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Manufacturing a brighter future for North East industry

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project has been helping North East manufacturers to become more productive and sustainable by supporting projects that enhance their products, processes and technology for the past five years.

The programme – which was launched in May 2018 – has proven a huge success and benefit to the region, attracting national attention while forging an impressive reputation, as well as helping bring to market some notable new products and innovations.

To date, it has provided almost £2 million in grant funding to the region’s manufacturers, as well as providing practical and research support to over 300 SMEs, from sole traders all the way through to businesses employing hundreds of staff.

And with the programme set to run until June 2023, discussions are now underway as to how this significant support can remain accessible to the region following the end of European Regional Development (ERDF) funds.

The pioneering £10.9 million initiative is part-funded by ERDF, which invested £5.8 million, and the University of Sunderland and industry.

The project offers a range of assistance to eligible SMEs in the North East LEP area, allowing them to access and tap into the significant academic resources with the University’s Faculty of Technology, a specialist team of industrial experts and five distinct factories with more than £1 million worth of cutting edge equipment.

Through this, SAM is able to offer both practical and research support, ensuring businesses can access relevant knowledge comprising some of the region’s and industry’s best informed and experience practitioners, as well as access to the latest advanced manufacturing technology.

The SAM Project Technical Research and Development team has been drawn from industry with a diverse mix of backgrounds and skills to provide a unique and compelling offer of support to SMES in the region.

Roger O’Brien, project and technical lead at the SAM Project, said: “The SAM Project is, and has been a huge success, and we are delighted to be continuing to provide support to the region’s manufacturing sector, which is key to the regional economy, jobs, growth and position.

“Over the years, we’ve provided funding and support to hundreds of businesses and have witnessed firsthand the impact this has had, from safeguarding and creating jobs to transforming entire production lines. Last year alone we registered an additional 77 manufacturers onto the programme, as well as working with existing businesses, meaning 169 companies have now received support in the last 12 months alone.

“Since the pandemic and with the impact of Brexit, the nation’s manufacturing sector has faced more than its fair share of challenged. However, it has also provided opportunities such as re-shoring and bringing back in-house previously sub-contracted works, as well as business diversification.

“Now, more than ever, manufacturers need our support and the funding and support offered by SAM is key to ensuring many of the region’s SMEs are able to adapt and grow as we look to re-emerge from this crisis and keep Britain’s economy moving, and help prevent the UK from falling into a potential recession.”

The SAM Project has provided matched-funded grants of up to £50,000 to scores of SMEs, be it for capital, product validation, equipment and other financial inhibitors to drive the strategic development of both product and process.

The total grant pot was £2 million, which has supported approaching £6 million worth of private sector investment in new facilities and state of the art equipment, in nearly 80 businesses within the North East spread across all areas of the region and from a diverse mix of manufacturing sectors, from traditional engineering to those delivering cutting edge new products and processes.

An independent report commissioned to explore the impact of the SAM Project at the midpoint of the project also revealed that the programme helped create 270 jobs, over half of these directly as a result of SAM interventions and added over £47 million in gross value to the regional economy.

Two years on from that report and the success has magnified as the impact has continued to grow, with the project about to embark on a full impact assessment and evaluation for its full duration.

“Our fully-funded technical advice and support is what really makes the SAM Project stand out from your traditional business support schemes,” Roger added. “While there are many other grant funds out there to help businesses grow, there are very few – if any – and certainly none in the region, which offer the intensive, personalised, in-depth technical support that we do.

“We have delivered everything from concept designs, proof of concept studies, implementation support, factory layout, technology adoption and best practice, across the spectrum of advanced manufacturing. I am immensely proud of the support and benefit the project and team have made to the region, and hope this can continue to make a difference beyond June 2023.”

Roger concluded: “If you’re an SME manufacturer, then the engineers, researchers, grants and access to equipment are here to help you adapt to the inevitable process changes facing and to help take your business to the next level.

“Programmes like this are pivotal to ensuring the North East continues to lead the way in product, process and technology innovation – and we can’t stress enough how important it is that manufacturers get on board before this phase of support ends.

