On a dark February evening a group of Stratton Young Farmers got a VIP tour of the production facilities at Greenfield Engineering. The evening consisted of a presentation on the history of Greenfield, followed by the tour of the factory which included the punching and folding areas where the Young Farmers saw automated parts being produced and then robotic folding as the components started to take shape. The group then followed the process into the fabrication area where multiple parts are welded together. Then the group moved into the powder coating area to see parts coming off the line finished ready to go to the final assembly area. Steve Killner EH&S Manager and Mitchal Cisneros Design and Project Engineer explained all of the processes to the group in detail. The tour showcased Greenfield’s cutting edge sheet metal manufacturing technologies, which the Young Farmers were unaware existed in the area and were suitably impressed in the high level of automation of all the machines. The group were particularly taken aback by the Amada robotic bending cell which is the only one in the UK. The evening was not only educational, but also relaxed and enjoyable as it was finished off by the group folding by hand powder coated bi-planes that ended up as pen holders for the group to take away with them.
“I am delighted that the Young Farmers were able to see the business in operation following the process from start to finish. This is exactly what we need to do to raise the understanding of manufacturing and the career opportunities that are available in engineering. It was great to see everybody leave after the visit with a totally different appreciation of world class products being produced in their area. Also, I’m sure that after seeing Greenfield’s facility they will give excellent feedback into the local community of the future of British manufacturing.” Steve Killner.