Manufacturers Make Strides

Meet Bhavik Shah: Driving Innovation in Vehicle Electrification Bhavik Shah, Business Growth Manager at Unipart Automotive, has over 30 years in automotive manufacturing and a decade in vehicle electrification. In this episode, we discuss the future of vehicle electrification, critical factors for transitioning businesses, and the evolving EV supply chain. Bhavik shares insights on fostering innov...

Meet Mark Whitten: The Mastermind Behind Spartanburg Steel 2.0 There’s a difference between being a business owner and being a true entrepreneur; the latter has a passion, a spark, a hunger to drive their legacy forward and make a lasting difference in their industry. Mark Whitten is one such individual. His commitment to not just his company – but the people and culture behind it – is truly inspi...

Just as there’s a storyteller behind every novel, every car on the road is made possible by the manufacturers of steel and aluminium. But not every manufacturer is created equal… Led by Arun Thandapani, Hirschvogel is a pioneering steel and aluminium part supplier that’s changing the face of the sector as we know it. Arun and his team are taking the technological side of manufacturing to the next...

The way we move never stays the same for very long. Humans have transitioned from foot to carriage to car, and now, P.J Tezza is escorting mankind into the next generation of mobility – ModVans – the result of 1000+ hours of work and an unrelenting refusal to take no for an answer. In this fascinating interview, P.J reveals how he turned his background in physics and software engineering into a po...

E-vehicles were once considered the future of mobility. Now, it’s solidly a present reality for drivers around the world. Countless drivers are now hopping into electric or hybrid cars, trucks, and buses instead of their fossil-fuelled powered counterparts.  However, what is the future for e-vehicles? Tony Sufler, the VP of Ops and MD at Momentum Dynamics, might just have the answer. He’s the deve...

Automation is one of the hottest topics in the engineering and manufacturing industries. The speed, efficiency, and potential hurdles of automation are the points of discussion on every agenda.    Today we’re talking to the co-founder of an online platform that’s making job accessibility in the age of automation a very real and very lucrative opportunity for automation engineers in America.   Hear...

Technology has made incredible progress in the past few years. It makes our lives faster, simpler, and easier than ever. Even the way we park and drive our cars has become effortless thanks to sensitive motion detectors and sensors. Unfortunately, there never seems to be the perfect solution. Even these innovative sensors can become dirty or clogged, which renders them ineffective or, worse, usele...

What are some of the secrets to a successful manufacturing start-up that will not quit? What key lessons will help you break into the space with confidence?    John LaFleur, CEO of Fleur Consulting brings a wealth of inter-disciplinary skills to the worktable. Not only did he lead the development of the very first full-size, full-electric pickup truck, but he also helped his teams touch on effecti...

Draw. Inspect. Fail. Repeat. There are few things as frustrating in the engineering and development fields as the usually painful and ever-repetitive process of creating drawings from CAD models.    That’s where Vin Kettay and Brian Gullette of Vectra Automation are coming in hot. Instead of spending hours draughting, inspecting, and ultimately redoing designs, they’re simplifying the process with...

Our world is facing some incredibly pressing issues at the moment, and manufacturing companies around the globe are looking for new ways to solve them. Sustainability – and how to achieve it as quickly and as effectively as possible – is the topic of the day. According to Rajiv Bongirwar, CEO of Hemraj Consulting, the only way to reach our sustainability targets is by making design, safety, and se...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have your very own autonomous robot doing chores for you? You don’t have to wonder anymore. Autonomous robots are becoming increasingly popular in the UK – and one of the most prevalent is the new autonomous robotic lawnmowers that are being developed by Kingdom Technologies.   I chatted to Tony Day, the head of mechanical engineering at Kingdom Tech...

Public transport, shipping, and international travel are all transforming to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly – but what happens when you think smaller? What about shorter, faster trips that don’t necessarily warrant hopping on a bus or train to get somewhere?   Jez Williman’s UK-based company is here to make those trips a reality. D-Fly is transforming the way individual peopl...

