European Springs Web Team, Author at European Springs Ireland

Here at European Springs Ireland, we are dedicated to encouraging young people to join the fascinating field of spring manufacturing. As it is such a broad sector, we believe that anyone can find their place within engineering, which is why we’re always on the lookout for driven individuals to join our team through our apprenticeship programs.

We want everyone to feel comfortable and happy in their role, so today, we’re looking into whether an engineering apprenticeship could be right for you. Read on to learn more about what we offer and take the first steps in your new career.

What Will I Learn During An Engineering Apprenticeship?

During your engineering apprenticeship, you will learn various technical and practical skills related to your specific field. The exact curriculum will depend on the type of engineering apprenticeship you are undertaking, as well as your employer’s requirements and the regulatory body overseeing the program.

For example, if you choose to do a spring manufacturing apprenticeship with European Springs Ireland, you will learn the following:

Technical knowledge. You’ll learn about the fundamental principles of spring engineering, including maths, physics, mechanics, and our specific spring manufacturing technology and equipment.
Practical skills. You will have the opportunity to apply technical knowledge in a practical setting, working on projects and tasks under the guidance of experienced engineers.
Safety procedures. You will learn about the various safety procedures and protocols necessary to maintain a safe working environment when manufacturing springs.
Communication and teamwork. You will learn to communicate effectively with other students studying engineering apprenticeships and those tutoring you.

This is not an exhaustive list of everything you’ll learn while studying for your engineering apprenticeship. There are countless other things you will pick up while learning, such as valuable advice from those who have been working in the industry for a long time. This experience provides the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in your chosen field.

How Will I Learn and Be Assessed During My Engineering Apprenticeship?

You will likely learn through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom-based instruction. The exact balance of these two types of learning will depend on the specific requirements of your apprenticeship, as each program is different.

On-the-job training will typically involve working under the guidance of our experienced spring engineers, completing practical tasks and projects, and learning from real-world scenarios. You may be assigned to work on various projects, with increasing levels of responsibility as you progress through your apprenticeship.

Classroom-based instruction may take the form of lectures, seminars, and workshops. These sessions will provide you with the theoretical knowledge and technical skills necessary to succeed in your field, as well as an understanding of industry standards and best practices.

Assessment during your engineering apprenticeship will typically be carried out through coursework, practical assessments, and exams. Your progress will be monitored and evaluated throughout your apprenticeship, with feedback provided on your strengths and areas for improvement. You must demonstrate your understanding of key concepts and ability to apply them in practical scenarios to complete your apprenticeship successfully.

Advantages of Engineering Apprenticeships

There are several advantages to pursuing an engineering apprenticeship, such as:

Hands-on learning and a unique opportunity to gain classroom knowledge and experience real-world projects at the same time.
Engineering apprenticeships are designed to prepare you for a career and succeed in your profession.
Whether manufacturing compression springs or managing a bulk order project, you will constantly network with fellow apprentices, mentors, and industry experts, allowing you to build valuable connections.
Earn while you learn! Of course, one of the greatest advantages for young people undertaking an apprenticeship is the opportunity to earn money while gaining valuable experience and knowledge.
Completing an engineering apprenticeship can lead to professional certification, which is highly valued by employers and helps you stand out in a competitive job market.

Disadvantages of Engineering Apprenticeships

We understand that engineering apprenticeships aren’t for everybody, and there are several reasons why it may not be the right path for you.

For example, you should only choose an apprenticeship if you’re sure about the field in which you’d like to work. This is because apprenticeships provide a direct route to specific career paths, making you desirable to employers within the industry. However, if you begin your course and realise the sector you’re in isn’t for you, you may need to reconsider completing the apprenticeship.

In addition, some apprentices are discouraged by their starting wages. Although it may be lower than you wish, you must understand that once qualified, your apprenticeship will set you up for a fruitful career. In addition, no other students can say they’re earning while learning, so it’s important to remember that the money you’re making is much better than if you were attending university.

Where Can An Engineering Apprenticeship Take Me?

An engineering apprenticeship can lead to many exciting career paths in a variety of industries. In addition, the skills and knowledge gained prepare you for a wide range of jobs depending on the focus of your apprenticeship.

