Plant & Works Engineering November 2022

News 0 6 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk November 2022 In a recently published report, the CBI has called on the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to back the UK’s manufacturing sector by addressing the business rates cliff edge and extending the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund beyond 2025 in his Autumn Statement. With business rates set to increase in line with inflation by 10% in April 2023, the CBI is urging the government to address rates before a significant number of manufacturers face a tax cliff edge – one that could damage their business and stunt growth across the UK economy. Tackling business rates would also unlock investment to build new factories, employ more staff, and focus on net-zero. Extending the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund beyond 2025 would help kick-start energy efficiency drives and reduce demand. Matthew Fell, Chief UK Policy Director at the CBI commented: “The Chancellor needs to walk and chew gum in his Autumn Statement: he must simultaneously stabilise the economy and set out a credible platform for growth. “The manufacturing sector has a big role to play in the UK’s growth story. For every million pounds invested in the sector, the industry produces another £1.5 million for the wider economy. To help unlock this investment, the government needs to address the business rates cliff edge. Without serious action ahead of next April, many businesses will struggle with eye-watering rises in their business rates. “Another major cost pressure right now is, of course, energy. Improving energy efficiency is an important part of the toolkit for firms to manage these costs in the long run. Extending the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund beyond 2025 to 2030 would give the sector the capital to invest and make their buildings and operations more efficient.” Brian Holliday, CBI Manufacturing Council Chair added: “It is great to see the CBI backing UK manufacturing. The sector is key to the growth and resilience of the economy as a whole and crucially, the development of green technologies. If the country is to avoid the worst effects of recession and reduce carbon emissions, manufacturers need confidence to invest. “Government can help in the short term, enabling finance to flow into projects through freezing business rates whilst extending targeted policy instruments such as the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.” CBI calls for action on business rates & energy efficiency to avert a tax cliff edge Applied Automation UK has signed a sole UK distribution agreement with Danish collaborative robotics specialists, Spin Robotics. Smart Futures reports. Founded in 2019 by two dedicated robotic entrepreneurs with over 15 years of experience in the robotics industry, Spin Robotics have developed affordable and easy to use plug-n-produce, end-of-arm, screwdriving tools for assembly applications using collaborative robots. Headquartered in Odense, the robotics capital of Denmark. The company has already sold their screwdriving solution to over 33 new distributors throughout Europe in just five months and are now looking to expand their sales in both the North American and Asian markets following a major investment and backing by REInvest Robotics. Esben Hallundboek Ostergaard, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at REInvest and former co-founder of the leading Danish robot manufacturer Universal Robots, commented: “Over the years, I have visited many manufacturing companies throughout the world and have often seen the need to automate one-sided repetitive assembly work, including screwdriving tasks. Spin Robotics have developed the right solutions for this, by achieving increased quality and less wear and tear on the assembly worker in a way that is both safe and flexible.” David Rowe Managing Director of Plymouth based Applied Automation highlighted that the agreement would add Spin Robotics solutions to its growing range of high-quality industrial automation products which are supported and sold through its Technical Distribution Division based in Cardiff. He commented: “We are proud and delighted to be appointed as the sole UK Distributor for Spin Robotics. “The projected growth of collaborative robots is set to surge and a major benefit for companies is their ROI efficiency. Adding a screwdriving system fits really well with our existing collaborative and industrial robot portfolio offerings.” He continued: “Assembly applications, within intelligent manufacturing environments, where both employees and machines share tasks will be key to boosting productivity, value and job satisfaction in the future.” Kristoffer Hansen Chief Sales Officer from Spin Robotics concluded by stating that he was also delighted to add Applied Automation to its distributor network: “We are seeing a high demand for our product in the UK market. A market that is ready for this solution, and the automation of screwdriving processes. “For some time, we have been looking to appoint a sole distributor in the UK. One that shares our ethos and has the level of technical knowledge to support our end users locally. “We believe we’ve found this in Applied Automation. We are confident that with their experience of the UK market, this collaboration will prove to be mutually beneficial to both our companies and also to all our UK end users in the future.” Applied Automation UK signs sole UK distribution deal with Spin Robotics