future into positions that fill this gap long-term.
Bri-Stor Group Apprenticeship Manager, William Davies-Hill explains how the Bri-Stor Group Apprenticeship Scheme works to benefit both the apprentice and the business: “As a company that actively plans ahead, it is imperative that we ensure that our workforce of the future has the correct competencies and expertise. The best approach for this is to acknowledge the importance of developing individuals through the means of our apprenticeship programme.
“Apprenticeships are a collaboration between; the person who is striving to better themselves by gaining qualifications in various sectors of work, the training provider who has a pivotal function in their development and the employer who must ensure that both the financial and time investment spent in development meets your initial targets.
“To ensure that this is all tied together correctly, a company must work to make sure their vocational work options offer training that works to enhance skills the individual already possess, so that the apprentice is fully engaged and submersed in their chosen apprenticeship. Positive influence and strong role models who are willing to invest in the apprentice’s are the key to the gold standard apprenticeship program we offer.”
Quality skills training doesn’t stop at apprenticeships, as Group HR Manager Karen Barnacle explains: “Many of our Senior Leadership team across the Group, including our Managing Directors in Bri-Stor Systems and Alpha Manufacturing, started their careers as apprentices, or in entry level roles, and have been supported to grow their skills and progress. Offering educational and professional development options to employees ensures a wider knowledge base and resource in the business, therefore helping to close the skills gap. Young people offer businesses a unique opportunity to adapt and grow with their workforce and should be seen as an asset to any company.”
Stronger Together has been the binding value that underpins the Bri-Stor Group for decades, yet in light of the pandemic, the Group’s purpose resonates stronger than ever with colleagues and customers alike. In this feature we talk to Bri-Stor Systems’ Managing Director Simon Webb and Alpha Manufacturing Managing Director Paul Clews about the strength of the Group and the value this brings to customers.
“Alpha Manufacturing is the secret weapon in the Group”, explains Paul Clews. “By name association people think of Bri-Stor Systems as the lead business, but never before have the two companies been so intertwined. Bri-Stor Systems is an important customer for Alpha, no question, but from an operational, innovation and cultural position, the strength of our two businesses combined is a powerful mix.”
Establishing Alpha Integrated Solutions in May this year and now launching Chemical Technologies, Alpha’s new 35,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility in Stafford, the sheet metal manufacturing business goes from strength-to-strength despite the widespread economic volatility in the market. While Alpha Manufacturing responds as the production and manufacturing arm to its sister-company Bri-Stor Systems, the van conversion business continues to lead the industry servicing most of the UK’s nationwide fleets, as Simon Webb explains: “We’re operating in challenging times and our close collaboration with our colleagues in Alpha has never been so important. Alongside the other two businesses in the Group – Hex Signs & Graphics and Atlas Coating – we share the same 30acre site in Hixon which brings about huge operational efficiencies. Our racking and van conversion solutions simply pass through a 50 metre tunnel completely eliminating any costly logistics and supply chain bottlenecks. That isn’t something we’ve ever taken for granted, but now more than ever, it’s an invaluable asset.”
The R&D and innovation efficiencies amongst the Group companies are also profound and while the term ‘one stop shop’ is a frequently used expression, it completely sums up the Bri-Stor Group, as Simon continues: “Whether we’re converting a van for a nationwide fleet or a one-off vehicle for a local sole trader, we have the capacity to design and innovate solutions overnight. A great illustration of this point is the recent TRIM-IT contract. Channel 4 viewers will have seen the challenge we faced to work with the customer to design an entirely new interior for the vehicle in a short time frame and this was only made possible by the close relationship we have with our colleagues in Alpha. In real terms, TRIM-IT is just one example, but in truth, every single customer benefits from the skill and expertise of our prototype and R&D teams across the Group.”
While the Group businesses have their own set of unique customers supported by separate leadership and operational teams, the skill-share opportunity across the business brings tremendous benefits as Paul explains: “The Bri-Stor Group started almost 40 years ago and still remains a family-owned business, led by CEO Martin Smith. One of the strongest values of the Group is the investment in people and this is delivered through our People Programme and Apprenticeship Scheme. While these are structured programmes that support the development of individual people, from the customer’s perspective they can be reassured that the very best talent is working on their project. We are so geographically connected as a business, the transfer of knowledge, skills and capability easily translates across the Group. We have a strong long-service culture in the business and many Bri-Stor Group colleagues have worked across both firms – we actively encourage that progression and with almost four decades of experience under our belts, this formula brings huge advantages to the manufacturing and production process.”
