ISMR June 2022 | Page 28

FOCUS ON INDUSTRY 4.0

THE PATH TO INDUSTRY 4.0

Wrekin Sheet Metal saw Industry 4.0 transition as an opportunity to digitise certain areas of its operation to support core organisational strategies .

Image : Shutterstock . com .
“ Wrekin Sheet Metal ’ s transition to Industry 4.0 has been smooth as it saw the process as a journey , rather than a destination .”

Can SME manufacturers benefit from Industry 4.0 ? Is Industry 4.0 the domain of the big manufacturing corporates or can SMEs leverage real competitive advantage from digital transformation ?

Wrekin Sheet Metal , a fabrication and assembly specialist in Telford ( UK ), believes that Industry 4.0 adoption offers significant competitive advantage to SMEs . It was an early adopter of Industry 4.0 , which it believes has been ‘ transformational ’.
The company set a new strategy for growth in 2020 which included an investment of £ 1.6- million in new machinery . This included a new 4kW laser cutting system , a fully automated punch and an automated powder coating line . Its Year End accounts reported a 30 % increase increase on the previous year . Its future strategy aims to see the company achieving a turnover of £ 6 million by 2024 .
Early adopter
Wrekin Sheet Metal is an established sheet metal business in Telford that fabricates and finishes components and products from steel and aluminium predominantly . Its sheet metal fabrication solutions include laser cutting ; CNC punching ; CNC forming ; fabrication and welding ; finishing and assembly as well as powder coating .
“ We offer a supportive , end-to-end service , taking initial concepts from consultation , through to assembly and delivery , producing high-quality , precise sheet metal fabrication solutions , backed up by over 18 years of experience . A commitment to automation and the latest technology means that we offer lights-out manufacturing that works around the clock to meet just in time schedules and the tightest deadlines ,” it told ISMR .
“ We deliver across an extremely wide range
28 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR June 2022