Beckhoff becomes MTC member

Nominated for membership by the MTC’s Intelligent Automation group, Beckhoff is recognised as having innovative automation technology that other automation companies simply cannot match. Continuous development of innovative products and solutions – using PC-based control technology – has been the basis for continued success at Beckhoff. Indeed, its automation solutions have transformed the industrial environment, with fast, compact, accurate and secure control technology.

MTC sees automation as bringing huge benefits in production efficiency and quality without necessarily reducing the number of people employed. Indeed, it sees automation as being a method to maintain employment in UK manufacturing both through increased productivity and higher skills levels. To do this, the MTC looks at new and innovative automation technologies that allow companies to manufacture high-value goods using the skills of existing workforce.

"We anticipate that our membership will provide mutually beneficial exposure to key UK manufacturers,” explains Lucie Thaxter, UK sales manager at Beckhoff Automation. "In addition we also have access to the MTC’s very impressive facilities based in Antsy, near Coventry, so our engineers will be making extensive use of the site.”

Housed in a 12,000 square metre purpose-built facility at Ansty Park, Coventry, the MTC represents one of the largest public sector investments in manufacturing for many years. Founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI, the centre was opened in 2011. Its current industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.

It provides a high-quality environment for the development of cutting-edge technologies; translating and adapting them into manufacturing processes, with the aim of delivering truly innovative solutions to UK industry. It is an open-access centre and provides a flexible approach to working with companies of all sizes, from SMEs to Tier 1s and large OEMs, supplemented by a membership scheme, which creates a collaborative research programme.

Stephen Hayes, managing director at Beckhoff, elaborates: "Becoming a member of the MTC is a significant landmark for us, it reflects the mainstream acceptance of PC-based control in the manufacturing sector and acknowledges the advantage that Beckhoff technology brings to all areas of advanced manufacturing. Many automation technology standards that are taken for granted today were originally conceptualised by Beckhoff and then successfully introduced to the market. As the world leader in PC-based control systems, we enable every company to take advantage of the step change in universal, open control and automation solutions. Our ‘New Automation Technology’ philosophy is used worldwide in a wide variety of applications, ranging from food packaging, to renewable energy to intelligent building automation.”