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Workbenches – the cornerstone of manufacturing

Posted on October 28th 2016 by WPPAdmin.
Updated on: November 1st 2016.

Workbenches are the cornerstone of UK Manufacturing.Dear reader,

This time I thought i’d write a quick blog about how proud we are of our business. I will touch on the current climate our industry finds itself in. As you read I would like to help you get to know our manufacturing process. While its true that we make more than just workbenches, I would like to keep this blog simple by focusing just on them.

Sure i’ve blogged in the past about the features and benefits of all the workbenches we sell, but i’ve never really explained what sets us apart from the competition.

So, lets see where this takes us. I hope this will be a ‘feel good’ read for you and i’ll be honest, I hope it’ll be a good experience for me too.

OK, lets begin…

A couple of weeks ago I asked myself aloud – ‘how is a workbench made?’
(Not too loud though, that would be weird). More to the point, how are our workbenches made?

In order to judge how good a bench is, you firstly have to get to know the characteristics of it.

Last week I took a walk around our factory and I watched how our specialist engineers create the perfect workbench. Its amazing, no really.

I wont divulge every aspect of our manufacturing processes because that would be like giving away the secret ingredient of a recipe – I hope you understand.

Like with most things, it starts with an idea. If it isn’t a standard design then it could be (and often is) a new customer approaching us with a sketch. They have a vision, it is then up to our awesome AutoCAD and JETCAM designers to make the plans, then turn that vision into a reality. At our heart we are problem solvers.

Just briefly, when it comes to making the bench frames, the assembly process and welding is an art form in itself.

Our fantastic welders at work.

Our team of fully qualified, experienced welders at work. Inset: Creating a bespoke workbench system from scratch. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of our professional facilities?

Our engineers start with box section steel. They cut it, shape it, mold it into a workhorse masterpiece (a little too far? maybe…maybe not).

Each frame is then sent through our state-of-the-art powder coating plant to give them a professional, durable finish.

Our state-of-the-art powder coating plant.

Our state-of-the-art powder coating plant can be configured to paint products from workbenches to lockers or even canteen units.

When the paint is dry they go back to assembly to have a wide range of worktops attached. Moving down the assembly line I see a variety of them. Beech, Laminate and even steel worktops are screwed in place. The more specialised worktops are safely stored away ready for the next job on the production line. These are the ones built to meet the rigorous demands of our electronics manufacturer customers. Anti-static does come at a slight premium, but they are market leaders in terms of build quality.

Anyway, back to the story…

While watching the manufacturing process I realised the large scale of production that my company is capable of. The high levels of care and attention each person puts into making our benches is astounding. Happy engineers using first class machinery to bring first class workbenches to life. Its clearly a labour of love. I am truly proud of the high level of professionalism Workplace Products achieves on a daily basis.

So that seemed to be the secret of our success. My part in the company is to market our products, so this exercise helped me to re-evaluate on how best to market our workbenches.

Then a few days ago, while getting ready for work the news reminded me of Brexit.

I watched intently to see how UK manufacturing is going. No, doubt it has bought uncertainty. Just then I reminded myself that despite this, Workplace Products continues to grow on all fronts. We see that orders for Workbenches, Lockers and Canteen units increasing, not slowing down.

You may of heard about this change looming on the horizon. What that means for UK manufacturing is still a bit of a mystery. Initially UK manufacturing seemed to drop after the country voted out. Latest news of the figures suggest a growth of 0.5% in the last three months since the vote. All I know is there is still a fierce demand for our workbenches, lockers and canteen units etc.

As a company we champion UK manufacturing and we daily contribute to the British Economy with our work ethic coupled with the savvy business deals we forge with our customers. We understand that sometimes changes to UK policies can set business progress back somewhat. In times like these we forge ahead. A perfect example of this is that we still continue to develop our industrial workbench range. It is this sort of “never say die” thinking that keeps us out in front. Some companies move on to push other product lines but we stay focused, and it pays off. You may recall the old adage that says “keep a stiff upper lip”. We responded the same way during the last recession.

So that brings us up to today. I now understand why we continue to attract more new customers than ever.

My final thoughts on our Workbenches

Our workbenches reflect our spirit. Strong, reliable and can even adapt to change. More important, they help you manage when work levels are high and deadlines loom. A good workbench can protect your business investments eg. anti-static for electronic parts assembly. They can even help protect the health of you and your employees eg. ergonomic height adjustable workbenches. What more could you want? So i’ll leave you with this statement: “our workbenches are an Engineer’s best friend”.

So I guess this leads to a message of hope. If you are in this industry keep forging ahead, love what you do and stay strong. Together there is nothing our great nation can’t accomplish.

Whilst writing this I didn’t think it would start to make me feel this patriotic! So i’d better quickly sign off and earn my pay.

I hope you enjoyed this brief story of pride and patriotism. We would love to hear what you think about where UK Manufacturing stands and how changes such as brexit relate to your company. Discussion is healthy and your points of view matter.

Did you notice that ergonomic workbenches were mentioned above? I wrote a product specific blog on our height adjustable workbenches some time back and would like to share it with you. Improve your posture and mood whilst at work, read it here.

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