For example, here are a few of the most common routes an engineering apprentice could go down once qualified:

Design engineer, focusing on creating new products
Maintenance engineer, ensuring all equipment is functioning properly
Project manager, overseeing and coordinating engineering projects
Manufacturing engineer, focusing on the design and optimisation of production processes
Quality control engineer, working to ensure products and systems meet the required quality standards

In addition, many of our apprentices have gone on to have successful careers working at European Springs Irelands for many years, making their way up the company in their chosen directions.

If this sounds like the right career path for you, we’d love to hear from you. So please contact us today and start your journey.

Here at European Springs Ireland, we’re committed to providing our customers with a smooth journey while working with us to ensure they get everything they need. From initial conversations to providing repairs and maintenance long after handing over their orders, we’re here for our customers. One of the ways we assist is through our design support, which we’re exploring in today’s blog post.

We’re taking a look at the design support you should expect to receive when working with our team and what this entails, including our processes and how we handle each order, from mass productions to one-offs.

What Is Design Support?

Design support is part of our spring manufacturing process. It refers to the assistance provided to customers in designing custom springs, pressings, and wireforms that meet their specific needs and requirements. This support can include a range of services, such as consultation on material selection, wire diameter, spring rate, and other design parameters. For example, design support aims to help customers create a spring optimised for their application, considering load capacity, deflection, frequency, and durability factors. This can lead to improved performance, longer service life, and reduced costs for the customer over the long term. In addition, our conversations help bring our customers’ products to life, allowing them to visualise what they’re ordering and understand how it will function. This also allows our customers to voice any necessary adjustments to the design before production begins.

Our Design Support Process

As leading spring manufacturers in Ireland with over 70 years of industry experience, we are proud of our design support process and believe we have perfected this service.

Our expert team of engineers assist you in making decisions on the design of your product, whether you have a bulk order of compression springs or a single pressing. No matter the size of your order, we can help you decide on the design, material, and surface treatment of your chosen pressings, stampings, or springs. We do this to ensure customers get the most suitable products for their application and are completely satisfied with the final result.

Each order goes through our rigorous process, which involves the following:

Selecting the material and considering technical requirements, price, and availability
Manufacturing method
Capital investment for tooling
Finishing requirements, such as heat treatment
Assembly requirements, including automation
Repeatability

These requirements are essential in manufacturing the perfect product for our customers. They help us pinpoint exactly what our customers require, so they leave us satisfied and confident in our services. It also ensures that everyone involved in the manufacturing process is clear on the goals and that there aren’t any confusions or backtracking that could cost us and our customers time, money, and other resources.

Custom Spring, Pressing, and Wireform Manufacturing and Your Valuable Input

Our customers’ input is crucial when it comes to bespoke spring design for several reasons, such as:

Ensuring we meet their specific requirements. Each custom product has unique requirements, such as dimensions, materials, and load-bearing capacities, so it’s vital that everyone involved in the manufacture understands this.
Customisation. We pride ourselves on our bespoke services, meaning our spring design team can provide truly unique and specifically tailored products, and our client’s input on these details is essential.

Building trust. Taking the clients’ input into account can also help build trust between the manufacturer and the client. By working collaboratively and considering the client’s needs, manufacturers can demonstrate their commitment to providing high-quality, customised products that meet their needs.

Design Support for Bulk and One-Off Orders

As mentioned, we offer design support for all orders, no matter how big or small. However, there are slight differences between the process if you want a bulk order or a one-off product.

Of course, the main difference between bulk and one-off orders is the number of products produced. This means more materials, time, and other resources will be used during the production of bulk orders, making it absolutely vital that everyone is satisfied with the final design before production begins. However, if a customer requests a single product, although the design is still important, it won’t have a catastrophic effect if slight changes are needed to the product after its production.

Following this, although some may believe that the design process may be lengthier for bulk orders, this isn’t always true. Although they require a lot of detail from the customer to ensure complete satisfaction before production begins, customers will bulk order our standard products, such as our tension springs, for example. In contrast, one-off orders may have unique and incredibly specific requirements that aren’t included in our Spring Catalogue.