Working out of a state-of-the-art facility in Hixon, Staffordshire, the Group has a strong investment plan in place, reflected in the development of a new manufacturing facility on the edge of Stafford and the £8m spend on new equipment and technology in Alpha Manufacturing and Bri-Stor Systems. Simon picks up the story: “We’ve talked about the operational and people advantages of Bri-Stor Group, but having strong backing from the company’s owner enables us to continually reinvest across the Group. We operate a relatively flat management structure and this allows us to make decisions quickly and make change happen. Alpha is continuously investing in equipment and premises for expansion, while in Bri-Stor Systems we’ve just implemented a significant upgrade to our software system that brings tremendous operational capability. We are constantly implementing ways to improve our performance and output and while these are measures the customer will never actually see in physical terms, the quality and innovation that sits behind our product speaks for itself.
Leading the Bri-Stor Group for the last 15 years as CEO, Martin Smith is committed to a strong investment strategy and believes that the firm’s reputation as a customer-centric business is what keeps the Group at the forefront of the markets they serve, he adds: “Recently Paul Clews has spoken about the merits of Industry 4.0 and the need to work towards higher levels of automation and its entirely within this spirit that we continue to invest. Whether it’s in greater degrees of automation, software development or our People Programme and the launch of our Higher Apprenticeship scheme, the entire Group has thrived for almost 40 years by constantly reinvesting. As we launch our new Alpha Manufacturing division, Chemical Technologies, it takes us into a new market which is incredibly exciting for the entire Group and testament to the strength of our reputation and the talent of our teams. Never before have I been more proud of my colleagues flying the Bri-Stor Group flag every single day.”
Helen Cassar started working for Alpha as an Assembly Technician, and after working in a variety of roles throughout the business, is now leading a team at our new division, Alpha Integrated Solutions. Helen tells us about her time at Alpha so far and a day in her new team.
“I started working for Alpha as an Assembly Technician in September 2019 and immediately loved the fast-paced nature of the role. At that time, I was working in one of our dedicated assembly areas focused on one particular customer, assembling the various components that had come through each stage of the production process, and fitting them to the upmost quality, ready to be packaged and delivered.
When the pandemic hit, I was unfortunately furloughed for a couple of months, like much of the rest of the industry and country at that time. I was so glad when I could get back to work, and it didn’t take me long to get settled in as we were busier than ever supporting our customers by supplying much needed products. One of the most popular items was hand sanitiser units, that we made for a number of large brands. I was working specifically on hand sanitiser units for a global beverage company, and there was such a nice atmosphere in the team, knowing that the products we were making were helping to keep so many people safe. Although the work was incredibly fast-paced, it really did feel like we were a part of something bigger; plus, the busier the better for me!
In the last few months, I progressed to lead the team in the production of other hand sanitiser units for large supermarket chains. More recently, I’ve been given the responsibility of leading a team at our new division, Alpha Integrated Solutions where I’ve played an integral part in setting up the new site ready for the assembly of many different customer products. It’s so exciting to see it up and running.
I get to work for 5.45 in the morning and start the day off with a nice cup of coffee . My team consists of four other colleagues, who are all brilliant! We take a look at the work on for that day, and we have a morning meeting to assign tasks and make sure we’re are all working as a team.
After that I get to work; I work alongside the guys in the morning and early afternoon. I like to make sure they have everything they need, such as enough tools for the job that day.
At the moment we are working on a recurring order for one of our long-standing customers. When you work on a large order like this, you learn so much about each company and really invest in making their products the best they can be.
I like to be on the shop floor and getting stuck in with all the manual work, which could be using the pallet truck to move work around or getting products ready for despatch.
Every day is different for me now at the Integrated Solutions division. I face lots of different unexpected challenges on a day-to-day basis, which is great for me physically and mentally. And it’ll be really exciting to see how this important part of Alpha Manufacturing grows over the coming months.”
There are two main kinds of lasers used in industry; fibre and gas, the latter which mainly use Carbon Dioxide (CO2). In recent years due to increased cutting speeds and lower running costs, the most popular lasers are fibre. Alpha Production Manager Sean Mccoll, compares the two lasers advantages and disadvantages as well as explaining the sector shift towards fibre.
The fibre receives the light source from the resonator (light amplifier) of the laser cutting machine and delivers it to the cutting head which is controlled by the CNC (Computerized Numerical Control; a computerized manufacturing process in which pre-programmed software and code controls the movement of production equipment). In the cutting head, the laser is emitted from the end of the fibre optic cable and refocused through a series of focal lenses into a near perfect dot on the material’s surface. Purged with cutting gases such as nitrogen dioxide and oxygen around the laser, the material to be machined is quickly vaporized in the intense heat and blown away as particles of dust.
Once the CO2 resonator has created enough light, the beam is delivered via a process of reflection and refocusing down an intricate path called a ‘beam path delivery system’. This is then purged with inert gas to keep the path pure, clean and free from any dust that would interfere with the delivery of the full intensity of the laser. Once the laser is reflected to the cutting head, it is refocused and emitted in the same manner as the fibre laser, through a series of lenses and a shield of high velocity cutting gases to purge the machined path.
