Kinnerton Confectionery ready for Easter thanks to Movetech UK Movetech UK has helped Kinnerton prepare for the Easter rush by delivering equipment which allows the chocolatiers to expand and reduce its production line as required.
At present, it's all systems go for the Norfolk company ahead of the chocolate-lovers favourite festival - Easter. This requires extending the production line to full capacity and that's where Movetech UK helped out.

Each unit that can be added to the production facility weighs 1,500kg and making them mobile was a tough task before the company contacted Movetech UK, which has provided Hovair air skates that allow machinery to move around with ease.
The light weight and light duty air bearings (known as LAs) allow Kinnerton to move some equipment in and around the factory.

Compressed air and a smooth operating surface are all that is required to enable air skates to virtually eliminate friction. Unlike wheels, air skates provide omni-directional capabilities, meaning that a load can be moved in any direction without the need for complex turning manoeuvres.
Available in a variety of sizes and capacities, a set of four air skates can carry anything from 2 to 60 tonnes.

Kinnerton's first set of LA14 air skates was added to a chocolate enrobing machine which can be moved in or out of the production line, depending on the requirements at the time. A second set of six LA10 skates is fitted to a conveyor which allows it to be moved into various positions along the production line as required.

Tony Bond, an engineering supervisor at the Kinnerton production plant, explained: "We have purchased ten air skates from Movetech this year, to go with the eight existing air skates from years ago. Most of our production is bespoke. We've got a couple of very heavy machines, and we use the air skates to move them on a resin floor.

"We use the air skates in the chocolate bar production area. To move our machines takes around five minutes from start to finish. I like using them because they don't damage the floor and then they don't move once you've put them down. You inflate them, move the machine, put it down and it stays put. We don't even have to re-level the machine."

Tony added: "We have two machines on heavy duty air skates. We move our machinery around like there's no tomorrow. We never have a production line set up in the same way for more than two days. We're totally customer driven."

Movetech UK's technical director David Houghton said: "Kinnerton is like many other manufacturing companies in that demand for different products rises and falls throughout the year. The best way to cope is to employ a flexible production line, and that is what Kinnerton can do now that we have added air skates to key pieces of equipment. A new combination of machinery is only ever a few minutes away thanks to the manoeuvrability that Movetech UK's products deliver."

Can you tell me a little about the Brathay apprentice challenge and what your work entails?
The Brathay Apprentice Challenge' is the official search to find the Best Apprentice team of the year. It is organised by the Brathay Trust and supported by the ‘National Apprenticeship Service’. The challenge is a key part of the new era for Apprenticeships, demonstrating the huge contribution Apprentices make to the success of their organisations.  The first two rounds consist of raising the profile of Apprenticeships and staging a community project. 

Why did you decide to get involved in this?
We decided to get involved in this challenge to demonstrate the opportunities that apprenticeships can give to young people and to show them that there is more than one route to take after school! It gives us the opportunity to showcase apprenticeships and highlight them to our local area and beyond. We also want to show that with the training and development we recieve on our 4 year programme that we can take responsibility for the apprentice challenge and win the title 'Best apprentice team of the year'.

What are you doing to raise the profile of apprenticeships?
All apprentices in the team are taking part in various activities to raise the profile of apprenticeships. Since the challenge has started we have conducted over 15 school career events/presentations, 2 MP visits to the Lostock site, been to several award evenings, created posters/business cards/badges, held mock interviews, had full page spreads in local news papers and the guardian, one apprentice has been on ITV Daybreak speaking about apprenticeships and conducted a speech in the House of Lords, we have been on local radio stations with local school kids and recently been to the Houses of Parliament meeting our Local where we sat in a debate in the House of Commons on Apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week 2013. 
We are also gathering as much support as possible on social networking sites;
Twitter: Lostock - @MBDA_BAC13    Stevenage - @MBDAStevenageAp
Facebook: Lostock - MBDA-BAC13   Stevenage - MBDA Stevenage Apprentices

Could you tell me a little bit about the community project you're undertaking please? How much of your time is this taking, what are your activities etc?
The Lostock team have chosen to run a workshop for Kidz2gether, a local group that support children with autism by throwing sports and activities days for them. We are running 2 workshops. One on Monday 18th March 2013 which is aimed at children from ages 5-11 year olds. We will be taking with us a kit to allow them to design and create their own badges and to create and take part in the glider challenge. The second sitting is Monday 25th March. This session is aimed at kids 11-16 year olds; they will also be given the opportunity to make their own badges, take part in the glider challenge and will also be given an experience to solder two boards designed and created by the apprentices to give them a taster into engineering. These activity groups give autistic children in the local area a chance to come to a place outside of school and interact with other people which without these groups would be difficult for them. 
The Stevenage team have chosen Crossroads care; a scheme that offers support and allows respite for carers who look after a relative or friend who are ill, frail, disabled or have a mental health or substance misuse problems.

