By Dr Bob John, chief executive, TWI Technology Centre, in Sheffield

Technologies are changing all the time…more rapidly now, perhaps, than ever before. I never cease to be amazed by some of the innovative developments that have been introduced into western manufacturing industry, as it strives to compete with cheaper labour economies elsewhere in the world.

And along with the increased pace of technological change come the equal challenges of installing adequate inspection regimes and verifying in-service performance.

Joining metallic materials, for example, has been practiced in the west for centuries, so you could be forgiven for thinking that all methods of doing so had been discovered…not so.  

Take friction stir welding: a process that, prior to 1991, was but a glimmer of a thought in the mind of my TWI colleague who invented it. The process involves joining metals without fusion or filler materials and is now used in routine, as well as critical, applications, for welding structural components made of a various metals, most notably aluminium and its alloys. It has been demonstrated convincingly that the process produces strong and ductile joints, often in systems where this has proved difficult using conventional welding techniques.    

Today, friction stir welding has been adopted by manufacturers of planes, trains and automobiles, amongst other applications. 

One car maker who has incorporated friction stir welding into the production route for a new model claims this has resulted in a 99 per cent reduction in energy consumption, compared to electrical resistance spot welding. Eclipse Aviation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, manufacturer of the Eclipse 500 VJL (Very Light Jet) states that the process is 10 times faster than manual riveting, the joints provide improved structural rigidity, and the resulting structures are stronger and lighter, giving the jets greater fuel efficiency.

Nor is it just joining processes that have evolved, as manufacturing in the western world strives to meet its new challenges. As industry places greater demands on manufacturers’ products - requiring lighter, yet stronger, structures or greater resistance to extreme temperature environments - new materials are also being developed and introduced.  See US aerospace giant Boeing’s extensive use of composite materials and titanium for the 787 aircraft series, for example.

Industry demands are also driving the performance improvement of materials, with the needs of the motor sports business and Formula 1 being prime examples. The application of specialised coatings to various materials, including metals and composites, extends their functionality, through the provision of thermal barriers or corrosion and wear resistant coatings.

Of course, the development of new materials also means devising methods for forming and fabricating them. TWI continues to lead the way in materials processing and fabricating techniques...as long as new materials and combinations of them need joining, we will continue to invent, innovate and apply advanced technologies.

Western economies often experienced dark times in the 1980s and early 1990s, with a series of traditional industries seeing a downturn or even cessation of business. Since then, many affected areas have received a boost from the influx of new industries, such as the finance or retail sectors – Yorkshire, where my own organisation is based, among them. 

However, the engineering legacy here and elsewhere is strong, as is the ambition for the sector to seek new markets through world leading technologies. The trend has moved away from heavy industry and mass production to specialised products and high value components.

Sheffield’s unique Advanced Manufacturing Park, where TWI is located, indicates Yorkshire is among the regions that have grasped this opportunity with both hands. By concentrating like-minded organisations, developing complementary technologies and opportunities for collaboration, in a single location at the heart of the UK, the park also demonstrates how manufacturing in the west as a whole can respond to the challenges it faces. The opportunity to be involved in it was one TWI, which has members across the globe, simply could not pass up.  

The park has attracted a number of organisations involved in engineering - whether their focus is research and development or manufacturing - and now provides access to a range of advanced and innovative production methods. In addition to TWI’s joining capabilities, Castings Technology International offers expertise in its own field, while the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is involved in metals forming and machining. The Innovation Technology Centre supports these activities, by providing office and workshop space to fledgling companies and subsidiaries of established organisations, from the hi-tech advanced engineering, manufacturing and materials sectors.

One benefit of the park is it turns the concept of agile manufacturing into a reality, at a time when much western industry, including in the UK, is focusing on its implementation.

Agile manufacturing involves creating processes, equipment, expertise and systems enabling an organisation to react quickly to changes in customer needs and the market environment, while still controlling costs and quality. The ability to produce new goods and services, and develop existing ones, to a customer’s exacting specifications in a short timeframe gives an organisation a competitive advantage over mass producers churning out standard goods.

This ability is achievable through advances in technology. But it also requires flexibility within the whole workforce and the rapid adaptation and application of knowledge and expertise,  achieved by bringing together dynamic teams of people from a range of disciplines. Engineers and technologists deliver expertise in equipment and technical capabilities, while sales and marketing specialists contribute knowledge of customer needs and market opportunities. The process is enhanced by the use of advanced information technologies, which speed up communications and data transfer.
                   
Success in agile manufacturing, however, also lies in organisations taking the concept seriously, and not just re-labelling their existing processes as such.

The key to attaining competitive advantage in agile manufacturing - as with materials development, process innovation and in other respects - is to lead the way, which involves vision, organisation and a desire to remove obstacles. TWI’s membership reflects this view of the market place and our Yorkshire centre is a shining example of how the west can put these ideas into practise.