“There is only a set amount of time and technical support available, as well as very limited grant funds remaining, therefore – following the huge success – registration as soon as possible is highly recommended.”

‘Made in Britain’ commitment leaves clothing manufacturer fighting fit

Enabling brands to bring the of their garments home to the UK has proven the perfect fit for a fast-growing clothing manufacturer.

Studio 54 Jesmond has unveiled plans to double its output and create three new jobs, following a period of significant growth.

Founded by fashion entrepreneur Amy Fettis, the Jesmond-based firm samples and manufactures athleisure clothing and accessories for brands across the UK and international clients.

Fusing activewear and loungewear, the athleisure market grew 84% during the first year of the pandemic, however mass supply chain disruption brought about by travel restrictions led to a dearth of produce for brands across the UK.

This led the forward-thinking entrepreneur, who had previously run her own athleisure clothing brand, to launch her own dedicated manufacturing business in 2020, bringing the production of goods onshore to the UK.

“Traditionally, the vast majority of athleisure products have been produced overseas and the pandemic really highlighted the dangers of this,” she said.

“As supply chains the world-over had their fragilities exposed by travel restrictions, companies who had safeguarded their supply by embracing sustainability and locally sourcing their products saw their efforts really bear fruit.

“It also led to more businesses embracing the idea of onshoring, which is where we have really benefited. Since restrictions were lifted, we’ve continued to see our business grow significantly and the rising demand for our products is showing no signs of slowing down.”

Based in a converted townhouse in the centre of Jesmond, Studio 54 offers bespoke sampling, development and small batch clothing production, which has made it a supplier of choice for independent and start-up fashion houses across the UK.

And having recently been backed by a venture capital fund and the £10.9 million Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland, the company has unveiled ambitious plans for the future.

“Entering into a joint venture with our VC partner, as well as the grant funding and support from SAM, has really allowed us to focus on growing the business,” she added.

“Over the coming months, the grant from SAM will see us invest in a suite of new industrial sewing machines and the VC support will see us create three new jobs as we continue to scale the business.

“We also plan to establish an off-site production facility next year too. Some clients are coming back with repeat orders and we don’t see this slowing down, so this will allow us to create bigger runs, which in turn will enable us to work with bigger brands.”

As well as helping Studio 54 Jesmond purchase new machinery, the support from SAM has also helped the company improve the quality of its products and identify other areas of the business that could be improved.

Amy said: “The SAM Project has helped us identify areas of our business that could be improved from the outset and improve our detailing. They have also introduced us to people in the industry and have kept us in mind when opportunities have arisen that could benefit us.

“They’re one of the only organisations that I know that are manufacturing focused and I think there’s a huge gap in the UK for organisations like this. So much offshoring has happened in the last 20 years and to have that dedicated support for manufacturers like us – who want to really champion UK manufacturing – is so valuable.”

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting SME manufacturers in the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area to improve their products or processes and introduce new technology.

Roger O’Brien, Project & Technical Lead at the SAM Project, “It’s been great working with Amy and the team at Studio 54 Jesmond to improve their means of production and make the business more sustainable.

“With a recession on the horizon and a seemingly ever-worsening climate crisis, it’s never been so important for businesses to ‘buy British’ and Studio 54 Jesmond is a fantastic example of how onshoring can help create jobs and bolster the economy.

“It’s been a pleasure working with them and we look forward to continue supporting them as they plan for the future.”

Manufacturers urged to apply for funding before it’s too late

The SAM Project is urging the region’s manufacturers to apply for grant funding before it’s too late.

Hundreds of businesses have received grants of up to £50,000 from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland since its launch in 2018.

Totalling over £1million, the grants have helped businesses – ranging from sole traders to those with over 100 employees – embrace the latest technology and improve processes, leading to the creation of hundreds of jobs and boosting the regional economy by tens of millions of pounds.

And with the second round of the grant fund closing this month, the programme is urging businesses to apply for funding before the February 1 deadline.

