Back Manufacturing, But That Is Only Half The Story
01 February 2012
Manufacturing is re-emerging as a leading economic growth engine after a rather quiet summer. However this sector alone is not big enough to pull the whole of the UK back into good times.
innovating yet commercially aware companies identified by politicians as vital for ‘rebalancing the economy’.“It is clear that we need to rebuild the national base of manufacturing, engineering, science and technology companies. These create wealth, rather than just redistributing it. However, this is not an overnight project; it will take literally decades.” Sensor Technology has been hard at developing sensing solutions for a number of industries for twenty years or more, and still fits comfortably into the ‘Small to Medium Enterprise’(SME) classification.
However it has spun out another company to serve particular markets, including Automotive.” Mark cites Sensor Technology’s experience this year, saying Spring was good, Summer was great, September saw a slowdown and October a pick up. This contrasts with official figures that suggested manufacturing fell right back in May-August and recovered in September. “When a sector is made up of a large number of small companies, each one’s individual progress can be very different. So calculating a meaningful average is very difficult.”
“However I am increasingly confident that our technical industries are coming along. Sensor Technology is supplying its TorqSense torque sensor products to many fields, particularly green power generation and energy efficiency, while LoadSense our new wireless load monitor is expanding from its original application of helicopter cargo hooks to diverse new uses.” Direct exports are also doing well, with North America accelerating all year, regular activity in the Eurozone, Japan and Australia. India and China tend to place fewer larger orders, rather than many small ones, perhaps reflecting those countries’ distribution models of large local stockholding.
Mark is hoping to appoint a specialist supply company to serve Russia soon, and feels that, like Brazil, with that in place business will become self-supporting. “We are exporting to many regions, which looked another way implies many regions are backing technology and manufacturing as economic backbones. Ten years ago there was a fear that all manufacturing would end up in China. We now see that is unlikely, but we have to expect fierce global competition if we are to succeed.” So Mark’s advice to government is that we need to rebuild all technical industries, as they are the best wealth generators.
Automation can help reduce labour costs and ensure product quality; innovation must be nurtured and supported, and a new generation of scientists, engineers and technicians brought on. But this cannot be achieved overnight and we also need a wide spread of other sectors and efforts to reduce the boom and bust cycle. Significantly, it must be realised that international competition is going to keep on getting tougher as more emerging nations establish sustainable economies. “The old rules are changing: the defining qualities for future well being will include innovation and responsiveness. Young countries are often very good at these, which is why education is vital to UK plc.”
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 11/03/2019 - Sensor Technology keeps hydraulic projects on course
- 14/01/2019 - Mass market electric vehicles getting revved up for launch
- 15/11/2018 - Measuring torque without slip rings
- 16/07/2018 - Pay as you sense
- 08/06/2018 - Long service motors tested after re-engineering
- 05/04/2018 - Optical rotary torque sensors suitable for low torque and high band width measurements
- 20/02/2018 - Pump and valve innovator finds a test rig technology that talks the torque
- 20/02/2018 - Electric vehicle pioneer favours wireless test rigs
- 05/02/2018 - Pump and valve innovator finds a test rig technology that talks the torque
- 14/12/2017 - Chemical engineers talk sense about mixer efficiencies
- 14/11/2017 - Sensor Technology keeps hydraulic projects on course
- 14/09/2017 - Electric vehicle pioneer favours wireless test rigs
- 21/06/2017 - Torque test ensures reliability of steerable drills
- 10/06/2013 - Torque Sensor guarntees Tip Top-Taps!
- 30/08/2012 - Automotive Innovations Torque Up Manufacturing Revival
- 31/07/2012 - Torque of a Motor Revolution
- 12/06/2012 - Torque test ensures reliability of steerable drills
- 30/04/2012 - Engineers Torque Technology To Medics
- 29/03/2012 - Long Service Motors Tested after Re-Engineering
- 23/12/2011 - Pay as you Sense
- 02/11/2011 - New wave and tidal turbine concept promises clean, affordable energy
- 05/10/2011 - Ground Crews talk sense on Generator Maintenance
- 08/09/2011 - TorqSense transducers help to guarantee valve actuator performance
- 08/08/2011 - Company Profile
- 11/05/2011 - Sensing growth opportunities
- 25/03/2011 - Drama as Helicopter sensor flies into Theatre role
- 07/02/2011 - Technology transfer tests tree safety
- 18/01/2011 - Sensor Technology helps to keep sheep shorn
- 02/12/2010 - Smart Load Sensor
- 13/10/2010 - Novel sensors aid tidal turbine development
- 01/09/2010 - Torque Sensor helps reduce engine friction
- 12/08/2010 - Tidal Turbine to light the Thames
- 22/06/2010 - Sensor Technology Provides the Key to Learning
- 05/05/2010 - Talking Sense About Technology Transfer
- 16/04/2010 - ULTRASOUND HELPS OPTIMISE DRIVE DESIGNS
- 08/03/2010 - Ensuring accurate feel to Power Steering
- 12/01/2010 - Iron Bird with lightest touch
- 16/10/2009 - Sensor hones in on sharp operators
- 03/09/2009 - Testing time for business Jet
- 10/08/2009 - Non-contact torque sensor now mounts in moments
- 09/06/2009 - SAWs: A Cutting edge technology from Sensor Technology
- 23/01/2009 - Torque improvement for handling accuracy
- 03/11/2008 - Servo research points the way to improved dynamics
- 29/08/2008 - Sensor Technologys' TorqSense shows it's safer to belt up than previously thought
- 30/07/2008 - Nuclear engineers avoid contact with Sensor Technology
- 27/05/2008 - The Future of Green Cars lies in Sophisticated Testing
- 11/03/2008 - When two is better than one
- 19/12/2007 - Regen Drive turns laundry green
- 19/10/2007 - BIG PUSH TO RECYCLE PLASTIC
- 12/09/2007 - Intelligent Extruder plans its' own growth
- 10/08/2007 - UAV takes fast track to altitude