News

Taking the Lead on Investment The latest statistics from the manufacturing sector are a strange mixture of good and puzzling. On the one hand, the rise in the respected Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from 53.1 in January to 54.1 last month indicates quite clearly that sector sales are on an upward trend which, according to a recent editorial published by Insider Media, reflects an increase in domestic demand for goods. Manufacturing activity is reported to be at its highest since last July while factory costs are said to be falling at their fastest rate for six years. Against such a buoyant background it seems odd that business investment in the sector has been weak. Manufacturers of plant and equipment are experiencing weak order books and the slowest output rate since September last year. Possible theories include uncertainty over the outcome of the next UK General Election in May and the problems faced by the European Union over some of its members, such as Greece. Whatever the reason, we all know it takes confidence and a certain amount of courage to commit to capital expenditure. But we also know that, with the pace of technology in the fast-moving market place of today, no one can afford to stand still. Add in factors like a growing domestic economy and historically low interest rates, has there ever been a better time to invest in the future? At any rate, that’s Tenkay’s view which is why we remain committed to a continual programme of capital expenditure to keep our factory totally up to date with the latest equipment.

February 2015 Find out in our latest case studies why our customers choose to work with us and get an insight into the wide mix of solutions we have already delivered. If you would like to see more of our work and hear feedback direct from our customers, our case studies offer you the opportunity to learn more about us and the comprehensive range of services we have to offer. This latest case study features our client Stable Micro Systems and their need of a partner that could understand, build and supply electronic assemblies to the exacting standards required for precision measurement and analysis equipment. Read our new case study Interested in the quality solution we provided? For the full Stable Micro Systems case study click here. "We are being approached by other suppliers all the time, but for us at any rate, the difference is that Tenkay’s people are really interested in what we are doing – not just in their own bottom line. They genuinely want to understand our business and are always prepared to ‘walk the extra mile’.” Andy O’Donnell, Production Manager Stable Micro Systems Download the case study here   Tenkay is expanding We have vacancies on our Wiring shop floors and PCB shop floor, to join the Tenkay team. If you would like to join us, or if you know someone who would, give us a call on 01903 855464 to find out more, or forward your CV to recruitment@tenkay.co.uk to apply. Suitable candidates must have proven experience and pass our trade test as well as be able to efficiently manufacture and assemble to controlled documentation.

UK Airport Expansion The time for talking is over. The public consultation period inviting people to submit their views on the best way to expand the UK’s airport capacity has officially closed. It is now the unenviable task of Chairman Sir Howard Davies and his colleagues at The Airports Commission to consider the merits or otherwise of the 50,000 submissions that the process has elicited. We have been told to expect his final verdict sometime this summer, along with details of ‘who said what’ in their submissions. As effectively a two horse race between Heathrow and Gatwick in the final stages, for those companies, like Tenkay, based in the South of England, the debate has been in danger of becoming parochial, depending on which of these two options happens to favour you or your business. But in truth the real issue is which airport is best suited for expansion to benefit the country’s economy as a whole rather than just the local economy. The arguments have raged back and forth. High profile businessmen and women have lent their names very publicly to one faction or the other and impassioned, eloquent arguments have been put forward on the grounds of protecting the environment. For example, according to one submission, expansion at Heathrow would mean another 130,000 aircraft flying over London with unavoidable noise and air pollution implications for 320,000 more people living underneath the flight path. However, one point on which everyone seemed to be agreed is that a decision cannot wait any longer without serious damage to the UK economy. A survey conducted by our own trade body, EEF (Manufacturers Association), showed that around three quarters of respondents favoured Heathrow in three vital areas: frequency of flights, range of destinations and strategic benefit to the existing national road network. Five regional airports – Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool John Lennon and Newcastle – made the very fair point that this was not about London, but the UK. They also pointed out that the aviation industry employs 960,000 people. With all their undoubted experience and authority they voted in favour of Heathrow, which they see as the best ‘hub’ for the country. It is difficult to argue with such logic, especially when they point out that 120 of the country’s top 300 companies are sited within a 15 mile radius of Heathrow compared with 16 for Gatwick. Added to which, it is estimated that there could be another 180,000 jobs created and an extra 10,000 apprenticeships for our young people. The arguments will continue because, at the end of the day, there is no perfect solution. There can only be the best solution in the circumstances. What do you think?

