2020 ends on a positive of sorts

One way or another 2020 is a year that none of us is going to forget in a hurry. For the manufacturing sector, while Brexit dominated the first couple of months, it was soon to be overshadowed by COVID-19. Furlough, lockdown and social distancing became part of the vernacular and businesses tried, with varying degrees of success, to adjust to the ‘new normal’.

The future's bright, the future's green

Remember life before Covid-19? Sometimes when I think about the enormity of the global pandemic, the considerations and goals of 2019 seem like a lifetime away. However, the important issues have not gone away, they have just been temporarily overshadowed, and in many cases are already starting to emerge back into the headlines and as a result, people’s consciousness.

AI – changing industry as we know it

Today, it’s widely understood that technological investment brings success. Manufacturers who choose to modernise will gain increased outputs, higher quality and less wastage on the factory floor – ultimately allowing them to improve profitability and succeed in the industry.

Industry lows & highs

In the week that saw figures released confirming a record fall in GDP of 20.4% in April, and the Make UK/BDO Manufacturing Outlook Q2 survey showing the balance for output reached the lowest level in the survey’s thirty year history, UK industry has undoubtedly been taken to its foundations by the coronavirus pandemic.

MACH 2021 will provide vital stimulus to manufacturing industry

In my last column in this magazine I wrote about how we had had to postpone MACH 2020 until January next year due to the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic and the need to go into lockdown.

MACH exhibition rescheduled for 2021

I had planned to sit down to write this month’s column to preview MACH 2020, which was due take place during April. But, like everyone’s plans across the world, ours have had to change and adapt due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Business agility is a lifesaver

As a write this while working from home, I still can’t quite get my head around these unprecedented times we find ourselves in.

HVAC Equipment-as-a-Service: a step ahead in sustainability

Guido De Sanctis, services business leader HVAC Europe at Trane discusses the rise of servitisation for HVAC equipment and lays out the benefits for businesses and the environment

It’s show time

Welcome to the latest issue of Industrial Plant & Equipment, a very special issue because as well as our usual mix of informative articles and innovative technology, it includes our annual maintenance supplement with an in-depth preview of Maintec - the reliability event. 

5G is almost here but security concerns persist

5G was one of the headline themes at this year’s Hannover Messe in Germany, the industrial trade fair which took place from the 1st to 5th April, which featured a large-scale 5G testbed where network equipment providers demonstrated the kinds of functionality that the new mobile standard will be able to deliver.