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NEWS ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
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THE FUTURE IS: NEPPCO Ltd
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NEPPCO's Steering Committee, led by chairman Professor Stephen Bush, is planning to embark on a new stage of existence for the consortium by porposing to convert NEPPCO to a non-profit distributin company limited by guarantee.
The objectives of the proposed conversion are to bring about enhanced opportunities for all members and to ensure the long-term future of NEPPCO.
Discussions are currently taking place with lawyers about the details of conversion. When the proposals are finalised, they will be put to members for their acceptance at a special general meeting later this year (2000).
One aspect of the conversion being considered is that shares to the value of £1 would be distributed to NEPPCO member companies, and this would be their maximum liability. There would be no derogation of member's rights. In fact there would be very little change to the procedures and ways members currently operate within the consortium.
Unber the new structure, more emphasis than hitherto will be placed on new products and processes for the benefit of members. In partnership with member companies, from one-man consultancies to 200+ employee firms, NEPPCO will be able to apply for government grants and other funds, and carry out contracts in its own right, since it will not be necessary to do this through UMIST, as is the case at the moment (although UMIST will still remain a very important partner).
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Further details about the proposed conversion and the date for the Special General Meeting will be announced in the near future.
NEW NEPPCO OFFICES
As a part of the process of conversion to NEPPCO Ltd, plans are being developed for member companies to be able to use some new NEPPCO office space, when they are in the UMIST area. Two adjoining offices in UMIST's main building are about to undergo refurbishment and will become dedicated to NEPPCO.
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One of the offices will be a meeting room, which members will be able to 'drop-in' and use at short notice for their own meetings with suppliers / customers etc. on neutral ground.
The other office will be a 'Design Gallery', which will be used to promote member's products and services to visitors, by displaying their brochures and physical samples. Also on display will be examples of specific project work being undertaken by NEPPCO and its members.
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As collaboration between Science and Manufacture is being re-born, the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology- UMIST has launched an initiative to foster the collaboration.
The Institute has now created a Centre for Manufacture to promote UMIST as the UK University centre for the science and practice of manufacture. The centre will be known as UMIST CENTRE for MANUFACTURE (UCM) and will be situated in the Institute's Main Building. The centre will have Professor S.F Bush, head of Polymer Engineering Research Laboratory (PERL) and NEPPCO chairman, as the Director.
The focus of the centre will be:
- To create through research and design a rigorous intellectual framework for sustainable manufacture based on the total systems whole-life approach.
- To engage in the design of new products and research into the competitive improvement of manufacturing processes. Design here will include aesthetic, recycle and ergonomic factors as well as the most familiar chemical, materials, mechanical and electrical features.
- To develop techno-economic analysis as an essential ingredient of decision-making in the business process.
- To provide competitive designs in markets with high import penetration.
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The three chief fields of continuing or increased investment are:
- Life Science
- Information and Communications
- Materials
The Centre will have three main elements:
- Its own staff and facilities
- Associate staff in UMIST departments
- Innovative Manufacturers Consortium
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The Innovative Manufacturers Consortium will primarily be for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SME's), of which NEPPCO Ltd will be a founding member along with, it is hoped, one or more venture capitalists.
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The NEPPCO website has been undergoing refurbishment. An improved and up-to-date site has been launched. This improved site includes the following features:
- On-line Business enquiry Form
- On-line membership application Form
- A new page for the Process Development and Competitivity Unit (PDCU)
The NEPPCO website also has a new domain name, www.neppco.co.uk, and has moved to a new internet server. The new domain name anticipates the conversion of NEPPCO to a company limited by guarantee.
Further development is also underway on a totally new NEPPCO website, designed to make viewing a more enjoyable and useful experience. This new site is due for launch at the beginning of October so be sure to visit the site then to experience all the new features.
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Taylor Engineering & Plastics (TEP), a NEPPCO member is investing £I million to take its PU moulding division into R-RIM processing for the first time. A major investment for the future.
The company has ordered a Comet R-RIM metering system from Krauss-Maffei. The equipment will be installed at the end of this year, ready for production in January. The Comet package - which is the first system of this type to be installed in the UK in 10 years - will provide TEP with the ability to produce products weighing up to 7Kg , and has a number of special features to enable processing of the Bayflex 180 thin wall PU system from Bayer. 'This is the top technology on the PU side for thin wall materials and will put us up against the best in Europe' said Managing Director John Newbold.
Similar installations are currently being used in production of thin-walled exterior automotive components such as bumpers, side panels and skirts.
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ARRK Styles is planning a £500,000 investment at its Thornaby facility to allow it to expand its rapid tooling and injection moulding services. The investment prompted by demand from industry for rapidly produced aluminium and P20 steel tooling will double the staff at ARRK Rapid Tooling. They will be housed in a 1,000 sq. m. Rapid Tooling Centre. The centre will also take on servicing, repair and modification of all tooling manufactured by ARRK for the UK, with the eventual aim of becoming a one-stop shop for global operations.
'We are increasingly being asked by companies to produce prototypes in working materials, particularly in the automotive sectors.' Said ARRK Styles Operations Director Cess Short. Planned hardware investments for the new unit include a second vertical machine centre and a solid sink EDM unit, both of which will be linked to the company's CAD-CAM systems along with a spotting press.
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Thompson Plastics Ltd, a NEPPCO member, has won a sizeable new order to supply rear carvan panel to Bailey of Bristol for the 2001 new season Senator range. The new rear panel has an integral roof spoiler and the high gloss panel finish provided by the acrylic-capped ABS material adds to the luxury look and stylish design of the caravan rear.
Thompson Plastics Group has invested in large format thermo-forming equipment to produce the panel. This large moulding capability opens up new improved shape design options for touring caravan manufacturers. The new panel for Bailey claims significant weight savings over other materials on the market, together with good weather and UV resistance.
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