In 2008 the UK automotive manufacturing sector had a turnover of £52.5 billion, generated £26.6 billion of exports and produced around 1.45 million passenger vehicles and 203,000 commercial vehicles. The Financial Times has forecast that annual UK vehicle production will exceed its historic peak level (achieved in 1972) by 2017. We produce cable harnesses and looms, printed circuit boards and wire preparation, and all are tested to your specifications. Read our case study to find out more. Think we can help you? Contact us today for a chat.

January 2015 3TG is the term for the “conflict minerals” tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, all of which can be found in electrical components and machinery. In 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled that companies who file reports with SEC are required to publicly disclose their use of “conflict minerals” which originate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or surrounding areas which are "necessary to the functionality or production" of products that they manufacture or contract to be manufactured. Although Tenkay Electronics are not subject to… Read more Are you subject to SEC rules and reporting? Do you need a manufacturing partner who responsibly sources “conflict minerals” and conducts thorough supply chain audits? We can help. Call us on 01903 855 464.   Tenkay is expanding We have vacancies on our Wiring shop floors and PCB shop floor, to join the Tenkay team. If you would like to join us, or if you know someone who would, give us a call on 01903 855464 to find out more, or forward your CV to recruitment@tenkay.co.uk to apply. Suitable candidates must have proven experience and able to pass our trade test as well as be able to efficiently manufacture and assemble to controlled documentation.

Offshoring, Nearshoring, Reshoring? Many companies are beginning to realise that today’s supply chain demands mean that offshoring production isn’t as great as it once was. Originally moved to countries such as China, India and the Philippines to reduce costs, businesses are now seeing their cost savings narrow, due in part to escalating labour costs, as well as environmental and political risks. Together with the often hidden costs of shipping, holding greater stock levels because of increased lead times and stock in transit, to name a few, questions not what you are gaining from being so far removed from the production process but what you are losing. This presents the opportunity to relocate. As more and more businesses turn their attention to manufacturing quality and control, and with greater automation reducing the reliance on ‘cheap’ labour, the focus is shifting towards reshoring and nearshoring. As the names suggest, reshoring brings manufacturing back to the UK (or the country of origin) and nearshoring relocates the manufacturing to a closer geographical location. The key advantages of reshoring or nearshoring are: Reduced lead times Lower freight costs Improved customer service  and communication – eliminating the time zone and language barriers speeds up issue reporting to hours rather than days Better quality control and consistency Import duty and tax benefits Fewer supply disruptions All of these factors improve efficiency, which in turn can save you time and money, while improving quality.

Manufacturing plays a very strategic role in an organization, especially to improve performance. With rapid changes in technology, customer needs and globalization, manufacturing itself is constantly transforming and evolving. The focus is now on Green manufacturing. Recent volatility in the price of fossil fuels and global awareness about the finite nature of our resources is creating the need for a more sustainable way of how we produce and use. With the heightened focus on climate change, a transformation of mindset and positive action is now happening. What is Green manufacturing? There are many interpretations of green manufacturing and all convey similar meaning. Put simply, it is the method of manufacturing that reduces its impact on the environment by minimizing waste while improving efficiency. Manufacturers need to review their total production process, from product and process design, to development, planning and control in order to identify and manage the reduction of environmental waste, alongside maximising resource efficiency. It seems obvious to explain that by being more efficient throughout the production process; using fewer resources, less energy and reducing waste, results in less time and money being lost, yet there are still those guilty of failing to commit to this ideal – passing the cost of this decision to their customers. What are we doing? Tenkay Electronics is dedicated to operating in a social responsible way and recognizes the critical importance of a sustainable environment to our global society, our economy, our business and our people. Given our position and our ongoing commitment to good corporate citizenship, Tenkay Electronics is proud to be ISO 14001 certified. Its comprehensive environmental policy and management system (EMS) provides the framework for us to continue to be an environmentally friendly corporate citizen and a leader in our community. Tenkay Electronics is committed to providing its customers with products that meet the highest standards of performance, innovation and environmental safety. Consequently, all of Tenkay’s products comply with Directive 2012/19/EU, a legislation enacted by the European Union regulating the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, or WEEE). With customers and consumers insisting on improved quality and performance and the increasing desire to buy ‘green’ – all at a competitive price – manufacturers need to demonstrate their commitment to provide green manufacturing, or end up sidelined by the competition. Are you looking to subcontract your manufacturing needs? Are you ready for the benefits of green manufacturing? Contact us to find out how we can help you. Call us on 01903 855 464. Results are in – Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data The data released on Monday shows a slowing in manufacturing growth over the past few months but, surprisingly, October saw an unexpected rise in activity within the UK’s manufacturing sector, putting the UK ahead of the EU. The Eurozone’s September manufacturing PMI figure was revised down to 50.3 – making it seriously close to the 50 point cutoff denoting expansion. The UK’s PMI was expected to drop to 51.4, but it actually rose to 53.2.

