Chemicals conference set for theatre of dreams

A PICME product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 24, 2005

PICME is supporting the 12th European Fine Chemicals conference at the Manchester United Stadium on 1st and 2nd December 2005.

Based in the heartland of the UK chemicals industries, the Process Industries Centre for Manufacturing Excellence is supporting the 12th European Fine Chemicals conference at the Manchester United Stadium on 1st and 2nd December 2005.

Following the successful event in the North East last year, PICME is a headline sponsor of the event and will also make two key presentations on the developing application of importance of lean manufacturing ideas in the UK's chemical industries.

PICME Chief Executive Officer, Mark Lewis will address the conference on the first day and will give his perspective on how the industry can benefit from a rapid take up of the ideas and an overview of the lean manufacturing subject.

Lewis says: "The manufacturing improvement tools and techniques developed by PICME specifically for the chemicals industries over the past four years are an essential component of the sustainable future that is the objective of the European industry".

On the second day of the conference PICME associate Professor Roger Benson will look at the competitive picture in chemical manufacturing worldwide - particularly the threats posed to the UK by Far Eastern competition.

Benson will suggest how, despite low-cost alternatives from abroad European and UK Chemical manufacturers can still remain cost competitive.

He will also explain the extent of the challenge and the limited time frame for improvement the industry now has.

Helping the UK's process industries identify best practice and achieve manufacturing improvement is the core responsibility of PICME - established as the Government's Industry Forum (IF) and responsible for the chemical and allied sectors of the UK economy.

PICME's role is to use a full range of manufacturing improvement techniques to improve the sector's performance through actions at company level and in the supply chain.

Since full establishment by the DTI, PICME is on target with saving its process client companies a great number of redundant costs.

To date PICME has helped these companies secure first year savings of nearly GBP 40 million.

Examples of these client benefits through improved manufacturing methods include: increased output of between 10 and 100% reduced waste of between 10 and 80% reduced changeovers/clean-down times of between 40 and 80% reduced lead times and stock of between 50 and 75%.

All of the above has been achieved with minimal financial expenditure with the PICME maxim of working "smarter not harder" and with maximum proactive ownership culture.

The PICME client list include Avecia, AH Marks, Akzo Nobel, Associated Octel, British Vita, Fisher Scientific, Genzyme, Jotun Paints, Novartis, Ocular Sciences, Rohm and Haas, and Wrafton Laboratories.

"The focus for PICME's clients is increasingly on working in greater depth and across more production and related functions in order to optimise all the available gains and savings", says Lewis.

PICME engineers select from a variety of systems - eg lean, six sigma, TPM, and TQM in order to inspire the practical results in the client teams.

Lewis adds: "The approach is a practical one of learning though doing.

In order to succeed, PICME's manufacturing engineers have to speak the languages of the shop floor and the boardroom and help clients make their manufacturing the best it can be".