Whatever your order, our design support team needs your input to ensure we provide you with the right product. So please get in touch today to begin those all-important conversations with our spring design experts.

As technology creeps further into every aspect of the manufacturing industry, European Springs Ireland is excited to be at the forefront of technological developments. We’re fascinated by the successes of these innovations and are always looking for ways we can implement new technology into our practices to provide better services for our clients.

One technological advancement that has proved it is here to stay is automation. In recent years, we have seen incredible automation developments in manufacturing and have been fascinated by how it is assisting manufacturers and engineers worldwide.

So, today, we’re exploring everything you need to know about automation in manufacturing. We’re taking you on an insightful look behind the curtain as we delve into what it is, how it has been implemented into the industry, and what the pros and cons are of this revolutionary technology; read on to learn more.

What Is Automation?

Automation is a term for any technology or computerised machine that, in order for it to work, requires little human input. While automation isn’t new, the different types of automated technology available today are constantly updated with the latest software.

There are different types of automation available, for example:

AI. Artificial intelligence is used in many manufacturing companies across the world. For example, in spring manufacturing, it can be used in the replacement of the testing process to minimise resource waste.
Process automation. This involves the use of apps or other software used to streamline business processes that were previously completed by humans either on a computer or through paperwork.
Robotics. Also known as integration automation, robots have been used to mimic the actions of a human and can complete physical tasks such as packing.

There are also other, much more basic examples of automation that aren’t just found within the manufacturing industry. For example, using an online chat room for employees is considered a part of automation, as it replaces physical human interactions, which has been implemented in almost all industries.

How Has Automation Been Implemented Into Manufacturing?

As mentioned, automation has been implemented in the manufacturing industry in a wide variety of ways, such as through:

Robotic assembly lines
Computer-controlled tools
Automated material handling
Automated inspection systems

These are just a few examples of the many different areas of automated manufacturing, and we believe it will only get bigger and better. Whilst we would never expect automation to take over the creative minds of our spring design team, for example, we do believe it can be beneficial in other areas of our business. For instance, when it comes to producing custom bulk orders for our clients, implementing automotive technology may increase the springs’ accuracy and speed up the process.

Automation and Analytics

Analytics are used throughout manufacturing and has been a major part of Industry 4.0 in terms of machine data. As this often involves a lot of technical skill and, more often than not, advanced experience, automation has been tested to take over this area of manufacturing.

The two work together by providing automated data on production processes and machines. The automation systems are able to collect data from machines before feeding it into analytics software for review. During the review, the collected data can be used to identify patterns, which then allows manufacturers to make informed decisions about improving productivity and efficiency, for example. In addition, automation systems can also use this data to predict problems with the machines and prevent them from occurring.

Advantages of Automation in Manufacturing

There are plenty of advantages of automation in manufacturing; let’s take a look:

Increased efficiency. Automation reduces production time significantly and works to streamline processes.
Reduces human error. It can eliminate mistakes made by humans and produce more consistent products.
Cost-effective in the long-term. By increasing production rates and reducing labour costs, automation can help manufacturing companies cut costs in the long run.
Increased safety. By eliminating human error, injuries are reduced. In addition, as mentioned, automation processes can predict when a machine may have a problem, improving the safety of the technology humans work with.

Disadvantages of Automation in Manufacturing

Of course, many people will have doubts about automation, which is completely understandable. While it is impressive technology, it also comes with some drawbacks.

Potential job losses. As mentioned, we don’t believe automation could take over humans in all aspects of manufacturing. Still, some areas may see some workforce cuts due to the overwhelming advantages of automation.
High initial investment. Automation is cost-effective in the long term, but it must be mentioned that the initial investments can be high. Machinery, software, and other equipment are expensive.
Technical issues. Like all technology, automation may run into some technical issues or malfunctions, which can cause delays in productivity.

Whatever your feeling about automation area, there is no denying that it is making its way into manufacturing in a variety of forms. If you work in the sector, you probably already noticed an increase in automation; if not, you certainly will now.

As mentioned, we’re excited about these digital transformations here at European Springs Ireland and actively seek opportunities to implement them into our spring manufacturing processes.