401 runners completed the difficult five-mile course at the Tenkay Steepdown Challenge in Lancing in glorious sunshine on Sunday. The course incorporates a climb of 160 metres from the start to the midway point at… Click the image below to read the full article from the Worthing Herald.

October 2014 We recently announced that all our operatives will be trained to become Certified IPC Specialists. Virtually all electrical and electronic assemblies and sub assemblies are connected to each other or the outside world by means of a cable or wire harness of some sort. A wire harness generally consists of a number of wires formed into a specific shape by means of cable restraints and terminated in crimps, connectors or solder joints. Each crimp, connector or solder joint is a potential weak link in the chain of connectivity, the early failure of any part of which can cause the failure of the entire unit. A poorly made cable or harness may pass all the initial tests and yet fail when subjected to real world conditions especially as many are used in adverse environments such as aerospace. Faulty cables and harnesses can be amongst the hardest items to diagnose. The only way to guard against such failure is to ensure that all cable terminations are made correctly, using quality tools (calibrated where appropriate) and to internationally accepted standards. Enter IPC. The full title of the applicable IPC standard is IPC/WHMA-A-620B, Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies. The standard consists of a collection of acceptability criteria for cable, wire and harness assemblies. The acceptance criteria are based on visual inspection of the assemblies, measured criteria such as pull force are not addressed (but not excluded). For each type of wire termination it sets out the target conditions, acceptable deviations and unacceptable conditions. Each of these is shown by means of a photograph and described by means of text, in case of a discrepancy, the written criteria always takes precedence over the illustrations. The standard recognises that not every Electrical or Electronic Assembly needs to be built to the same standard, you would not expect a car radio to be built to the same standard as an aircraft autopilot! Hence the standard has criteria for three separate classes of product: Class 1 – General Electronic Products "Includes products suitable for applications where the major requirement is the function of the completed assembly." – Basically so long as it worked when tested that’s good enough! Class 2 – Dedicated Service Electronic Products "Includes products where continued performance and extended life is required, and for which uninterrupted service is desired but not critical. Typically, the end-use environment would not cause failures." – The computer on your desk for example. Class 3 – High Performance Electronic Products "Includes products where continued performance or performance-on-demand is critical, equipment downtime cannot be tolerated, end-use environment may be uncommonly harsh, and the equipment must function when required" – e.g. aerospace products. The class should be specified by the customer. Tenkay most frequently manufacture to Class 3. Because the standard sets out acceptability criteria it does not mean that this is the only criteria nor indeed that deviations are always not permitted. The customers requirements always trump the standard. The standard recognises the following order of precedence: The purchase order or contract between customer and vendor. Master drawing or master assembly drawing reflecting the customer’s detailed requirements. IPC/WHMA-A-620B.- when specified, and to the class specified, by the customer. Other documents as specified by the customer. We believe that by training our staff to become Certified IPC Specialists they will become much better at identifying and solving problems since they will be working to well-defined criteria of what is acceptable and unacceptable. This is a key component of our Right First Time Quality Initiative. Note – Text in parenthesis is quoted from the standard, copyright 2012 IPC www.ipc.org Have you decided to subcontract your manufacturing, or perhaps your current supplier is the wrong fit for you? We’d be more than happy to chat through your requirements, so please give us a call today on 01903 855 464. Team news We are pleased to welcome Richard Purseglove into his new role as Engineering Manager. Richard has been a valued member of the Tenkay team since he joined us in January 2010. His quick progression has transpired through his hard work and dedication to the company. Richard is most looking forward to helping drive the company forward through initiating ongoing improvements to the service we provide. "I take pleasure in adopting the 'kaizan' approach (continuous improvement) to ensure we get the best out of what we have." "I am also looking forward to adopting a managerial style that suits myself, my team and Tenkay as a whole." To contact Richard please click here.