New battery could boost viability of electric cars
A new lithium-air battery with 1,000 times the energy density of its closest conventional lithium-ion equivalent could change attitudes to... more
What are we still making in the UK?
According to data gathered by several sources, we still sell quite a bit. However, last year car sales in the UK declined steeply (4.4%),... more
Britons are late adopters but big online shoppers say Ofcom
Ofcom's latest international communications report identified Britons as Europe's biggest online shoppers but late adopters of superfast broadband,... more
Will manufacturing be up to scratch in 2012?
A digest of news gathered from several sources shows that there is still a great deal of confusion around; globally, manufacturing in the USA appears... more
Can waste from copper mines help the roofing industry
Extracting copper from the Upper Michigan copper mines is a mechanical process during which a large amount of waste material is produced. The waste material... more
Smart Metal
German and Chinese researchers have come up with a metal that changes from brittle to malleable using electric signals. Precious metals such as gold and... more
Slippery Bodies
Anyone using ball bearings will tell you that the lesser the friction the greater the efficiency. In the case of ship's friction turns into drag as... more
The UK manufacturing sector bounces back after a lacklustre spring, but confidence remains low
Economists are still torn on the negative effects of the longest period of bank holiday this country has ever had, as its statistical 'noise'... more
Made by Britain
Business Secretary, Vince Cable has announced a new initiative, Made by Britain, designed to celebrate the best of the UK's design and... more
Periodic table gets longer and longer
It is official - the periodic table has now been extended to 114 and 116. But don't get too excited; these new elements have been produced artificially,... more
New Portable Induction Heater from Simatherm
The IH 025 VOLCANO, available from ERIKS UK, is the perfect addition to the simatherm range of induction heaters.
The simatherm IH 025 VOLCANO... more
ERIKS health and safety award from Thame Water helps water treatment stay afloat
ERIKS UK claimed the Innovation award at Thames Water's Excellence in Health and Safety Awards 2011 with a unique raft designed to float on raw sewage... more
Maintec 2011 round-up
The Maintec 2011 exhibition at the NEC proved a huge success yet again this year, with record numbers of visitors investigating the latest advances... more
Land Rover creates 1,000 jobs in the West Midlands
There was good news for British manufacturing when Jaguar Land Rover unveiled plans with the creation of 1,000 jobs in the West Midlands and coincided... more
ERIKS Integrated Solutions win major MRO contracts
ERIKS Integrated Solutions already supply services to 10 of the UK's top 100 manufacturing sites and in addition, have now won five new contracts... more
New Gasket Cutting Service
ERIKS UK has recently announced the opening of a gasket cutting operation at their Broxburn Service Centre. As a major supplier to OEM clients, this... more
Robot sales rise
The BARA (British Automation and Robot Association) has reported that UK sales of industrial robots rose in 2010 by 65%, compared with 2009. This may... more
BRIC offers potential for growth
According to a recent report from the Ernst & Young ITEM Club it is the emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China ) economies that offer the greatest... more
Satellite to be run by phone?
If all goes according to plan, a new UK developed satellite will be operated by an onboard smartphone, costing under £300.Being developed by space researchers... more
New Festo training announced
The latest Festo training course, Energy Saving on Compressed Air Systems, has recently been announced. Aimed at maintenance engineers, the one-day course... more
Changing the image of engineering
As the UK manufacturing sector continues to grow there are signs that Government and other related bodies are taking concerted action to change the often... more
E-Type turns 50
2011 sees the 50th anniversary of the iconic Jaguar E-Type. more
Alcatel-Lucent shrinks cell tower
Controversial and power hungry cell masts, necessary for the deployment of mobile communications, could soon be replaced or augmented by an ingeniously... more
More mobile matters
The recently leaked memo from Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO, makes chilling reading. Ten years ago, the Finnish behemoth seemed invincible and the only mobile... more
IoD launches 24-point growth plan
The Institute of Directors has recently published a list of 24 steps that it believes will lead to an immediate boost in UK growth prospects without cost.Although... more
When brand association can be bad association...