Roger O’Brien, Project & Technical Lead at the SAM Project, said: “Over the past four years we’ve seen hundreds of manufacturers benefit from our grant funding and technical support, from companies investing in robotics to cutting-edge machinery and VR equipment.

“The embracing of such new technologies hasn’t just led to increased profits, either. An impact report following the first phase of the SAM Project revealed that it had helped create over 290 jobs and add in excess of £47.1million in gross value to the region’s economy, so it has had a profound impact.

“However, all good things must come to an end, which is why we are urging the region’s manufacturers who have not yet applied for funding from phase two of the project to apply before it’s too late.”

The matched grant funding can be used to support capital/ product validation, tooling and overcoming other financial inhibitors, unblocking strategic development of both product and processes within a manufacturing business.

One business that has benefited from funding from the SAM Project is soft drink manufacturer Clearly Drinks, based on Southwick Industrial Estate in Sunderland.

After receiving a grant from the SAM Project, the company was able to purchase a new pasteurisation unit and nitrogen dosing system which led to the creation of 10 new jobs and helped the company land its largest contract to date with a national wholesaler.

Chief executive Mick Howard, who joined the company in 2018, said: “The support from SAM was fantastic. The process was super-simple and allowed us to not only tap into funding to help de-risk our investment, but also receive the technical expertise required to ensure we maximise the potential of the new equipment and technology.

“For a business like us, in the current landscape, it can be quite hard tapping into funding and support when you’re looking to scale and the team at the SAM Project really went above and beyond to help us.”

As well as providing grant funding, the SAM Project has also brought together a team of manufacturing experts with over 250 years of industry experience to provide free, expert support to the region’s businesses.

It has also invested millions of pounds into establishing a series of state-of-the-art test factories at the University of Sunderland’s Industry Centre, boasting 3D printers, I4 rigs and VR/AR equipment and software to encourage SME engagement with advanced technology.

Roger added: “Whether you’re overcoming challenges or identifying new opportunities to grow, the likelihood is that our team have been there and done it, and if they haven’t, you can guarantee that they won’t stop until they’ve helped you engineer a solution to it, so I’d recommend any business wanting to tap into their knowledge to get in touch while they can.”

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m project to support the implementation of product and process development and the introduction of technology within the SME manufacturing base in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area.

The programme is a collaboration between ERDF, which provided £5.77m in funding (£2.6million from 2014-2020 and £3.1million from 2020-2023) and the University of Sunderland, which manages and, alongside industry, has invested £5.15m into the delivery of this project.

For more information on the SAM Project’s grant funding and technical support, contact Dionne Clark at Dionne.Clark@sunderland.ac.uk

Cocktail specialist shakes up the sector

A cocktail brand born out of the pandemic has unveiled ambitious plans for the future, after selling over 200,000 units in just two years.

Nestled in a converted railway arch in Newcastle city centre, Kocktail was set up in 2020 to help people enjoy ‘world-class cocktails in the comfort of their own home.’

The brainchild of friends Andrew Hutchinson, Emil Stickland and Neil Donachie, the trio launched the business after struggling to replicate their favourite cocktails at home during the pandemic.

Neil – who was head bartender at The Savoy when it was crowned ‘The World’s Best Hotel Bar’ – was tasked with teaching the others how to recreate their favourite cocktails, however they soon realised there was a gap in the market for high-end cocktail kits and ingredients.

This inspired the launch of Kocktail, a cocktail subscription service providing eight ‘world-class, ready to drink’ cocktails a month to customers across the UK, produced with the most sought-after spirits and quality ingredients.

Fast-forward two years and the company has grown rapidly, establishing itself as the UK’s leading cocktail kit and subscription brand and employing 15 people. It has also signed deals to supply its new 500ml bottles to high-end retailers across the UK, including John Lewis.

“A lot of people said it would just be a lockdown fad and predicted that demand would fall off a cliff when restrictions were lifted, but we were confident that wasn’t the case,” Andrew said. “And we’ve been proven right.

