|
|
|
CHAIRMAN'S CORNER
The Forum has made steady progress since we produced our first Newsletter. An important step has been to produce a Business Plan designed to develop the kind of activities that we think materials end-users in Wales need. The activities planned include producing a more substantial, informative newsletter generating an effective web site linking to complementary sites and the production of a list of materials information providers where SMEs can get quick and simple answers to their materials queries. This Newsletter has been sent out to over 500 targeted people who have materials responsibilities in Welsh SMEs. Whether you are such a person, or whether you have come across the Forum by chance, I hope you will let us know what you need in your own Company so that we can make the Forum's impact as focused as possible.
I will not repeat what I emphasised in my previous column about the growing importance of materials in product design, cost and application, I am sure you are very conscious of this yourself. I stress that the Forum is set up to help SMEs and I am sure that when you read this Newsletter you will note several points that are of importance to your own Company. We have an enthusiastic Steering Group but members need to know how to help you most if the Forum is to be a success in Wales. It is set up for your benefit so let us know how it can serve you most effectively.
Finally we need greater SME representation on the Steering Group so if you are prepared to give up a little valuable time, please get in touch or come along to one of future events to find out more. The greater you can influence the activities of the Forum for the benefit of your Company the more successful we will be meeting our objectives.
TONY MOSES
University of Wales, Cardiff
|
Launch of Welsh Manufacturing and Materials Advisory Service
As part of the Welsh Design Advisory Service (WDAS), a free and independent manufacturing and materials advisory service has been recently launched. Wherever you may be located in Wales, a full time advisor is available to visit your organisation to help you address your manufacturing process or materials selection issues. Already in post, examples of how the advisor has worked with Welsh manufacturers have included several cases of the appropriate selection of thermoplastics for injection moulding, the exploration of and ultimate implementation of soft tooling techniques for low volume production, the selection of a more appropriate coating for use in a harsh industrial environment and the resolution of a number of manufacturing process difficulties.
In order to take advantage of this free advisory service, call the WDAS office on (0845) 3031400.
|
Joining Forces, Bangor, June 17
Highlight of the Forum's 1997 programme was a seminar by Dr. Steve Jones of TWI when the audience enjoyed a whirlwind tour of sticking, welding and joining techniques. From the outset, the meeting was highly interactive. Steve first invited delegates to divide into groups of three and to use their experience to agree a list of problems they had encountered with joining materials. He then went round each group in turn and discussed their top priority. When these had been dealt with, he discussed the second priorities. In this way, each delegate who wanted to explore a problem was able to benefit from Steve's very considerable expertise and to contribute their own ideas. All present agreed that it had been a very worthwhile event with direct relevance to industry.
The meeting concluded with a visit to the Biocomposites Centre at the University of Wales, Bangor, one of the WDA's Centres of Expertise.
Robert Walker
Wales Relay Centre
|
|
 ©
Materials Network Wales 2005 | Last Updated: Jun 21 2005 | info@mnw.org.uk
|
Membership
Interested in Membership of the new MNW Network?
Bulletin
Summer 2010 edition of the MNW Materials Newsletter 'Bulletin' is out now.
Bulletin Subscription
Subscribe to the mailing list for the electronic bulletin.
|