Everyone is a brand expert these days. Like it or not we have been conditioned to recognise and appreciate brands. Brand awareness now extends across... more
Arctic steel
ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, has recently acquired control of a Canadian mining company engaged in a large mining project... more
WEE directive tightened
The directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic equipment (WEE) has been tightened by the European Parliament to include much tougher demands on EU states. more
Profit sharing would boost engineering productivity
More than half of UK workers in the engineering sector surveyed believe they would be more productive if they were able to share in profits or have an... more
Changes recommended for CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
The Committee on Climate Change has recommended that Government redesigns the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme prior to the start... more
Firms continue to expect growth in UK factory output
UK manufacturers still expect production to grow solidly in the next three months, and demand held up reasonably well in september, says the CBI. Responding... more
Banks costing us engineering exports
A new survey shows that confidence is growing in Britain’s core engineering companies. But it’s no thanks to the banks, whose attitude to lending is still... more
Nuclear power generation technology innovation to benefit from new £2 million investment
Twenty feasibility studies aimed at stimulating innovation in civil nuclear power generation technology are to share £2 million of support from the government... more
A global recovery means it's time for frank discussions with your suppliers
Maintenance is one of the first to suffer when recession hits, downward price pressure inviting production managers, engineers and machine operators to... more
New red tape rules must be backed by real culture change
The Forum of Private Business welcomed the Government’s announcement that a ‘one-in, one-out’ regulatory system in order to stem the growing burden of... more
Boosting home-grown industry will bring down offshore wind deployment cost
The UK faces significant challenges in meeting its renewable energy targets for 2020. Offshore wind is widely expected to make a major contribution. However... more
Machinery exports to the US subject to new legislation
OEMs exporting machinery to the US would do well to review the motors being used, as new legislation coming into force in December puts into place a new... more
EEF joins with HSE and TUC in Safe Maintenance Campaign
EEF, the manufacturers organisation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the TUC are joining forces to tackle one of the major causes of serious... more
Imitation parts causing real problems in industry
According to the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS), imitation compressed air system parts have become a serious problem in recent years. And it doesn’t... more
UK growth figures revised upwards
Some good news for the government came when official figures revised up statistics on the growth of the UK economy. The Office for National Statistics... more
Partnerships key to future of UK manufacturing
Collaboration is the key to developing a strong future for manufacturing in the UK, according to a line-up of speakers at the recent national manufacturing... more
Regulation costs business £80 billion a year
The Institute of Directors (IoD) has renewed its call to all political parties to take the issue of over-regulation of business seriously. If we want UK... more
European machine tool industry turns the corner
Machine Tool Orders turned around in the fourth quarter of 2009 in CECIMO countries, after dropping by over 50% in the first quarter of 2009 (in comparison... more
Aggregates Levy - the final nail in the coffin?
BDS Marketing Research has issued an independent analysis of trends in aggregates market since 1990, and the effects of the Landfill Tax and the Aggregates... more
Small firms can show Whitehall how to do more with less, says Forum
Government departments could learn from SMEs when trying to manage shrinking budgets, according to the forum of Private Business. Reacting to the newly... more
Power industry turns to smart maintenance technology solutions
The smart maintenance Technology (SMT) solutions market for the power industry is arguably in its formative stages as power grid operators come to appreciate... more
Report urges support for export-led recovery
With government funding for industry thought to be at risk, a new report published by business advisors and accountants BDO LLP urges both government and... more
HSE launches new look woodworking website
The health and safety executive (HSE) has launched a newly redesigned website for workers in the woodworking sector. The woodworking industry is one of... more
Changing climate triggers risk and investment issues for mining industry
According to an acclimatise report, backed by IBM, over 80% of global mining companies surveyed claim their physical assets would be affected by extreme... more
ETI to study technology requirements for carbon capture and storage
The energy Technologies institute (ETI) is to carry out a detailed study of the availability and distribution of suitable minerals across the UK and technologies... more
Economic downturn sees surge in numbers of self-employed engineers
The UK’s economic recession has forged a new generation of home-grown entrepreneurs, with more than a quarter of respondents in the engineering sector... more
Health and Safety 10 – North
A machinery safety zone has been added to the attractions at the Health and Safety 10 – North exhibition and conference which takes place at the Reebok... more
Managing your energy and carbon future - today
The Energy Saving and Technology Association (ESTA) is encouraging maintenance engineers with responsibility for energy use or who are budget holders... more
Grants to help you cut costs and improve efficiency
‘Low Carbon’ is the new currency for manufacturers – to remain competitive you need to consider not only the carbon footprint of your products, but also... more