The fact that it has no moving parts means that your fibre laser is ready to get working from the get-go. And, should it be accidently knocked, none of the parts will come out of alignment which could result in costly production down time.
Fibre lasers are extremely robust, meaning maintenance costs are dramatically lower, as are operational costs and with ‘fit and forget’ technology there is no maintenance cycle or servicing to worry about.
Fibre lasers are much more efficient when it comes to electricity use, meaning lower running costs and a more environmentally friendly machine. For example, a 3 kW fibre laser uses only a third of the power of that of a comparable CO2 laser.
CO2 lasers work better with thicker materials. Fibre lasers can work with thicker materials, but generally a CO2 laser will leave a surface finish that is smoother.
They are sensitive machines that require alignment, so should this get knocked out of place, usually an expert is required to fix it, resulting in long periods of down time when the laser is not being productive.
This also means they need more regular servicing, and the costs of this maintenance are higher. Alongside this, more power is needed, resulting in higher electrical costs. CO2 lasers also perform slower when cutting thin materials, and aren’t able to work with reflective metals to an exacting standard.
CO2 Laser vs Fibre Laser Technology is an argument that is slowly fading from our industry. As fibre laser technology continues to evolve, and with the move towards industry 4.0 smart factory goals, engineers and manufacturers have discovered ways to match the performance of CO2 lasers with fibre. Here at Alpha Manufacturing, the installation of two fibre lasers in the past 5 years, has been critical to the growth of the business. The lower running costs as well as the increased cutting speeds have allowed us to be more responsive to customer demands and played a key part in attracting new business while strengthening relationships with existing customers.
Find out more about our laser cutting solutions here.
As we emerge from COVID-19 the world remains changed beyond anything we could have ever imagined. The way we conduct our lives, the way we run our households and the way we interact with each other, for now is guided by a temporary set of rules. While these new behaviours will soon become a distant memory, for businesses, COVID-19 has forced change, forever. Robin Eley, Alpha Manufacturing Commercial Director, explains the impact of COVID-19 on Alpha and the new opportunities that have emerged as a result.
“As a nation, COVID-19 has dealt a heavy blow with far-reaching consequences. Every day the business’ news points to supply chain issues and the mounting cost of raw material. Every sector remains untouched and the expression ‘we’re in this together’ has never felt more pertinent. Yet, as we come through these troubled waters, there is another side to the story that hopefully, long after the markets have stabilised, we can continue to nurture and focus on the strong sense of solidarity and cohesiveness that has emerged.
“Taking a step back. As we rolled into 2020, Alpha Manufacturing was enjoying its strongest trading year on record. With a solid investment plan in place centered around the extension of the STOPA and investment in the next TruBend cell, we were geared up for great things. Then the world changed, almost overnight, and our energies were directed towards the COVID-19 response. But what we could not have predicted was the way our customers responded. After the initial shockwaves of total lockdown, for the most part our customers turned to us for even greater help and support. Getting orders out and securing the order pipeline became the focus. We also took on new customers responding to the needs of the pandemic, designing and fabricating hand sanitiser units for a nationwide supermarket and pub chain and supporting our sister-company Bri-Stor Systems with the development of vehicle hygiene solutions. It was all hands-on deck.
“In those first few months every day was hard to predict, and the world was changing rapidly but by the late summer months, there was a significant shift in the tempo of our customer relationships. To put that in context, in the Bri-Stor Group our binding influence is ‘stronger together’ and today these two simple words are very much at the centre of our customer relationships too. As we entered 2021 it became evident that customers were turning to us to do more and take ownership of a greater number of processes within the development of their product, therefore limiting supply chain risk. Being part of a wider Group business also played a part in that decision making process for many customers. Because of our Group structure, we can make change happen with strong financial backing. And as a consequence of an increased appetite from customers for us to deliver a greater percentage of an overall finished product, we launched Alpha Integrated Solutions (AIS) – a dedicated facility for the fabrication of complete products. While this new division is in its infancy, we are already close to capacity and are looking at expanding the premises.
“AIS was always in the plan as part of our expansion. But today, while we continue to face some tough challenges, we can take comfort from the positives and if nothing else, we have forged stronger, more trusting and more resilient relationships with our customers.”
“The news published today by UCAS that it will make it even easier for students to apply for apprenticeships is music to my ears”, remarks Karen Barnacle, Group HR Manager at Bri-Stor Group. This announcement comes on the back of the news that about half of sixth formers are considering an apprenticeship as well as university.