“We added individual products and gift boxes to our range, giving us three core product ranges, and this has really helped elevate the business to heights even we didn’t envisage, selling over 200,000 bottles and securing deals with some of the biggest names in retail.”

One of the challenges facing the business during its growth phase however, aside from the pandemic, was ensuring the products remained of the highest possible standard while demand and its team spiralled.

After attending a series of workshops by the £10.9million Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland, the company introduced processes to ramp up productivity while standardising best practice and making it easier for new staff to understand the process.

This proved key to helping the company meet the increased demand from its clients and Andrew is confident that the increased output generated by the improvements will help the company to continue growing as it plans for the future.

He explained: “Due to Neil’s impressive bar background, he had really high standards which was what really set us apart from our competitors and the support from SAM was key to ensuring our production manager, George, was able to maintain this standard as more people joined the team and we began to really ramp up our output.

“As we continued to grow, we knew we had to keep standards high and make sure we were meeting them every single time, without being too mechanicalised or mass produced, and the support from SAM really helped us achieve that.

“It saw us standardise practices and helped us better understand how to implement procedures. We were already doing some of those things naturally, but they managed to put it onto paper so that everyone now sings from the same hymn sheet when they join the company. It’s really helped sustain our future and formalise aspects of the business we would never have done ourselves.

“As we look to the future, the plan is to continue expanding our presence across the UK, expand our product range and continue growing the business, and I’m confident that, with the support we have received and the team we have assembled, we have everything we need to achieve our goals.”

Roger O’Brien, Project and Technical Lead at the SAM Project, said: “It’s been fantastic working with the team at Kocktail to help improve their manufacturing processes and prepare for the future.

“Our manufacturing workshops are ideal for busy companies to learn best practice techniques and we are delighted at how much we are able to support at such a business-critical time.”

New machinery helps worktop manufacturer apply the perfect finish

A North East worktop manufacturer has revealed how digital simulation software has helped the 25 year old business visualise a brighter future.

Nostalgia Work Surfaces (NWS), based in Washington, has cut costs and lead times and ramped up productivity after receiving support from a team of manufacturing experts.

After receiving technical support and funding from the £10.9 million Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project, NWS was able to use state-of-the-art FlexSim software to help validate that they had the space required to install the new equipment required to achieve its future plans.

The firm had long considered investing in a new CNC saw to help improve its product quality and reduce lead-times, however the investment was substantial to elevate the cutting capability from traditional into the digital interface of next generation CNC machinery.

The support from SAM – which included an expert workshop on manufacturing management techniques and one-to-one support from a simulation specialist – meant NWS could use state of the art 3D simulation software to identify where the equipment would fit within its setup and avoid any installation pitfalls.

A grant also supported the purchase of a new CNC saw, which has significantly cut costs for the company and reduced its carbon footprint since its installation in July 2022, as well as being faster, more versatile plus reducing off-cuts and waste.

Alan Taylor, managing director at Nostalgia Work Surfaces, said: “We are really pleased with the impact the new CNC saw has had on the business.

“It has not only increased productivity, standards and reduced waste but it has also given the workforce a greater sense of pride, lifting their standards and attitudes to a new level.”

He added: “We couldn’t have done it without SAM. One of the key inhibitors to growth we’ve witnessed has been the inability to move our workshop around without impacting upon production and their support has been key to helping us overcome this challenge.

“Prior to speaking to the team, we would never have even thought of using simulation software as a means of re-designing our workspace and figuring out how to improve our processes. It would’ve just seemed like an alien concept.

“The grant also went a long-way to helping us purchase the machinery we needed. We really can’t recommend the support enough.”

Nostalgia Work Surfaces currently employs 13 people at its Swan Industrial Estate site, however Alan is confident that – despite the many challenges currently facing the nation’s manufacturers – the company’s recent investment will allow it to continue creating jobs as it looks to the future.

“Because of the ability of the machine, we are now able to take on more complex work, angles and curves, resulting in the manufacture of more complex products which would not have otherwise been possible,” he said.