What would life be like if owning a car wasn’t the norm?    I had the chance to speak to Antonio about the past, present, and future of the sustainable automotive manufacturing industry across the world, and as a globally renowned visionary in his industry, Antonio believes that we’re about to see some incredible changes sooner than we’d think.   In this interview, we’re talking about how the idea...

How do you successfully bring manufacturing back to the UK when the sole source of sound equipment has been produced abroad for decades? How do you survive a lockdown when speakers are what you make for a living? These are just some of the many adversities Andrew Bishop has faced and conquered in his life.   I’m excited to have had the opportunity to speak with Andrew, founder and CEO over at Bish...

I spoke to Manoli Yannaghas, who is the CEO and co-founder of VoltVision, to find out more about what sustainability in manufacturing means, and how we can use data to reduce our corporate carbon footprints.    Manoli, who has more than two decades of industry-specific experience, shares some of his company’s goals for the future, his thoughts on reaching net-zero, and some actionable tips on how...

What would you give to be able to effortlessly gain the wisdom that others have spent decades earning? What would the guidance of an industry leader mean to you as a professional?    Jim Fairbairn is an experienced manufacturing and design expert with decades of experience, endless pearls of leadership wisdom, and a deep-seated passion for helping people and businesses grow.    His strong will and...

There’s quite a lot already happening in manufacturing, and the process itself is complicated enough as it is. But what really affects the bottom line, is how you manage these processes. An MES is the best option if you want to effectively manage your operations with automated data collection, organised digital filing, and accessibility. But how would you go about implementing an MES? It’s only no...

When implementing any new system into your manufacturing process, there are quite a few elements to consider before you introduce something that doesn’t suit your company’s needs. There’s no question that an MES adds value to any given manufacturing company, but this type of system offers an extensive list of functionalities, which is why you need to establish exactly what they can do and how they...

Many components of business have changed over the past few decades. Business culture is a lot more informal, and there is a substantial focus on including various departments in business developments. So, where there used to be a very high level of hierarchy in business, leaders are now starting to leverage all levels of operation to increase productivity and innovation. One of the biggest facets...

How are you keeping track of and controlling your manufacturing process? And how are you ensuring every single step is monitored and running smoothly? There are many departments running under one manufacturing operation, which means there’s most likely room for error – especially if you’re collecting data and controlling the process manually. Gone are the days where one person can be responsible f...

What safety protocols does your business follow?  Safety is an incredibly important part of running a business for both employees and customers.  Why for the latter?  Because people only trust businesses who follow the correct procedures – and keep a record of them.     In our latest podcast, we talk to Safety Evolution CEO, David Brennan, about workplace safety, the most common mistakes people ma...

Did you know that by sustaining good manufacturing practices, your company can increase its operational efficiency, reach new clientele, increase your competitive advantage, and even reduce overall costs?    You see, you have a choice: To either adopt these so-called sustainable practices for a few weeks or months or implement and follow through in the months and years to come. You need to make go...

Manufacturing travellers are product document packs where every single manufacturing process is recorded for tracking and component purposes. These travellers have always worked well in terms of tracking and quality assurance, but are you perhaps wasting time with duplicate entries? Think about it, if you need to find specific entries or data, you’ll have to sort through all the doubles to finally...

Are you in control of your manufacturing capacity?  Can your manufacturing process keep up with demand and within customers’ timelines?    Businesses are so focused on constantly boosting sales and growing the business, they often forget about ensuring the manufacturing part can keep up with the selling part.   In this episode, we’re going to explore six ways you can perform capacity planning in y...

Control is an imperative part of any manufacturing process, and reducing variation is a big step in ensuring control. Why? Because variation is a clear indicator that your manufacturing process is out of control. A high-quality process means the difference between delivering a good or bad product. And if you do end up stopping the process in its tracks before a potentially bad delivery, it could m...