If you’re as excited as us by digital change and think that the fascinating world of spring design and manufacturing is a place you would thrive, we would like to hear from you. Get in touch to find out about our latest vacancies and start your new career at this exciting time of automation transformation.

If you’re considering a career in manufacturing, it’s important to understand that you are always welcome and sure to find a great position within the sector. The manufacturing industry is so wide and contains so many different career paths that you’re certain to discover one that suits you. Whether you prefer physical work and like to get your hands dirty or lean more toward working-from-home or office-based jobs, there is something for you within manufacturing.

Because of this, the skills required to work in the industry are broad and cover just about any workplace expertise, meaning you’re even more likely to find a place in the sector that requires your skill set. Similarly, the industry is always looking for apprentices with no prior experience, further confirming that this is a career path suitable for just about anyone.

Today, we’re looking into some of the skills required to work in specific parts of the manufacturing industry to help you understand which career path is right for you.

The Different Career Paths Available in Manufacturing

As leading spring manufacturers, we understand that there is a vast amount of different career paths within our business, which means that the list of career paths in the wider industry is extensive. Here are a few examples of the types of jobs that come under the umbrella that is manufacturing:

Maintenance and repair. For example, these hands-on jobs could be plumbers, electricians, or computer repair technicians.
Welding and machine operators are two examples of jobs that come under production.
Health, safety, and environmental assurance. Whether protecting people, the environment, or the company, these people oversee safety aspects within manufacturing.
Quality assurance. For example, inspectors and quality control roles ensure everything is kept to a certain standard.

Logistics. This path involves transportation, delivery, and factory management, all working to ensure the supply chain remains steady.
Design. As part of the manufacturing process, design engineers play a crucial part in production.

Whether you want to design compression springs, manage a factory, or ensure machines are safe to use during production, there is a role for you within manufacturing. So, let’s take a look at the skills required to complete each role to perfection.

Excellent Communication Skills

Communication skills are required in every job, but it is even more crucial in certain manufacturing areas. For example, logistics roles. Those managing factoriesneed strong communication with various people, including delivery drivers, factory staff, clients and customers, and management in other areas of the wider business. If communication standards slip, it can have a detrimental effect on the company. For instance, if a factorymanager doesn’t inform delivery drivers of a change of delivery date, it will mean that goods are not transported when needed, and deadlines could be missed, resulting in unhappy customers and a damaged reputation.

Attention to Detail
Similarly to the need for strong communication, excellent attention to detail is essential in most manufacturing roles. However, one career path that this skill is especially important for is quality assurance. Quality control workers will ensure that every stage of the manufacturing process complies with their company’s high standards. This job involves checking each stage of the production line and looking into their results, efficiency, and work practices to check if they need to improve any aspects of their work in order to keep to the expected standards.

Whilst practical skills aren’t required to work in this area of manufacturing, previous practical experience is often desired by potential employers as it provides the quality control workers with in-depth knowledge of the production processes.

Flexibility and Being Open to Change

The manufacturing industry is constantly evolving in line with digital transformations, such as the implementation of virtual reality in engineering and sustainability processes as we move toward a greener planet. Because of this, no matter which area of the sector your career falls into, you must be open to change and allow yourself to be flexible. Many companies across the industry are regularly updating their practices to improve certain departments as well as the wider sector, so change is to be expected in all aspects of manufacturing. If you’re someone who likes to be kept on their toes in their career and is excited about embracing the future, manufacturing just might be the industry for you.

Physical Skills

If you like to work on your feet and hate being cramped up in an office or your spare room as you work from home, plenty of manufacturing roles require physical movement, and you might be better suited to those. Physical skills that are often listed in maintenance, installation, and repair jobs include:

Strength in order to lift heavy machinery
Hand-eye coordination

In addition, previous experience and expertise in specific areas are sometimes required for more highly-skilled roles. For example, this could be previous work as an electrician, plumbing qualifications, or a history of working at height experience if the job requires it.

Knowledge of the Manufacturing Industry

When you enter any field, learning about the industry is key to getting off on the right foot. When it comes to manufacturing, it’s important that you have a base knowledge of what’s in the news at the time, as well as anything specific regarding your career path.