Economic recovery taking hold in manufacturing
Further evidence of the economic recovery taking hold in the UK manufacturing sector comes in the latest KPMG Global Business Outlook survey. The data... more
Manufacturers publish tax manifesto to drive rebalanced economy
The UK’s tax system is tilted against manufacturing, stands in the way of growing a more balanced economy and needs major reform, according to a major... more
MTA survey shows uplift in orders
Results from the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) monthly survey for March show significant increases in order intake and invoiced sales amongst... more
New UK Technology and Innovation Centres under development
The Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has asked the Technology Strategy Board to guide the development of a network of technology and innovation centres... more
Maintec 2011 dates announced
EasyFairs has announced that Maintec 2011 will run from the 29-31 March at the NEC, Birmingham, providing industry professionals with an efficient and... more
Helping South East businesses go green
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has allocated £3.8 million to help businesses throughout the region become more environmentally friendly... more
Manufacturers struggling with new emissions scheme
The new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme is now with us, but many businesses are still confused about what the legislation means... more
Environmental guidance for your business
NetRegs is a government initiative to provide free environmental guidance for small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. NetRegs will help you to understand... more
Figures show small firms losing out on energy deals
With figures suggesting big companies are able to secure far better energy prices than small businesses the Forum of Private Business (FPB) is urging firms... more
Industry called to action on safety alerts
All sectors of industry are being urged to play their part in sharing information to prevent accidents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revamped... more
Hillhead main Pavilion sells out
After the postponement of the event in 2009 because of the challenging economic climate, Hillhead has bounced back strongly in 2010, and is looking like... more
Machinery safety
A machinery safety zone has been added to the attractions at the ‘Health and Safety 10 – North’ exhibition and conference which takes place at the Reebok... more
SummitSkills responds to government higher education policy
SummitSkills, The sector skills council for Building services engineering (BSE), has welcomed the publication of the government's higher... more
Purchasing Managers' Index Shows Optimism
The UK-based Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) – a measure of the buying habits of those responsible for securing materials for manufacturing firms – ventured... more
Paper industry safety campaign
Improving health and safety in the paper industry is the focus of a joint campaign launched by workers' union unite and the confederation of paper... more
MX Awards 2010 NOW OPEN
Awards 2010 are now open for entries. The high profile contest, that claims to bring business improvement to every company that enters, now has entry details... more
HSE accused of complacency on lead exposure
UK limits on exposure to lead are too lax and could be putting tens of thousands of workers at risk of serious health problems a new report has warned. more
Hillhead 2010
The postponed quarrying, recycling and heavy construction exhibition, Hillhead 2010 will now take place between 22nd and 24th June 2010. The event, located... more
Energy saving schemes
If, like almost every company, you’re looking for ways to cut your energy usage, there’s a good chance you’re planning to invest in new equipment, either... more
EEF says banking industry is unfit for purpose
Delegates at the recent Finance for Future conference, organised by the manufacturers organisation EEF, agreed that the current banking situation... more
Confusion over EN 954-1 now resolved
The European Commission has finally issued a definitive statement concerning the future of EN 954-1, due to be replaced by the new safety standard EN ISO... more
Ammeraal Beltech acquires uni-chains
At a cost of 62.9 million Euros Ammeraal Beltech has acquired uni-chains, the family-owned company that produces modular belts and chains for applications... more
10 Nuclear power stations not enough says IMechE study
The government has announced 10 sites where nuclear power stations can be built. However, according to Climate Change: Have we lost the battle?,... more
The 48 hour week
MEPs have voted to scrap the opt-out to the Working Time Directive, which could bring an end to the UK's exercise of the clause, which... more
Econosto acquisition enhances ERIKS market leadership
ERIKS’ acquisition of the Royal Econosto Group in the summer of 2008 has brought together 200 years of experience in valves, industrial hoses and flange... more
Energy from waste - a wasted opportunity?
A new report titled A Wasted Opportunity has outlined an action plan to prevent the UK turning into one big dumping ground. The plan, devised by the... more
ERIKS plucks £86,000 out of air
Cavaghan & Gray, a leading supplier of own-label chilled ready meals and a part of Northern Foods’ Chilled Division, is making savings of £86,000 per year... more
New event for process industries
Process Engineering Live, taking place at Manchester Central, 10-11 March 2009, is a new event for the UK process sector. Supported by the BPMA, the Pump... more
UK Manufacturing in strong position
UK manufacturers have entered this recession in a stronger position than in the past, having made innovative adaptations in response to the threat from... more
UK's top manufacturing awards
The Manufacturing Excellence Awards (The MX Awards) is the premier annual award scheme for the UK manufacturing industry run by The Institution of Mechanical... more
Bearing Up
Global demand for ball, roller and plain bearings will climb by 6.4% a year to reach $66bn by 2012, according to a new forecast from the us market... more