NEWS & EVENTS
READY FOR ELECTRIFICATION
PP CONTROL & AUTOMATION
PP CONTROL & AUTOMATION ON COURSE
FOR £3M OF NEW BUSINESS WITH
‘READY 4 ELECTRIFICATION’ SUPPORT
Tapping into expert academic support
is helping a manufacturing outsourcing
specialist access up to £3m in new business in
the niche vehicle sector. “As an SME, we don’t have the immediate
available resource to research into such new
and complex vertical market sectors. That’s
where WMG comes into the equation.”
PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), which
already works with many of the world’s
largest machine builders, is one of the first
participants of the Ready 4 Electrification
Programme run by WMG, at the University of
Warwick, and is already reaping the benefits
of an initiative designed to get the supply
chain ready for new opportunities. He continued: “They have the experts in the
field, who have the technical/commercial
knowledge and understanding, not to
mention a host of new contacts. We have a
long-standing relationship with WMG so had
no hesitation in becoming one of the first
firms in the country to take part in Ready 4
Electrification.
The company has completed a feasibility
project that assesses how ready it is to
enter the automotive electrification arena,
identifying barriers to overcome and,
importantly, opportunities where it can
transfer its technology and engineering
expertise into the marketplace. “Feasibility has been completed, with the next
step being to finalise a strategic project we
can work together on that will help us gain
commercial advantage in the sector.
Information gained here has already been
used to successfully approach and secure
work for two customers involved in niche
vehicle manufacture, with PP C&A supplying
electrical box builds and cable assemblies,
as well as using its design for manufacturing
experience to support standardisation in
order to reduce variety and complexity.
“There is such a groundswell of movement
towards reducing emissions in the
automotive sector that we knew it was a
market we had to try to get involved in and
electrification appears to be doing most of
the driving,” explained Tony Hague, Chief
Executive of PP Control & Automation.
“We’re already delighted with the results.
Two new contracts with niche vehicle
manufacturers have been secured and there’s
another in the pipeline…it has been a great
start.”
WMG’s Ready 4 Electrification programme
is supported by the WMG Centre High
Value Manufacturing Catapult and provides
assistance to support companies of all
sizes to make the most of opportunities in
electrification.
The initial support is awareness sessions
followed by part-funded feasibility studies
to help firms develop their EV roadmap and
to provide masterclasses in key disciplines,
including batteries, motors, power electronics
and supply chain capability.
From there participants can benefit from
a strategic project that will deliver action
plans around collaborative R&D, Knowledge
Transfer Partnerships and Internships, with
manufacturers also able to access technical
support with production processes and rapid
prototyping.
Simon Garwood, Innovation Manager at
WMG, added his support: “PP Control &
Automation is a fantastic example of how the
intensive research and coaching provided by
the Ready 4 Electrification programme can
upskill teams in companies and deliver real
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commercial advantages in a short space of
time.
“Our experts understand the pressures faced
by manufacturers and how important it is
to tailor the support to overcome specific
barriers and unleash the potential in our
supply chain.
“We can deliver data, research and access to
networks of specialists, not to mention the
world class advanced test and manufacturing
facilities available at WMG.”
He concluded: “The UK has a fantastic
opportunity to lead the world in vehicle
electrification, but we can only achieve this
vision if industry taps into the vast academic
expertise and research at their fingertips.”
Ready 4 Electrification has already reached
over 200 companies through four regional
networking events, with another three
planned for 2019.
It has visited over 50 firms and is currently
completing in-company pilot feasibility
projects. In total, it has the capacity to
support over 200 businesses between now
and 2020.
For further information, please
visit www.ppcanda.com or
www.warwick.ac.uk/wmg