Arguably the world’s leading specialist in drive technology, SEW-EURODRIVE UK has been on the map in Normanton, West Yorkshire, since 1969, after being established in Germany in 1931. Today, the 10,000 sq ft Normanton production site holds stock of 5,100 components, valued at over £5.3 million, ready for assembly 24/7, 365 days a year. The UK division employs approximately 160 staff and reports a turnover of £65 million.
Industry Trends and Challenges
What do you see as the most significant trends currently shaping the manufacturing and engineering industries?
"Amongst the many things that are shaping manufacturing and engineering, I think Industry 4.0 is the biggest in terms of transforming industry," says Andy Turner. "Automation is changing production processes, and automated robots are becoming an essential part of factories and warehouses. A lack of talent coming into the industry means that more and more manufacturers are having to move to automated processes to fulfil gaps in labour. Beyond this, the push for sustainability will continue to be a big influence on the industry, as companies look to boost their eco-credentials and move closer to net-zero targets."
What are the biggest challenges your company is facing right now, and how are you addressing them?
"Our current workforce has a high age profile, and recruiting young, skilled workers is difficult. There’s a fine balance to be made between ensuring your team has high levels of expertise and experience, while bringing in young people who are eager to learn and ready to put forward fresh ideas. As a company, we’ve seen the need to invest in future engineers, and in January this year, we opened the DriveAcademy® at our Normanton HQ. Through this, we’ve been teaching employees and customers all the workings behind what we do at SEW-EURODRIVE, and our aim over the next few years is to encourage visits from schools and colleges, so the next generation can learn about the world of drive technology."
Innovation and Technology
How is your company leveraging new technologies like automation, AI, or IoT to stay competitive?
"We’re constantly evolving our digital services and investing heavily in building better IT structures for both our employees and our customers. AI has enabled us to start developing systems that can capture data when we’re walking around a site of a current or potential customer, letting us identify specific products from an image of a nameplate. We’re also developing a system that will instantly find an SEW-EURODRIVE alternative to a competitor product, enabling us to push the sale of the most relevant products possible to prospective customers."
Can you share an example of a recent innovation at your company and its impact on your operations?
"One of the most important recent developments is our DriveRadar® product. It’s a predictive maintenance solution that uses sensors and advanced analytics to monitor the condition of drive components. DriveRadar® monitors motors, gear units, and other drive components in real-time, helping to predict failures before they occur, reducing downtime and maintenance costs. It increases the efficiency of our own operations as well as our customers’ operations, helping everyone to stay up and running for long periods of time."
Sustainability and Environmental Impact
What steps is your company taking to reduce its environmental footprint and improve sustainability?
"Sustainability has been made a core component of our business strategy. Across the company, we’re integrating environmentally responsible practices into our operations, product designs, and solutions. We’re reducing our emissions by shifting company vehicles to hybrid. We also send ten tonnes of old product to be recycled each month, while recycling two tonnes of cardboard every month, which is shredded and made into filler packaging we use to transport our products. For our packaging, we’ve stopped sending products out in plastic bags."
How do you see sustainability influencing the future of manufacturing and engineering?
"Over the next few years, there will continue to be a push towards a circular economy, where companies extend the lifecycle of products by ensuring they can be reused, recycled, repaired, and refurbished. Like many companies, we have net-zero targets, with our parent company identifying specific goals that we’re committed to reaching by 2026 and 2030."
Workforce Development and Skills
What skills do you believe are most critical for the future workforce in manufacturing and engineering?
"Going forward, digital and automation skills will be vital for anyone entering the industry. Young people are learning digital skills from a very young age now, and we need to be attracting the best talent coming out of schools, colleges, and universities, by making manufacturing and engineering a more attractive industry to work in. The most critical skill is simply someone who wants to work, with a desire to improve, learn, and grow."
How is your company investing in workforce development and training?
"At the start of the year, we launched our DriveAcademy®, open to customers and colleagues. It offers practical courses and training across everything we do at SEW-EURODRIVE, from learning the basics of motors, gears, and inverters to staying up to date with the latest drive technology. Through the DriveAcademy®, we’re looking to invest more in skills, putting the building blocks in place for young people interested in engineering to have progressive and goal-oriented career paths."
Globalisation and Supply Chain Management
How has globalisation affected your business, and how do you manage risks associated with global supply chains?
"Lots of external factors affect the business. Geopolitical situations, including the recent pandemic, relations between the US and China, and wars around the world can have an impact on us getting the supplies we need to make our products. While these things are all outside our control, it’s important for us to keep talking with our suppliers, and our parent company in Germany, so that we can keep things moving wherever possible."
What strategies are you employing to ensure resilience and flexibility in your supply chain?
"We have to make sure we’re not left vulnerable. Locally, we don’t have many issues in our supply chain, but globally, we have to keep on top of potential problems and tackle them before they spiral into bigger issues."