What skills are you using/gaining from this experience?
Throughout the Challenge each individual member of each team will demonstrate the same work skills that will be required to be successful in and for their organisations and progress their careers. These are the same skills that are valued by employers as the key to their success.

Clear communication will be needed to ensure that all team members are aware of this and that they have ownership and responsibility for this. Like the workplace, it is likely that events may require the plan to slip, adapt or even be completely rethought, how the teams deal with this will impact upon their success. Time management is also key to allow the teams to rally as much support as possible and to complete the challenge having done as much as we can to raise the profile of apprenticeships. Through self-reflection the team members will assess their own performance and how they get their needs met and voice heard.

What have the highlights of this challenge been?
Highlights of this challenge have been the recognition we have managed to achieve so far in raising the positive profile of apprenticeships and the help and support we have recieved from our local community.

MHA Lighting has scooped a top manufacturing award for its portfolio of North West designed and manufactured LED lighting products.

The Greater Manchester-based lighting company fought off tough competition from five other finalists, including BAE Systems, to win the ‘Manufacturing Innovation’ category in the 2013 Made in the North West Awards.
Tom Harrison, Managing Director of MHA Lighting, said: “Winning the Manufacturing Innovation Award category truly reflects what MHA Lighting is all about - a forward thinking, North West firm which takes pride in creating innovative lighting solutions and products that enable organisations spanning all sectors, to achieve significant energy and efficiency savings.”
MHA scooped the Manufacturing Innovation category for demonstrating to the panel of expert independent judges how it has generated a substantial commercial benefit from its innovative lighting products, which are designed and manufactured in the region.
Chris Maguire, Editor, of North West Insider, said: “It was a fantastic awards evening which attracted entries from SMEs to some huge multi-national companies like BAE Systems, Crown Paints and Jaguar Land Rover. The judges were really impressed at how MHA Lighting used innovation to make its mark in the lighting sector and win some big name clients.”

Tom added: "To be recognised as an innovative manufacturer is tribute to the fantastic projects we have completed and exciting new business won over the last 12 months. This is down to our award-winning product range, ever-expanding strategic partner network and dedicated team of highly skilled individuals.”
“All our lighting is designed, developed and manufactured in the North West and these awards are an excellent medium for showcasing the inspirational work that is being done by our region’s innovative businesses.”
Tom continued: “We are completely committed to growing a strong manufacturing base in the UK and through our rising customer-base of blue chip organisations, as well as industry-wide recognition such as this, it is with great pride that I say we are proving pioneering technology can be both manufactured and distributed from the North West in large volumes.”
MHA Lighting has an extensive range of LED solutions for most internal and external applications.
MHA works to create the right lighting solution for each individual client and provides lighting solutions across a range of sectors including healthcare, retail, leisure, office and education, airports and outdoor, food production and garage forecourts.

Since late 2010 MHA has built a portfolio of Blue Chip commercial clients and public sector organisations, including: The Trafford Centre, Scott Safety, GlaxoSmithKline, the NHS, Birmingham NEC, Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Airport Group, Newcastle Airport, Budgens, SPAR, Londis, Local Authorities and Chevron-Texaco.

www.ecoshowcase.co.uk/News/YourNews/.

We have an interesting special guest coming along to our next Manufacturers Meeting, no not the Mayor, it’s ‘Archie the Robot’. A local mascot for manufacturing that has won the hearts and minds of young people in the area.

Archie is a very innovative creation from stainless steel and has been developed by C & C Baseline Architectural Ltd. Their long term plans for Archie are to create awareness and promote the development, education and training of our young people in manufacturing and all the exciting careers the sector has to offer.

He is already an important member of C & C Baseline Architectural public engagement team, visiting schools, youth centres and charitable organisations and has plans to take part in the many more community initiatives. He plays a particularly important role in their health and safety workshops to young people, helping them learn about health and safety and environmental issues that are so important for our future.


Mike Cooper (Managing Director) has recently been working with Beech Hill Primary School, Wigan as part of their school curriculum with an IT focus and had the young people fully engaged throughout the project. On completion of the project Mike stated that “The young people loved working with Archie and the whole project certainly helped to raise the awareness of our local manufacturing community. We (local manufacturers) need to work together to change the perception of the manufacturing industry and get more involved with local schools. If it means we need to create more Archie’s to secure the future growth of the manufacturing industry then so be it.”

C & C Baseline Architectural Ltd is a Wigan based Architectural Metalwork Company that understands the need to develop the skills of young people and has invested in apprentices for over 10 years.

Any local schools/colleges interested in finding out more about ‘Archie the Robot’ or any other businesses that would like to be involved in the project please contact: info@candcbaseline.co.uk