Business Groups are the heart of the matter
In this month's column, Philip Law highlights the strides made by its Business Groups, looks at the future of plastics in automotive and points to opportunity in India.
I was recently reminded that the heart of the BPF is in its membership groups. All corporate members of the BPF must belong to one of the Federation’s Business Groups that relates to their primary business interest, whether its pipes, windows, packaging, moulders, etc.
We have some 20 Groups all actively attacking the business opportunities and threats within their sectors. Each year we hold a meeting of all the Chairmen of the Groups to exchange best practice and to review programmes for the coming year. It was a tremendously vibrant meeting that we had on 2nd November with broad areas of agreement covering such issues as Brexit, Skills and the public reputation of plastics.
One great initiative highlighted was our Pipes Group’s engagement in a major multi-national awareness campaign championing the suitability of plastic pipe systems for subterranean sewer applications aiming to inspire the civil engineering and utilities sectors. The BPF Pipes Group is working in conjunction with TEPPFA, The European Plastics and Pipes and Fittings Association, and four other national plastic pipe organisations. It is based around a dedicated knowledge hub accessible through http://www.discover-plasticpipes.com/uk
This features studies including the ‘100-Year Service Life of Gravity Sewer Pipe Report’, which investigated the effects of traffic loading and strain, corrosion, and other factors on plastic pipes in both actual field conditions and in laboratory situations. It’s incredibly useful to the industry, as it’s been independently reviewed by a top academic and it proves that a 100-year in-service lifetime can be confidently predicted for EN-compliant plastic pipes. This campaign is the culmination of decades of research undertaken by the pipes industry and independent bodies and deserves to be taken very seriously by civil engineers.
Similarly, our Moulders Group has embarked on a programme to facilitate sharing of best practice through a series of Factory Tours. On 11th October a group of BPF Moulders were able to visit Pentagon Plastics where MD, Paul Edwards, was the guide. Pentagon goes back 45 years and has a rich history. It has invested extensively – and – in 2016 acquired Phoenix, a tooling company. BPF’s Dr Sara Cammarano updated visitors on the latest developments in the SIMPL Health and Safety programme and RJG’s Richard Brown discussed the training of apprenticeships.
A recent BPF seminar highlighted the contribution made by the plastics industry to the automotive sector, when Jaguar Land Rover hosted the session at their brilliantly equipped Jaguar Experience Centre. Speakers had hard hitting messages. Martin Rees of Prime Advantage Advisory said that the automotive industry is in upheaval and nothing established can be taken for granted.
Mark Ellis of Nissan said that his company is no longer a car manufacturer but “a supplier of personal mobility solutions.” For him, the future will see polymers replacing metals even more widely. Ortwin Meuss of Sabic and PlasticsEurope emphasised the importance of lobbying Government to secure recognition that light weighting equals lower emissions. Professor David Bailey of Aston University said trade doesn’t work the way the Government thinks it does. There are dozens of channels through which parts and equipment are made at different stages and transported across borders.
Finally, we are running a trade mission to Plastindia, Gujarat, 7-12th February 2018. This is being run in conjunction with The Department for International Trade (DIT). If you are interested in attending please email jelliott@bpf.co.uk