With the news that the ‘Made In the Midlands’ and ‘Made in Yorkshire’ exhibitions will no longer go ahead due to COVID-19, the Made in Group has introduced Backing Britain Live 2020 – an immersive, virtual experience.

Jason Pitt, CEO of the Made in Group, says: “These exhibitions are significant events to which many members and visitors look forward but, like many aspects of our current lives, we’ve had to make adjustments. Although I predict full-scale lockdown will not continue into the summer, government leads us to believe that social distancing measures will remain for months to come. Large-scale gatherings will remain unsafe until the population has some immunity or the virus is eradicated. Despite this, I’m pleased to say that we’ve found an alternative way of delivering our expos safely and innovatively.”
On 17 August 2020, the Made in Group will launch a digital exhibition. Called Backing Britain Live 2020, the event will be an immersive experience between the digital and physical.
“We’re an innovative organisation when it comes to technology; we do more than many realise,” says Pitt. “As a business, we’ve developed a digital platform that allows members to create their own social media microsite, upload news and attend virtual webinars, and will soon include virtual mastermind groups, Q&A sessions and panel discussions.”
The event will be hosted at backingbritain.com, where the entire exhibition hall will have virtual access to booths, interactive seminars and networking areas. According to the Made in Group, the process will be very user friendly and easy to navigate. Not only will visitors have a unique experience online, but they will receive physical goodie bags delivered to their door that are set to include: the 100-page Backing Britain 2020 book, consisting of positive manufacturing news and information about exhibitors; a large printed poster of the exhibition hall; a Backing Britain lanyard; and social posters.
For further information www.backingbritain.com

A provider of industrial innovation technology is supporting the UK’s call for more ventilators through the power of augmented reality (AR).

PTC has been announced as one of the partners in the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium led by High Value Manufacturing Catapult CEO Dick Elsy and a host of the engineering businesses, including Ford Motor Co, GKN Aerospace, McLaren, Airbus, Meggitt and Siemens UK.
The consortium has used PTC’s Vuforia Expert Capture AR technology and Microsoft’s HoloLens to capture the crucial assembly steps and processes involved in building RMVS (rapidly manufactured ventilator systems). This data will be uploaded and edited in PTC’s Vuforia Editor technology, which runs on Microsoft Azure, to create a virtual assembly guide. The guide is then relayed, through wearable equipment or smart devices such as a phone or tablet, to the factories of consortium partners that traditionally do not make ventilators.
For further information www.ptc.com

Make UK has expanded its online training and learning services for companies to ensure that manufacturers are able to pivot their business and function through the COVID-19 crisis.

As well as operating a coronavirus hub, which gives companies access to the official government advice and support schemes, since the start of the crisis Make UK has transferred all of its HR and legal, health and safety, and apprentice training online. The organisation is also continuing its introduction of new services to help companies, such as remote cyber security protection for home workers.
For further information www.makeuk.org

A Coventry-based aerospace supplier that has pivoted to the supply of critical parts for ventilators is celebrating after it received the Queen’s Award for International Trade. Arrowsmith Engineering, which employs 76 people, secured the accolade after it recorded a 996% increase in export activity over the past three years, supplying precision components to global manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce, GKN, ITP and Siemens.

The company’s parts are used in aerospace engines, landing gear and airframes, with recent wins seeing sales rise to £7.6m and investment in the latest CNC robotics paving the way for 10% growth in 2020. Arrowsmith Engineering, which is part of the Aero Services Global Group, has recently been lending its manufacturing expertise to support the frontline fight against COVID-19, after being invited by Rolls-Royce Control Systems and Rolls-Royce in Derby to join their ventilator supply chains.
For further information www.arrowsmitheng.co.uk

TRB Lightweight Structures is using its material science know-how and specialist equipment to produce vital PPE based on the Foster + Partners design in the battle against COVID-19.

The company has redeployed personnel and machinery – which normally create advanced composite components for electric vehicles – to produce an innovative reusable face visor, and is now generating 1000 of these per day. TRB has adapted its expertise and cutting equipment to manufacture the simple, reusable visors, one every 50 seconds.
For further information www.trbls.com