Focused on sustainability – wood recycling

2022 is off to a great start as we stay focused on sustainability with our wood recycling

As a manufacturer of precision parts for the aerospace sector, we receive a lot of deliveries of raw materials and components. Most of these items arrive using wood for the packaging and transport.

Wood has long been a favoured material for transporting items. It provides excellent impact protection, is much safer than metal containers in low-spark environments, can be re-used much more than paper, and is far greener than oil/chlorine based plastics which are difficult to recycle.   But over time we built up a sizeable amount of wood at our facility which wasn’t going to be re-used by ourselves, so it needed to go. Problem was, we didn’t want to just throw it away. Rather, we wanted to see the wood we had go on to be re-used where possible to retain its carbon storage and recycled for a new life if possible too.

To help us meet these goals we turned to Oxford Wood Recycling in Abingdon. Oxford Wood Recycling is a charity which collects wood no longer wanted by businesses or domestic owners and looks to re-use as much as possible. The waste wood collected can either be turned into furniture or refinished for DIY projects or broken down for making panel boarding. Scaffold planks are refurbished so they can return to site. And the remainder is recycled for use in biomass energy production.

One of the great things about Oxford Wood Recycling is their determination to making a positive social impact. The charity employs 20 people and works with a network of volunteers, placements and trainees, many with disabilities, to help them develop their careers.  Working with the charity is very easy. It only takes a phone call to get them to collect the wood we had collected and the process was very quick and efficient. Oxford Wood Recycling use high-capacity caged pick-ups vehicles, which removes the need for us to order skips that take up much-needed space. In a short space of time the pile of waste wood was gone, heading to a new life. Your next DIY project might contain some of the wood they collected.

By asking Oxford Wood Recycling to collect our waste wood we have been able to stay focused on sustainability, with the added benefits of helping a charity continue to assist less-abled people develop useful career skills. We’d certainly recommend Oxford Wood Recycling to our partners and hope to see them again when our stock of waste wood piles up.

READ MORE

Reducing the carbon footprint of wind turbines

Driven by our advanced aerospace quality systems and value stream methodology our green technology manufacturing delivers fresh benefits to the energy sector.

Utilising proven technologies our innovative production of propeller sleeves and components, ground shaft assemblies, and power transmission shafts with splines bring new manufacturing options to wind turbine and wind energy systems. 

Middlesexaerospacewindturbines

Our quality assured green technology manufacturing is a perfect pairing of agile and innovative practices with environmentally-friendly operations, working with Middlesex Aerospace the energy industry can further reduce the carbon footprint of wind turbines.

To discuss your requirements or for further details please contact our sales team.

READ MORE

Working Together

Working together

2020 delivered some testing times for everyone and the world and the way we work changed. Middlesex Aerospace are well known for being innovators.  Alongside our experience and knowledge we have adapted to new ways of working, allowing us to achieve flexibility at a time when it is needed the most.

Adding value

New requirements and ways of working will require changes in your processes and supply chains. Moving production may seem a timely and unwelcome task right now but can bring multiple unforeseen benefits across quality, cost, time and ease of delivery.

At Middlesex Aerospace our dedicated NPI team are highly efficient in supporting new product introductions. As a leading aerospace manufacturer of critical aerospace components and assemblies we are driven by our customer needs and challenges. Combining our core in-house manufacturing capabilities with supply chain expertise, aerospace components are engineered to meet the most challenging aerospace requirements.

Understanding your requirements and deadlines we will work closely together to create a defined plan and on-going tracking. With total transparency you can quickly see key project indicators giving you the peace of mind that your production is in safe hands. Our experienced team will identify both opportunities and risks early to give you full understanding and the ability to exploit, capture or resolve quickly.

To discuss your requirements with a member of our business development team contact us today.

READ MORE

Supporting our local community

Hatch Warren Infant School’s Pond and Sensory Garden

We are proud to announce our latest community project. The new school pond and sensory garden at Hatch Warren Infant School was opened officially by the honorable Diane Taylor the Mayor of Basingstoke.

The project was started back in Autumn 2019 by the Year R team to turn an overgrown area of shrubs and mounds of earth into a learning rich environment that can be used all year round by the whole school.

Hatch Warren School Garden

Middlesex Aerospace provided funding for the project and work on clearing the area started in January. The project also benefitted from other local support and donations so a real community effort.

Laurence Foulds, Managing Director, commented – ‘We were pleased to support this local project and to see the great results achieved by all involved. A lovely environment has been created for the children to enjoy’.

Middlesex Aerospace Community Project
READ MORE

Celebrating 75 Years 1945 – 2020

“When Middlesex Aerospace was established 75 years ago, the company had no idea where it would be today. However, there are several aspects of the Middlesex story that are as true today as they were then: its core values of delivering excellence, doing business with integrity and working to bring out the best in people. Middlesex Aerospace continues to do that and looks with confidence to an eventful future for us all.” Managing Director, Laurie Foulds.

Stronger and more resilient than ever

We have always strived to build strong partnerships at every level throughout our network, this allows us to remain resilient and create firm foundations for a secure future. Working together allows us to deliver industry leading solutions that will benefit us all.

We are proud to deliver consistent innovation

Core in-house manufacturing capabilities and strategic on-going investments in state of the art production multi-axis machines allow us to meet the most rigorous of aerospace requirements. Automation and robotics will play an important part in our future and allow us to focus on adding value. Innovation is essential and encouraged at every stage of our work. Our teams lead and manage change across every stage from design, manufacture, production and supply that directly benefits our customers.

