Pictured above: Peter Jones (left) of the Manufacturing
Advice Service) and Richard Barton (Strip Tinning)
A Birmingham manufacturer is facing a bright future despite the
crisis currently facing the automotive industry.
Strip Tinning Ltd is reaping the benefit of close co-operation
with the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands (MAS-WM)
that has seen it improve productivity and dramatically reduce
costs.
The company, which employs 20 staff and has an annual turnover
of £4 million, is now hoping to capture an extra £1
million worth of orders because of a unique process which puts it
ahead of its competitors.
It manufactures heated car windscreens for Pilkington and Ford,
with 97 per cent of production being exported.
Managing Director Richard Barton said: "As everyone knows, the
automotive industry has been going through troubled times.
"Our orders took a dip in October 2007, but we were assured by
our customers that they would come back again by February or March
this year - and they have and we are now hitting previous
levels.
"We are very lucky because most of our production goes to
countries such as Russia and China which have not felt the full
impact of the credit crunch and the emerging middle class want more
and more cars.
"The support we have had from MAS-WM has been fantastic.
Practical help for the manufacturing sector is available if
companies will just get off their backsides and ask for it."
Strip Tinning, which was founded in 1957, moved from premises in
Winson Green to a new 30,000 sq ft factory in Rednal four years
ago.
The firm's success has come from diversifying into
photovoltaics, a field of technology and research related to the
application of solar cells to create electricity.
Working closely with the company, MAS-WM set up a project to
develop the skills of its engineers to improve productivity at the
plant through the Six Sigma scheme, supervised by consultants
PEDA.
The on-site training - using real projects - led to a reduction
in substandard products which had to be scrapped or re-worked,
which will equate to a saving of £150,000 in the next 12
months.
MAS-WM also supported the company in obtaining ISO18001
accreditation, required by a number of automotive clients, to add
to its existing ISO9001/14001 and TS16949 standards.
Birmingham University has also assisted with a highly technical
project aimed at removing the lead content in the tinning process,
which gives Strip Tinning a unique selling point with its customers
as competitors cannot produce wire without lead in the solder.
It is envisaged that this breakthrough will enable Strip Tinning
to win an extra £1 million in orders as clients recognise the
environmental benefits of a lead-free process.
It is estimated that the overall savings made by the company
over the next 12 months will amount to more than
£500,000.
MAS-WM's Peter Jones said: "To begin with. Strip Tinning was
reticent about how MAS could help. "After an initial project
to develop Six Sigma practices for three of their engineers, they
were completely sold on the MAS service.
"We have since helped them develop some bespoke state-of-the-art
in-process control equipment which has had enormous impacts on
their productivity and quality. They have diversified their
customer base and are looking forward to working with MAS in the
future as they expand further."
Established in 2002, MAS-WM has helped over 6000 manufacturing
companies to improve manufacturing efficiencies, adding £250m
to the turnover of these businesses in the process.
It currently offers a unique mix of in-depth support and
assistance, including process improvement, strategic change,
international marketing and new product development.