November/ December 2021

25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOCUS selling and distribution had changed for ever; gone was the ability to control purchasing through the good old boys’ distributor network. The ability to reach that worldwide audience had changed the dynamics of buying and selling, whether you like it or not.” Seb Cole, sales manager, Tom Parker Ltd, reflects that the stratospheric rise of the Internet, email and all related AI technology has not only completely changed our lives for better and for worse but has also changed the way we do business. “We very much champion our team of external sales reps who meet customers and suppliers face-to-face,” he says, “but there is no doubt that email and e-commerce has unlocked enormous opportunities for innovation and growth and improved communication globally 24/7, which has proven to be especially valuable and connecting throughout the pandemic.” Cole adds that over the past two years Zoom & Teams have transformed dealing with customers and suppliers. “Online meetings are more frequent, with more attendees from both Tom Parker Ltd and our customers, and they can prove more far more efficient and productive time wise without any travel required,” he says. Quick delivery Over the past 25 years, next-day (or even same-day) delivery and online ordering has also become the norm, remarks Cole. “eBay and Amazon have started making inroads into the industrial markets. However, we still believe that our expert knowledge and experience that allows us to offer impartial advice on the right and most suitable connection solution is a key reason we are where we are today.” Upscaling Meltem Middleton-Duff, UK director, Hertz Kompressoren UK, comments that it is amazing to think that the company has been in business now for 12 years. “I remember back in 2019 our 10th anniversary coincided with the upscaling of our unit in on the Peel Mills Industrial Estate in Bury, Manchester,” she says. “This was as a consequence of increased demand and the subsequent need for greater levels of stock for our full range of compressors, dryers and ancillary equipment. Over the past 12 years, we have built up an increasingly strong and loyal customer base within sectors such as garage equipment, food & beverage, laser cutting machinery, general engineering and universities. We have also established a growing network of dealers throughout the UK and Ireland, which is able to supply, maintain and support our full range of products on behalf of customers.” Continuous improvement Klaus Löffler, sales and marketing manager, Jubilee Clips, reflects that the company’s product hasn’t changed to any major degree over the past 25 years. However, he points out that Jubilee Clips does improve it continuously, regularly updating its product and tool drawings. “Over the past few years, we’ve mainly needed to update the tools of the products rather than the products themselves,” explains Löffler, “and that is usually an easy process involving a small tweak here and there. Over the past decade or so, this process has migrated from pen and paper drawings to CAD, and we use our wire erosion machine to produce high-precision tooling rather than simply using lathes and trying to shave a small amount of metal off here and there. With the lathe process things took longer to get to the stage where everything fitted perfectly. The CAD, the level of accuracy and speed has increased substantially.” With regard to the tools, if a part is in need of replacing, Jubilee Clips has a full database, so it is simply a case of calling up the piece on the system and the company’s wire erosion machine produces the replacement part almost autonomously. In terms of Jubilee Clips’ manufacturing processes in general, Löffler explains that the company has continuously striven to make more of its processes as automated as possible over the years. “Nevertheless, the human element remains important in many instances because machines can make errors and need to be corrected manually from time to time,” he says. Löffler adds that over the past quarter century, automatic clip assembly machines have become more common, and something Jubilee Clips itself uses. “These machines are made in-house and this whole process has become increasingly automated over the past few years,” he says. “They are now computer controlled and laser guided, and this increased level of automation means a single operator is able to run several machines at one time. We have also added the automated production of High Torque clips over the past five years to our production capabilities.” On the topic of changing requirements for hose clips, Löffler points out that fire safety regulations have meant there is now more of a requirement for metal fasteners rather than plastic ones in environments that pose more of a fire risk. Also, Löffler explains that over the past quarter century the automotive market has moved from the use of hose clips to glue or other quick assembly methods. “The high-performance car market still relies on hose clips to some extent, but of course this is a much smaller market segment,” he says. “The automotive aftermarket is still very strong for us, however, so we have shifted our focus to this market segment. The machines used to make the vehicles is another important area for us.” Manufacturing state of play With regard to changes within the manufacturing sector over the past couple of decades or so, Mark Ranger, recently appointed president, BCAS, considers that, apart from the presence of the Ingersoll Rand Group, Avelair and a few others, we can’t be described as a major manufacturer of compressors and dryers in the UK anymore. “A quarter of a century or so ago we still had the likes of Broomwade, Bellis & Morcom, Williams and James and Reavell,” he says. “They 40 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS November/December 2021 www.hpmag.co.uk