November/ December 2021

Re-thinking packaging Ranger maintains that energy savings and environmental drivers are a priority in the minds of both end users and manufacturers. He also things that as an industry we need to think more about packaging going forwards. “As well as simply making sound environmental sense, this is becoming more and more part of customers’ demand profiles,” he says. “We need to ensure the minimum amount of packaging is used and also try to avoid plastic wherever possible. Recyclable materials also need to be a primary focus. And in tandem with the push for a massive reduction in carbon emissions within industry and transportation, there also needs to be a continuous drive to reduce compressor leakages within our own industry.” The value of our industry in challenging times The past two years have, of course, been affected by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. “So, it is completely understandable that many companies have other things on their mind other than looking to put in place an effective digital transformation regime,” says Farmer. “Indeed, one challenge as the impact of COVID-19 took hold was the closure of large parts of our industry’s infrastructure. Demands changed as new requirements emerged for products to support the fight against the pandemic. To keep up with this demand, supply began struggling and surpassed delivery dates devoid of goods became an all too familiar occurrence. The turbulence within our industry’s supply chains continued with the creation of raw material shortages, heavily extended lead times, worldwide COVID-related facility closures and both sea and air freight deficiencies, which has now generated a perfect storm; one that I believe may create uncertainty for a while longer.” Nonetheless, since as far back as the first quarter of 2021, Farmer has heard a steady stream of positive reports from BFPA members regarding strong enquiry levels and confidence that business will be back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. “Whilst we are all fully aware of the negative impact that this event has had on both our businesses and our private lives, I want to focus upon the positive signs that we are seeing, both for the remainder of this year and into the next,” he says. “One of the lessons we have learned over the past couple of years is that companies who will flourish will be those that can adapt quickly and embrace the ‘new normal’. Whether it be amongst fluid power companies, government circles or society at large, the new normal will be characterised by a become more entrenched and prove to be more of a longer-term alternative to some face-to-face visits is yet to be fully realised. I personally value the in-person dialogue we have with customers and suppliers, but I also recognise the convenience of the online option in some instances. And, of course, online meetings can save a considerable amount of travel time and reduce companies’ carbon footprint into the bargain. So, there are certainly benefits to be had by continuing to embrace the online option at least to some extent going forwards.” Legislation and accreditation Ranger considers that from the Society’s perspective, one of the main focuses over the past few years has been on ensuring members are aware of current and changing legislative requirements for our industry, working with standards’ bodies and providing advice. He adds that there has also been a move to provide more end user information to ensure users of compressed air have guidance documents in the form of best practice guides and fact sheets. Cole explains that Tom Parker Ltd is now an accredited member of the BFPDA’s hose scheme. “This didn’t exist in 1996,” he points out, “Whilst this still needs to gain traction in the OEM/EU markets, we believe that it is an important step forward for best practice across the industry.” Food & beverage requirements With specific regard to the food & beverage industry, Ranger points out that companies are now more aware than ever of the requirements they have for their air quality and regularly refer to the standard ISO8573 to ensure they are specifying an air quality correct for their processes. “It is incumbent on suppliers to ensure they are fulfilling the customer’s requirements, ensuring the level of air quality is safe and not a risk to food and drink contamination in the majority of cases,” he says. “This is where best practice and professional advice are paramount with the correct understanding of ISO8573 – BCAS has recently summarised this in the best practice guide BPG107 ISO8573 the air quality standard. The choice between oil free air compressors and the efficient level of filtration and drying should be made very carefully dependent on the customer’s requirements. Supply chain perspective Always looking ahead, Anderton continues: “Our involvement in the hydraulics business is focused on a few key components supplied to several specific industry sectors. While the past two years have been difficult, we are more collaborative and flexible approach to business, driven by innovation and the adoption of new technologies. However, to drive our industry forward we need to focus on the next chapter of fluid power, its people. Addressing skills shortages, decarbonisation and both the physical and mental well-being of our workforce will be the driving factors that behind this.” During the pandemic, the value of manufacturing towards the UK economy became clear, and the fluid power industry proved its value as a support function. As Galley explains, although we didn’t publicly have key worker status we certainly helped key industries – distributing PPE and other critical equipment for the NHS, extracting materials from the ground for the manufacture of medicines, processing the waste and so on, all of which was recognised by BEIS. “Our industry was a very necessary part of the big machine,” she says. “That said, it seems that much of this good work is now tomorrow’s chip paper. The UK government hasn’t really laid out a clear industrial strategy in my view, and there are some European countries that we could learn from in this regard. The labour shortage we have now is rooted 20 years ago, so we need to have a plan for the next 20 years or longer in order for the UK economy not to suffer further largely unforeseen shocks related to skills shortages, infrastructure issues, lack of access to raw materials and all other things that support business. I believe the government has a lot of responsibility in this area and shouldn’t simply put most of the responsibility on industry to sort things out.” Video communication Gunter reflects that the restrictions related to the pandemic have impacted the level of mobility people within our industry over the past couple of years, which has resulted in a boom in the use of online video communication platforms such as Zoom and Teams. “Of course, this was a facility we simply didn’t have 25 years ago,” he says. “Whether this trend will www.hpmag.co.uk HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS November/December 2021 47 Klaus Löffler, sales and marketing manager, Jubilee Clips.