Dorking-based injection moulder Broanmain Plastics is open for business, whilst adhering to government and Public Health England guidance regarding social distancing and protecting workforce safety in workspaces.
Managing director Jo Davis commented: “The urgency of the situation cannot be underplayed. Flexibility is now the norm. And day-by-day, manufacturers across the UK are adjusting to what at best can be described as the ‘next normal’. Balancing the safeguarding of lives with the protection of livelihoods is imperative.”
However, for Broanmain, like many factories, working from home is simply not an option. Therefore, in order to ensure staff can balance family time with work, Broanmain has extended its production opening times by two and half hours, introduced split-shift flexible working patterns providing cover between 6am and 5pm, and closed the factory on Fridays.
These changes have enabled Broanmain to respond swiftly to order increases and turn projects around in less than 48 hours. Production manager Thomas Catinet said: “As we are seeing first hand, this is all feasible providing a customer has the tooling and we can source the polymer materials.
“As we are seeing with the ventilator challenges, even with fast track approvals, it takes time - often two to three months - to move from concept to accreditation and then production.”
A benefit of remote working is that OEMs are now giving future projects their full attention and are eager to discuss the scope and feasibility. A number have also been discussing supply chain risks and the different choke points when reliant on production hubs the other side of the globe.
Davis added: “This virus has exposed our global vulnerabilities and interdependencies. I imagine the supply chain dynamics may shift again. Although an uncertain and stressful time for everyone in every business, it can be a good time to re-evaluate supply chain options and speak to domestic companies about how they can assist.”
The company believes combining manufacturing muscle can speed matters up, so larger moulders are best placed to ramp up component production. Catinet explained: “Realistically, building a tool and then getting it approved is beyond the scope of most moulding SMEs as it’s a high cost investment and would need to met set specifications.”
Covid-19 has also exposed vulnerabilities such as the shortage of skills in plastic processing. Davis commented: “Sourcing skilled staff can be challenging at the best of times. Sharing personnel tends to go against the grain of how we work as an industry. Clearly, this needs to change. Being able to share expertise and specific skill sets with other manufacturers is a lesson we can all take away from this pandemic.”
“Like everyone across the globe, manufacturers and moulders are all facing this crisis together. Rather than just trying to protect our own island, coming together as a business community can help to strengthen our resilience. And this in turn benefits customers,” Davis concluded.