However, if you are an apprentice, this is information you will likely study and pick up while on the job, so don’t worry too much about doing extensive research before starting. Instead, ensure you have an understanding of the company you’ll be working for and keep up to date with manufacturing news to have a general knowledge of the sector, and your employers should ensure you learn the rest while under their care.

Here at European Springs Ireland, we’re always looking for dedicated and driven apprentices and other employees to join our team of manufacturers. So whatever your current skill set is, or wherever you want to develop, we’re certain you’ll find a role with us.

Get in touch today to begin your manufacturing journey with European Springs Ireland.

Here at European Springs Ireland, we get the opportunity to work with a wide scope of industries, manufacturing and producing custom and bespoke springs, wire forms, and pressings to our clients’ exact specifications for use in a long list of applications. From the medical sector to agriculture, our range is expansive, but one of our favourites is the toy industry.

Yes, that’s right, springs are used in manufacturing some of the best childhood toys, including old classics such as the Slinky and new, more modern devices. So, to celebrate the festive season and show off yet another application for our versatile springs, we’re delving into some toys produced using springs that you may see gifted this Christmas.

Slinky

Quite possibly the most iconic spring used in the toy industry; the Slinky. Born in 1943, the Slinky has stood the test of time and still reigns popular as one of (if not the) best spring-based toys available on the market today. But do you know how it came to be? In the early 1940s, navel engineer Richard James accidentally pushed a tension spring off his desk, and when he did, he noticed it appeared to roll before landing upright. Two years later, the Slinky was flying off the shelves. Now, it is considered a staple in the history of springs and a bestseller at Christmas, with many still gifted each year.

Pull-Back Toys

Springs can be found in many pull-back toys, providing fantastic fun for children of all ages. They’re used for racing rally cars, animals, and even launching robots across the room. Of course, we have all used a pull-back toy before and can agree that as a child, it’s exciting to pull the tiny vehicle back just a small amount and see it fly forwards, but how do springs play a part in this fun?

Well, Newton’s Third Law of Motion states every action has an equal and opposite reaction, which is precisely how a pull-back toy operates. Energy is stored in the spring built into the toy, which is then released when you let go, allowing it to ‘spring’ into action and launch forwards.

Remote-Controlled Cars

Remote-controlled cars are one of the best presents to receive and are always certain to put a smile on a young racing enthusiast’s face at Christmas. In fact, they’re often the first to get ripped out of their packaging and test driven across the mountains of wrapping paper across the floor. But have you ever wondered which springs are involved in their manufacturing?

Just like actual cars, many different spring types go into producing a remote-controlled vehicle. From motor springs that provide torque to shock springs and suspension springs, various components are used in their production.

Jack-in-the-Box

The jack-in-the-box was once one of the most popular children’s toys available on the market and dates back as far as the 16^th century. Now, we see less of the classic children’s Christmas gift, but it’s still interesting to take a step back in time and explore what went into creating the toy.

Clowns or other children’s characters are connected to compression springs before being pushed inside a box, contained with a lid, and sealed with a catch. The catch is then released, allowing the character to pop up and provide laughs (or screams).

Pinball Machines

Springs play a prominent role in the pinball machine, which dominated arcades in the 80s and 90s. Now, they can be purchased for home use and make a brilliant Christmas gift for retro lovers and children who have it all.

Spring-loaded knobs are pulled back before being released to send a ball up the playfield, dodging barriers and aiming for the target. Players must choose their spring strength to get the perfect force to reach the goal. Of course, you may think about this a little differently when you play on a pinball machine now, and perhaps you have the knowledge to beat the high score and be crowned the winner!

Electronic Devices

Does the dreaded “does not contain batteries” label give you flashbacks to unplayable gifts as a child? Well, to help you remember to purchase AAs, AAAs, and other battery back-ups to save disappointment this Christmas morning, let’s take a look at how springs play a part in your battery-operated electronic devices.

When you pop in a battery, you must remember to load it correctly, matching the plus and minus symbols with what’s on the inside. Another way to remember is that the minus side must be pushed onto the spring, and the plus side has a small nub that tucks into the battery case. The spring allows the battery to sit securely inside the case and be removed easily.