The world is changing and we are adapting our operations to new ways.

Our implementation of new technology is matched by the up-skilling and retention of our committed teams and apprentices. The Middlesex Apprentice Scheme, which started over 50 years ago, is thriving and we continue to invest in our future by supporting our apprentices and local schools.

READ MORE

Runner up at The Southern Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year Awards 2019

The very best apprentices from engineering and manufacturing companies in the Thames Valley and Solent & South Central region have been recognised at the second annual Southern Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year awards.

Caitlin Smyth of Middlesex Aerospace was one of just seven finalists who were invited to a special presentation at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry. The visit included a tour of its pioneering R&D facility.

Caitlin commented.  What I saw at the MTC was phenomenal. It was so interesting to see all that technology that is in fingertip reach but isn’t yet being widely used. I can see some things that we could use at Middlesex Aerospace, especially on the robotics side in our manufacturing processes. Robotics would mean you could utilise your employees on more productive work and make your manufacturing process second to none. More people should consider apprenticeships – you can’t beat the experience and the knowledge you gain.

Peter Laurie, head of client relations at The Business Magazine, said: “This year we had two categories to encourage smaller businesses to enter. I’d like to thank the judges – with so many very good entries choosing the winners wasn’t an easy task. It’s a great achievement to have been shortlisted and I’m pleased to say we have seven very strong finalists and two worthy winners.”

The judges commented on how they were really impressed by the process improvements Caitlin has been driving, particularly in BSI audits. She encouraged the company to sign up to the Women in Aviation charter and supports other apprentices in the business.

To read the full article visit The Business Magazine 

READ MORE

Everything to play for

Laurence Foulds Middlesex Aerospace

Managing Director Laurie Foulds features in the June issue of Aerospace Manufacturing for their Final Approach article. 

According to Middlesex Aerospace’s managing director, Laurie Foulds, a continuing boom cycle ensures there is plenty of business to be done out there in the world of aerospace manufacturing.

I’ve been working in the aerospace sector for over thirty years and it’s worth remembering that for most of that time, the industry was in a cycle of boom and bust – it is only in the past decade or so that the bust part of the cycle seems to have vanished. Certainly, the current trade difficulties between China and the US might suggest that the high point of the cycle has been reached.

Even so, there is plenty of business to be done out there in the world. Last year, we placed the largest order ever in our 75-year history for new machine tools. The first was delivered in December and is already full; the second one is ready to be shipped and the final deliveries will all be complete by the end of the year. After that it’s a question of assessing customer needs and judging capacity as a result.

When I first started in aerospace, our competition would usually be our customers own machine shops or a handful of companies, all of which I would probably have been aware of. Today, of course, that is no longer the case and many of our new competitors are now from Asia. That is no surprise and whilst globalisation has caused many problems in the West, it has undeniably lifted millions out of poverty in the developing world, and these people are naturally hungry for the comforts we in the West have grown used to over decades. This is tough competition, but I for one am not afraid of it. The more we automate and improve efficiency, the less it matters what labour cost is, and so we can have a highly paid and skilled workforce and still be internationally competitive.

Certainly, improving productivity of machine tools through automation and more creative use of data is one of our key strategies over the next few years. We have taken on apprentices every year since 1950 and have trained well over a thousand since then, and over half our management board are ex-apprentices. G etting our highly-skilled people to best use all this exciting new technology is the way in which we will use these investments to continue to produce best quality, cost and delivery for customers old and new.

Advanced machining technology, whilst important, isn’t the whole story. Our customers are increasingly looking for partners that can provide a complete turnkey service from product inception through to prototype and finally delivery of an up and running OE programme. We have been working with our customers for many years to hone aspects of the design of products – as we all know, once the drawing is sealed, most of the costs are too – but increasingly, we are supporting additional areas too. In the distant past, all of our customers had their own machine and processing shops, but now many of them don’t, and as a consequence, the knowledge they have in these areas isn’t as great as it once was.

Accordingly, we have deliberately set out to enhance our supply chain management with a view to being able to recommend and ultimately approve sources for special processes, materials and so on. We have carefully selected partners for processing, raw material supply and ‘bought out finished’ support, and we all work together to offer a comprehensive package for complete units. Security of supply is a prime concern for our customers. We can offer dual sourcing of machining, processing, material supply and assembly, so if one facility is affected then the other can support OE build in the meantime until a complete suite of supply is restored.

When my father started in business 75 years ago, he could have had no idea where we would be today. However, there are several aspects of the Middlesex story that are as true today as they were then, and they are our core values of delivering excellence, doing business with integrity, and working to bring out the best in people. We will continue to do that and I look with confidence to an exciting future for us all.

Aerospace Manufacturing June 2019

READ MORE

Signing up to Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter

Middlesex Aerospace are proud to have signed up to Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter

Supporting the importance of working together to build a more balanced and fair industry for women, we have added our name to an impressive and growing list of leading industry signatories.

Committed to supporting the progression of women into senior positions and providing fair opportunities for women to succeed at all levels, Laurie Foulds MD sees this as a positive move and fits the values installed at Middlesex Aerospace.

Middlesex Aerospace is a participant of the UK aerospace supply chain’s productivity and competitiveness programme Sharing in Growth (SiG). Signing at a SiG event they joined 19 other signatories from the programme joining companies such as BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Boeing to support the Charter.

READ MORE