“Looking forward, we hope this will not only allow us to introduce new product ranges and improve quality, but also create more jobs as we continue to innovate and grow.”

Roger O’Brien, Project & Technical Lead at the SAM Project, said: “It’s been fantastic working with Alan and the team on this project and seeing how the latest simulation technology can help businesses such as NWS break down their barriers to growth.

“Over the past few years, we’ve helped hundreds of companies just like Nostalgia explore how the latest industrial technologies can help them innovate and we’d recommend any SME in the region which manufacturers – or has plans to manufacture – to get in touch while the support is available.”

Clearly Drinks caps off record year with ambitious growth plans

A North East soft drinks manufacturer has seen sales fizz after investing £6million into a new canning line and entering into its best year to date.

Clearly Drinks, which manufactures its own branded products as well as providing a contract bottling service to some of the industry’s biggest names, is expecting revenue to double this year after tripling its capacity to 160 million litres over the last three years.

The continued investment by the company into its award-winning Sunderland plant is part of a wider investment programme which has seen the company expand into new markets, differentiate from its competitors, increase sustainability and launch new product lines.

Led by chief executive Mick Howard, who joined the company in 2018 having spent over 30 years in senior technical roles overseeing the operations of major brands across Africa and Europe including SAB Miller, the investment is the largest in the company’s 135-year history, helping futureproof the firm and bring it in-line with industry standards.

Mick said: “To make such an investment during a pandemic was a brave and courageous decision however it is one that has really paid off for the business.

“Not only has it helped us bring new products to market but it has also seen our headcount exceed 100 employees and made the business much more agile. It’s a really exciting time for everyone involved with Clearly Drinks.”

Founded in 1885, Clearly Drinks originally started life as Fenwick & Sons before rebranding to Villa Drinks, a name synonymous with the North East which is still remembered fondly by people across the region and who’s iconic ghost sign adverts can still be seen on the gable ends of red-brick buildings across Tyne & Wear.

Today, the company employs over 100 people and remains deep-rooted in the local community by creating apprenticeships for local people through its annual recruitment programme and supporting local charities such as the Salvation Army, as well as maintaining a strong working relationship with Sunderland College.

Mick added: “Having been born and raised in the North East, I know the story behind Villa and was delighted when I was approached to take on the mantle of helping steer this historic business into the 21^st century.

“I knew how much the company meant to the local community and its employees, therefore we made it our mission to ensure everyone was on board with our growth plans while continuing to invest in the community and give back to those that have given so much to this business over the past century.”

As well as investing in a state-of-the-art canning line, the company has also purchased a new pasteurisation unit and nitrogen dosing system which have led to the creation of 10 new jobs and helped the company land its largest contract to date with a national wholesaler.

The total investment, which is over £6.5million, was supported by the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project, which provided technical support to help the company integrate the new technology into its business, as well as a £50,000 grant towards the purchase of the new pasteurisation unit.

“The support from SAM was fantastic,” Mick said. “The process was super-simple and allowed us to not only tap into funding to help de-risk our investment somewhat, but also receive the technical expertise required to ensure we maximise the potential of the new equipment and technology.

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting the implementation of product and process development and the introduction of technology within the SME manufacturing base in the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area.

Roger O’Brien, project and technical lead at the SAM Project, said: “Clearly Drinks is a real North East success story and we’re delighted to have been able to support the company on its incredible growth journey.

“The investment in the new canning line and pasteurisation unit will not only help make the business more sustainable but it will also allow it to realise its potential and continue growing its presence across the globe. We’d like to wish them all the best for the future.”

Desktop Metal – Metal 3D Printing from Desktop to Production

Join Desktop Metal and the SAM Project to discover how metal 3D printing can help you take designs from your desktop and put into production.

Paul Gately (Strategic Accounts Director, Desktop Metal) will explore the exciting range of metal additive solutions which they offer. Paul will look at their systems that are suitable for desktop fabrication for small numbers of items as well as their Shop and Studio systems that can produce quantities suitable for a production run of parts.