As you can see, springs are all around us during the festive period. So, whether you’re watching your little one unwrap a remote-controlled car or you’re putting batteries into their many electronic devices on Christmas morning, think about the spring manufacturers like ourselves that helped create their gifts.

As spring manufacturers part of the ever-changing manufacturing industry, we’re always looking into the future to try and accurately predict advancements in order to get ahead and prepare ourselves for change, especially since we have dealt with a plethora of unexpected setbacks and unprecedented times, such as the pandemic and Brexit.

So, today we’re looking into the bright future of Irish manufacturing and exploring the trends, advancements, and industry developments we believe will impact the sector overall and provide positive change.

The Resilience of the Irish Manufacturing Industry

Like many industries, the manufacturing sector faced a long list of struggles during the pandemic and the repercussions of Brexit. The world shifted and was forced to adapt to changes very quickly, and unfortunately, many manufacturing companies didn’t survive these global events.

However, here at European Springs Ireland, we proved incredibly resilient, and despite the delayed deliveries, rising costs, and increased risk and uncertainty, we made it through the pandemic.

Brexit was a little different, as the constant changing of rules, laws, and regulations made it difficult for Irish manufacturers to cope. We faced a long list of challenges, such as:

Supply chain disruptions
Frequent protocol changes
Issues with customs

But we came through the other side, as resilient as ever. This gave us a huge confidence boost, reassuring us that we would be able to handle anything the world threw at us in the future.

Future Predictions for Irish Manufacturing

Despite the past setbacks, we believe the future of manufacturing is bright. To explore why we have handpicked some stand-out industry advancements that we believe will propel Irish manufacturing and assist with positive change.

Accelerated Digital Transformations

Like every other industry, digital transformations are plentiful within manufacturing. We have already seen a variety of digital advancements in the sector, such as increased automation, removing the need for as much human work. This goes hand in hand with technology such as AI, robotics, and virtual reality in engineering, which has also increased in recent years.

Understandably, we believe that these digital transformations will only improve and become much more advanced as time goes on. Complexity will only increase, allowing manufacturing businesses to put many of their systems into technology’s hands and providing business owners with the freedom to work on other areas of their companies.

Digital Twin Software

An excellent example of the acceleration of digital transformations is digital twin software. This technology gives users a virtual simulation of a physical asset, which digitally represents its performance. For example, as compression spring manufacturers, we could use digital twin software to mimic a compression spring and look at ways we can improve its performance and optimise its use in order to provide our customers with the best possible product.

Whilst this isn’t widely used in manufacturing now, we believe it will become a staple in the not-too-distant future. This is because it can save a lot of time, the use of physical products, and space in factories that would have been used for physical testing.

Lean Initiatives

As industries worldwide make changes in line with their plans to achieve NetZero5050, we believe the manufacturing industry will take significant strides with lean initiative. This means reducing waste during the manufacturing process as well as simultaneously maximising productivity, which is achieved in several ways, for example:

Efficiently managing your inventory. Managing inventory well means planning ahead, so not ordering too many items which will go to waste if you cannot sell them.

Reducing packing materials. Whether this means decreasing the size of boxes, removing a layer of plastic, or reducing in another way, less packing is great for the environment and the workplace’s productivity.
Setting waste management goals. Lean initiatives are much more likely to succeed if they have been planned out. For example, setting waste management goals may look like creating a recycling plan that allows employees to refer to and will act as a constant reminder.

The Future of Manufacturing Worldwide

Of course, the Irish manufacturing industry is just a small factor in the global sector, but we believe these changes will be seen all over the world. As tension spring manufacturers, we’re always at the forefront of these big industry advancements and looking to implement new tech and innovative initiatives into our work.

We believe that after the setbacks of recent years, the future of Irish and worldwide manufacturing is bright. The advancements discussed in today’s blog are sure to make a huge impact on the global industry, and European Springs Ireland is at the forefront of these changes.

Please stay up to date with the latest company changes and industry developments by following our blog. Here we post news from the manufacturing sector, our company updates, and information regarding our high-quality spring manufacturing services.

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Author: European Springs Web Team