Manufacturing UK event focuses on quality and future automotive changes

The GTMA has held its Manufacturing UK event at Yamazaki Mazak’s state-of-the-art machine tool manufacturing plant in Worcester.

More than 170 attendees had the opportunity to see the latest products and services from 40 of the associations members, including toolmakers and precision machining companies, suppliers of cutting tools and workholding, CAD/CAM and ERP software, metrology, testing and inspection, as well as ancillary equipment designed to improve workshop efficiency.

Jake Bishop, Chairman of the GTMA, provided an overview of the activities planned for the day, which included speeches for Alan Olifent from Jaguar Land Rover and David Bailey from Aston Business School.

Olifent’s presentation, ‘Using Measurement for Competitive Advantage’, highlighted how measurement and inspection are seen as a time-consuming expense.

By taking a holistic approach to continuous improvement and using the data from robust measurement processes, he explained how businesses can drive down costs and improve profitability.

David Bailey’s presentation, ‘Automotive Issues Update: Market Trends, Policy Issues, Trade Tensions and Brexit, New Technologies and Value Chain Effects on the Automotive Sector’, painted a gloomy landscape for manufacturers of diesel-powered vehicles and those falling behind in the development of electric and alternatively powered vehicles as highlighted by the sales of one million electric vehicles in China last year.

Alan Mucklow, Yamazaki Mazak’s Managing Director, offered visitors the opportunity to go on a guided tour of the machine toolmaker’s production and assembly facilities, which showcased the latest innovations in high performance machining technology.