Date and time

Tue, 7 June 2022 09:00 – 12:00 BST

Location

The Industry Center, Sunderland SR5 3XB

Book your place here.

Big changes at Bignall Group, thanks to SAM expertise

A firm of County Durham engineers has stripped hours from its manufacturing times and is planning to venture into new markets, thanks to an elite team of experts.

Bignall Group is saving hundreds of manhours, investing in new machinery and already planning the second phase of its project working with a team of specialists from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project.

SAM – which offers a range of support to SME manufacturing businesses in the North East LEP area – supported the Shildon-based operation following a full survey of Bignall Group’s production and workflow management systems, helping the company pinpoint bottlenecks in the process and then develop a plan for addressing the issues.

Bignall Group general manager, Mark Coatsworth, said the expertise of the SAM Project team had been vital in helping identify areas where improvements could be made.

“We were already examining our workflow system and identifying areas where we could eliminate bottlenecks and remove waste from the manufacturing process,” said Mark. “Bringing in the SAM team really helped speed that process up and we benefited from the fresh sets of eyes looking at how we operated.

“Like all businesses, we are always looking at ways to be more efficient, save on costs and generally just improve the way we do things. SAM really boosted that process, in one instance tackling a challenge in our sawing process that previously took a minute to remedy, but now takes about four seconds.

“We worked out the machines that were operating over-capacity and we addressed it, quickly speccing up two new pieces of kit that not only alleviated the capacity pressures, but expanded our ability to do more.

“Projects like SAM are essential to help firms, like ours, take that leap forward and begin operating on another level.”

Bignall Group is made up of three complimentary businesses, Shildon Manufacturing Company provides CNC machining; Cobtec Cubicle Hardware supplies cubicle ironmongery into construction projects all across Europe; and Masterlube Systems designs, builds and distributes grease and oil lubrication systems worldwide from its facility in Shildon, County Durham.

SAM support not only helped pinpoint bottlenecks in the company’s systems, but also invest in a new 4-axis CNC machine and CNC lathe.

For over 40 years Bignall Group has been designing and developing light engineered products, with a manufacturing facility and multiple product groups. Selling in 20 countries across multiple industries, the company puts design and innovation at the core of everything it does. It currently employs 32 people, who work across all three businesses.

“Working with the SAM team last summer was an excellent experience and one that I’m very much looking forward to again, with the beginning of phase II of the project,” added Mark. “To be able to tap into that industry expertise has been invaluable for us.

“I’d absolutely recommend SAM to any SME looking to make efficiencies or improvements.”

Shildon Manufacturing Company remained open throughout the pandemic, with its clients providing items used in the NHS and the company even ventured into the world of PPE production at one point, designing, manufacturing and donating equipment to frontline workers.

Neil Taylor, automation and robotics specialist for the SAM Project, said: “Bignall Group is a fantastic cluster of businesses, each of which is really blazing a trail in its respective sector. It is a fantastic example of a company that has harnessed our region’s traditional industrial strengths and married them with leading-edge innovation.

“I look forward to continuing the great experience of working with the team at Bignall Group.”

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting the implementation of product and process development and the introduction of technology within the SME manufacturing base in the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area.

SAM offers four key support functions to businesses gearing up to grow, including access to technical expertise, with industrial specialists using their skill and expertise to guide businesses through the process of understanding and implementing technology; R&D, with a team of researchers able to support with the development of new products and processes; factories and facilities, including access to £1m of industry-leading advanced technology and equipment; and its grants scheme, that offers financial assistance to qualifying businesses.

Meet our Simulation and 3D Digital Twinning expert

Rita Potts is the Business Process Improvement and Simulation Specialist at the SAM Project, specialising in 3D digital twinning and simulation.

Simulation has historically been primarily used by larger organisations and for major installation programs in the planning and de-risking of major change.

However, here at SAM, we’re helping break down these barriers to entry for SMEs by allowing them to test and understand the benefits of the latest 3D simulation software by applying the knowledge and techniques often used by major corporates to their operations.