Karen continues: “this is the first year we have formally launched our Higher Apprenticeship scheme and we will be taking on 11 students across a range of disciplines. We have been overwhelmed by applicants, which demonstrates the appetite for high-quality vocational training. We have been running an apprenticeship scheme for 11 years and each year we recruit around 15 students who embark on an exciting and dynamic career within our Group. There is no question that attitudes towards apprenticeships are changing in a positive way and the more we can do to demonstrate the real value of an apprenticeship is incredibly valuable.”
A lack of information regarding apprenticeships is one of the biggest challenges facing students considering their options and the report published by UCAS cites ‘misplaced snobbery’ as one of the main deterrents for students. Karen continues: “We have seen a big shift in attitudes from students and their families in the last few years, in the early days of our scheme we had very few applicants and each year the numbers increase. All year round we receive interest from students trying to get ahead of the game and we welcome this tenacity. We always invite parents to come and visit us too, making these huge choices about future career and education is likely to be the biggest decision a student has ever made – and we support them through that process.
“Our success story in the delivery of a fully accredited Apprenticeship Scheme is down to the relationship we have with local schools and colleges. Many of the barriers to apprenticeships cited in the report is down to a lack of communication between employers and educational bodies, but this is an easy fix and we welcome the opportunity of sharing our best practice with others. There’s no question, skills development is an absolutely critical priority for our local and national economic prosperity and we will continue to put our Apprenticeship Scheme at the very top of our business agenda.”
Production Engineer Gemma Smith has never been shy of hard work and after entering the engineering industry as a Higher Apprentice, at just 22 she now commands a vital role within the business managing the design work for the stainless-steel production facility. Gemma takes us through her fast-paced day and what it means to be venturing into an exciting and dynamic career.
“Last year I finished my 5-year Higher Apprenticeship with Alpha which resulted in me achieving my degree in manufacturing and production engineering from Derby University. My degree was so relevant to my role today and I get a real buzz from applying the skills of my apprenticeship to my everyday work. My job is very versatile and each day I’m faced with a new set of challenges – a day in design and production is never dull. This is a pretty realistic insight into my world at Alpha for any students considering a Higher Apprenticeship.
8:00AM – my day always starts with a meeting with my manager Darran Cassar, we agree the priorities for the day and process plan the workflow. We look at the immediate priorities but we also review upcoming work so we can manage-out any foreseen challenges.
9:00AM – this is where the fun starts and I get really stuck into my tasks. We have such a vast range of products going through production at any one time but overseeing the design element of this process is just one element of my role. The other side of my role is designing fixtures and JIGS for the parts to be manufactured as well as making prototypes. I am responsible for following through the steps in order to process the task that has been handed to me – this is pretty exhilarating. In layman’s terms I’m responsible for programming the lasers or punches to manufacture whatever has been designed and I follow it through the production process which may be folding, welding, finishing – or any combination. I spend a fair bit of my morning on the shopfloor with my colleagues, I really enjoy that environment and it allows me to see first-hand jobs from the previous day or as is sometimes the case, deal with urgent requests from customers.
10:00AM – Between 10am and lunchtime I deal with a really broad number of things, it’s that variety I love. But to give you a flavour, a big part of my responsibility is creating and reviewing prototypes. The prototype stage is crucial because it’s where design flaws are found and corrected and we begin the process of designing tooling and manufacturing fixtures. I also have a lot of contact with our clients, so I’ll make my calls on specific projects and move things along from a design perspective. I use CAD and CAM to design and visualise projects and I love the creativity in my role.
12.00PM – I spend a good amount of time each day working with colleagues in other departments. This can be on anything from identifying new systems and processes to driving quality, improving the efficiency of a specific process or evaluating cost efficiency measures. I always try and take a lunch break around 1pm and I try and step away from my desk. It might be that I sit in the canteen with colleagues or I’ll just catch up with my Instagram or LinkedIn.
2.00PM – I’ve recently taken a lead role in the stainless-steel department for Alpha, this part of my job entails being the lead design engineer for the entire section so I’ll head back to the shopfloor. My responsibilities are to ensure that the drawings we hand over to production colleagues contain all the correct information. It’s a big responsibility but one that I relish. I also review the models supplied by the customer and part of my role is to suggest design enhancements that bring improved value to the final manufactured product.
3.00PM – to the end of the day – the last part of my day is finalising the priority tasks or switching my attention to the creation of drawings which I can convert into a programme for laser or punch machining. This is a really important task because it’s the beginning of the production process and other follow-on processes rely on accuracy at this stage. As I leave work and drive home (I’ve just bought my first house which is exciting), I use this time to reflect on my work output and think about the priorities for the following day. My job is full-on so I use the evenings to really relax, that said, most evenings at the moment I’m stripping skirting boards and painting walls, usually with thoughts of Alpha buzzing round in my head.
