Movetech UK helped Coventry University graduate James Hughes steal the show by adding another dimension to his degree-show exhibit - the vehicle of the future.

The Automotive & Transport Design student, who graduated from the Midlands campus this year, developed a lightweight vehicle for individuals who can't drive regular cars, either due to their age, injury, or because they have no licence.

James built a 1:4 scale model of lightweight fibreglass to show off at his degree show. The model, which was rotating on a Movetech UK turntable, generated a lot of attention at the show.

He said: "There were 120 people displaying projects and about 100 of those were physical models, but I wanted mine to stand out more."

The dimensions of the model are 83cm long by 42cm wide and weighing approximately 15kg. Movetech UK's team rented James one of their mini carousel turntables, which made his model stand out and shine.

"I was delighted to find that Movetech UK made turntables in a whole range of different sizes, so there was one the perfect diameter for my project," said James. "It helped generate a lot more interest in the model. I was able to show off the physical surfaces all the way round, instead of people having to squeeze around the back of the stand.

"Movetech UK was very helpful indeed. Even though it was a small order, they gave me updates on when to expect the turntable, and I was delighted with the impact it had on my final project."

Movetech UK's Tim Entwistle said: "As an engineering company ourselves we were fascinated by James' idea for the quadricycle. We do all we can to promote fresh young talent in the industry, so when he came to us asking if we could help, we were only too pleased to do our bit.

"We make turntables in all sizes, some rotate full articulated lorries and others help display cakes in shop windows. So providing something that had the correct size and power requirements was relatively simple. We thought the end result of James's model quadricycle looked fantastic."

16 businesses from the North West manufacturing community are joining forces to form a Manufacturers Alliance from 11th September 2013. Leaders from the manufacturing community will be committing 1 day per month to step out of their businesses and focus ‘on their businesses’.

The group has been launched and will be chaired by Gary Sheader, a Bolton based manufacturing ambassador. The main focus will be supporting collaborative working and creating a safe environment for manufacturing business leaders to share best practise. Gary will be providing a range of industry expert speakers each month that will provide the most advanced methods to drive growth in the industry. Gary also stated, “Our aim is to help the members make effective decisions that will support personal growth and help them grow their bottom lines. I love to see people and businesses reach their full potential and the structure of the Manufacturers Alliance will ensure this happens. Surrounding yourself with other manufacturing leaders that are striving for the similar goals will be very powerful and infectious.”

Manufacturing businesses in the North West will have seen Gary’s Bolton Manufacturers Group grow over the past couple of years, and for those lucky enough to attend, will have tasted the famous Pie and Peas manufactured locally at Carrs Pasties in Bolton. He has also been a speaker at a number of The Manufacturer and Lean Management Journal events on lean manufacturing and managing change.

One of the new members of the group Maurice Summerson, 7 years retained at the Baerlocher UK, part of the 1200 employee international Baerlocher Group says, “I have always been a huge fan of collaborative working and sharing knowledge to achieve commercial results, so Gary did not need to sell the idea to me. The calibre of the people in the group is fantastic and I am sure we will all be embarking on a great journey together. We need more groups like this around the UK to support the growth of UK manufacturing.”

Emma Collings, Director of Ian Lucas Security Shutters had a different reason for joining the group, “we have been trading now for over 6 years and I have found the business world quite lonely at times. Being a woman in manufacturing is tough and the Manufacturers Alliance has given me a support network of likeminded people I can trust. After attending just one of the taster sessions I have already seen benefits in my business.”

The Manufacturers Alliance will be launching on 11th September 2013 and already has 8 members signed up. If you would like to be one of the remaining 8 manufacturers you can find out more via the website: www.manufacturersalliance.co.uk or contact Gary Sheader via telephone on 01204 410062.

The current members of the group are:

Director of Security Shutter Manufacturer

Managing Director of Architectural Metalwork Manufacturer

Managing Director of Additive Manufacturer

Finance Director of Interior Fixtures Manufacturer

Managing Director of 2 Textile Manufacturers

Managing Director of Pneumatic Control Manufacturer

Managing Director of Mechanical Seal Manufacturer

Managing Director or Steel Enclosure Manufacturer