We have numerous examples of companies benefiting from this, such as through our plant layout projects. Similar to the way large organisations use the software, we can help SMEs plan and re-arrange the layout and organisation of their factory on a digital twin model that helps them better plan for the future.

For one of our customers, the digital factory included everything the real factory did. It was a digital replica of the staff, shifts, process flow and capacity constraints, modelling exactly what happens. Then, with the team, we made changes to create a layout that improved output by around 30% in the same square footage. Using the software, we were able to test all ideas in the digital safe space before actually physically moving any machinery, so planning the change was extremely time and cost effective and resulted in increased productivity as all overheads stayed the same and output increased dramatically.

We have also used digital twinning to look at plants that do not exist yet. We have helped a number of customers with what we call ‘concept plants’. These customers have been either growing rapidly and needed to understand their future space requirements or looking to potentially secure investment. We have successfully helped customers, who have been able to demonstrate to their own staff, boards and to potential investors, what the factory looks like and how it will work, when the business is still in the early stages of planning, with one of our customers securing around £2m of investment and allowing their growth plans to be fulfilled.

It is often difficult for owners and managers to disseminate ideas and plans which are not yet developed fully and the 3D digital twin software helps by turning such ideas and concepts into a visual representation that allows for shared understanding. For one SAM SME, this meant creating a virtual production so that staff could see in advance the changes that would be made to their current operations when moving from a static build environment to a flow line. It also aided the training of staff in how that change – which was a major cultural shift – would look and work, creating improved communication and smoother transition to new ways for working.

This powerful visualisation also works for the business’ customers too! Our help with a production line installation company to demonstrate their line and products to their customer, as part of a tendering process, won them two £1m contracts from a major customer. For another company, we benchmarked their product against other products on the market, clearly demonstrating the difference in environmental impact and benefits, enabling them to take an accurate digital working model to presentations.

So, if you’re a small to medium sized manufacturer, or even a business looking to begin manufacturing, talk to SAM today to find out how our support could benefit your business.

Meet our Electronics and Industry 4.0 Expert

Richard Eynon, Industry4.0 and Electronics specialist at the SAM Project, helps SMEs understand and embrace the latest innovations.

Despite the many technological advances that have transformed the manufacturing industry over recent years, many SMEs are still reluctant to invest in the latest Industry4.0, digital and electronic innovations due to a common misconception that you need the budget of an OEM in order to purchase and run the latest software and machinery.

Having accumulated over 20 years’ experience working with transducers in a variety of industries, I have seen the impact cost effective and retrofittable cyber-physical devices can have on SMEs, especially when it comes to productivity. For example, using Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices such as condition monitoring equipment, which include Vibration, Temperature, Humidity, and Proximity Sensors. These devices can help SMEs monitor performance of their machines and identify potential breakdowns and failures before they happen, resulting in less machine downtime and increased productivity.

Our Acoustic sensors can also be used to validate (audio) data from the connected devices, with an option of further in depth spectrum analysis and can also be intrinsically safer to locate where physical access may be a problem.

This wide industry experience over many years has essentially made me ask better and more relevant questions to help manage and determine a successful design solution, which generally can exceed internal or external customer (client) expectations. Many design concepts require multi-skilled individuals or groups to solve them and being within the SAM Project – and having access to our colleagues with their broad industry experience and a wide network of industry contacts – can quickly determine the validity of an idea from proof of concept to manufacturability.

SMEs interested in learning how new technologies such as conditioning monitoring can benefit their business can also trial the technology themselves at our state-of-the-art factory areas at the University of Sunderland. Boasting over £1million worth of market-leading equipment, one of our most popular devices is a Portable Monitoring System.

The equipment is small and cost-effective but is a great introduction for SMEs wishing to learn how to implement digital data gathering into their business without breaking the bank and our test factory provides the perfect opportunity for companies to de-risk any future investments in new technology.

All of this equipment is completely free for manufacturers to try out. So, if you’re thinking of investing in any new machinery or software over the year ahead, why not de-risk your investment by paying us a visit?