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Tools of the Trade…

Every week should be National Apprenticeship Week, says Mr. Loadlink, as he prepares to help shape the future of another young professional.

It’s National Apprenticeship Week here in the UK, where government, employers, and apprentices come together for five days of visits and events in an attempt to encourage more people to choose apprenticeships as a pathway to a great career.

Underscored by the tagline ‘Apprenticeships Work’ and widely discussed on social media at the #NAW2018 hashtag, it’s a great initiative. But next Monday should mark the start of another apprenticeship week. And the Monday after that. And the Monday after. Every week should be apprenticeship week.

Of course, everyone involved with #NAW2018 would agree—they champion the year-round benefits of apprenticeships for individuals, employers, the community, and the

wider economy—but my sense is that schools and the education system remain obsessed by academic subjects and don’t really embrace those, like me, who might demonstrate an aptitude for more practical content. I’d go as far as to say there’s still a stigma attached to being an apprentice, as though someone has been forced to go to Plan B or take an alternative route.

Academic subject matter can be a struggle for many people, myself included.

Academic subject matter can be a struggle for many people, myself included.

As I hope #NAW2018 is reiterating, a young person is not an oddball if they’re more at home assisting with DIY projects or putting up shelves in their bedroom than they are in the classroom trying to remember the causes of a battle that took place hundreds of years ago. I’m not snarling at education per se—it clearly has an important role in shaping society—but it’s too heavily weighted towards people of a certain persuasion. Equality and diversity issues have never been so prominent (about time!) but I don’t feel our schools and colleges are altogether inclusive.

Like father, like son

It’s a conversation I have with my son, Isaac, a lot. He’s at an age where he’s got to make career decisions but history is repeating itself in that his skills are undervalued. He might not have been top of the class in English or history, but he could take a motorbike apart and put it back together again before most of his friends could boil an egg. It’s not easy to give that type of savvy a score or mark it in a test, so it’s demeaned.

Why should someone with such practical aptitude not be given the same breadth of opportunity as another whose skill-set will better equip them to take a written assessment on a balmy summer’s day in a school hall?

I have much in common with my son, Isaac, including a love of mechanics and motorbikes. Here he is before his first ride on a KLX125 on his 17th birthday last year.

I have much in common with my son, Isaac, including a love of mechanics and motorbikes. Here he is before his first ride on a KLX125 on his 17th birthday last year.

I’m not suggesting we replace school desks for workbenches. Part of the problem is the education system’s apparent inability to apply theories to the practical environments where they might be utilised. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning materials, for example, are too often isolated in a classroom. Trigonometry (something about lengths and angles of triangles) used to pickle my brain but when similar theorems were applied to machining products, components, or parts, they came to life. All of a sudden there was a point to it.

Phil Worsley, teacher of technology at The Joseph Whitaker School, understands. Late last year, we circulated a press release about Mr. Worsley’s after-school STEM club using a 5t capacity Radiolink plus wireless load cell in support of their attempt to send a rocket car through the sound barrier later this year. Much of what they explore is in a textbook somewhere but it’s lifted from those pages by a dynamic, inspirational teacher that I wish had taught me when I was younger.

Mr. Worsley says: “STEM is difficult to learn from a book. It has to be experienced through some medium that allows students to see, hear, and feel something and have ownership over changes that they create. STEM is best understood through discovery learning.”

Isn’t this apprenticeships in a nutshell? #NAW2018 could even use it on their marketing materials.

It’s not, er… rocket science.

 I like the sound of Mr. Worsley’s “discovery learning” concept.

I like the sound of Mr. Worsley’s “discovery learning” concept.

End product

My company is a proud member of PETA Ltd. (formerly known as the Portsmouth Engineering Training Association), through which we have welcomed three standout apprentices—Jessi Boskovic, inside sales; Zoe Silk, inside sales and hire; and Josh Young, calibration technician—all of whom have gone on to take full-time positions here. As PETA says, and I’m sure Jessi, Zoe, and Josh would agree, “an apprenticeship is an achievement to be proud of.” Hear, hear!

As I hope they would also concur, apprenticeships are an effective tool for sharpening one’s people skills. Getting out of the educational environment into a workplace for a period of time each week offers a priceless opportunity to engage with professionals of different ages and backgrounds. It’s not necessarily a component of more academic studies where it’s a missing link. Think of the head-start an apprentice has by the time they qualify and take a full-time position versus someone who has spent the last 15 years of their life in a classroom, sat next to people their own age, listening to a teacher or lecturer.

We’re hoping to fold another apprentice into our fabric later this year, likely to be based in our new machining area under the guidance of Marcus MacDonald, machine shop supervisor. Marcus and I just about remember our own apprenticeships; we met on the same course back in 1986. A fabulous opportunity awaits a young person to work in arguably the most fascinating division of our operation, which houses a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine, lathes, manual turret mill, band saw, hydraulic press, and more fun stuff besides.

Many years have past since Marcus and I studied together in 1986, but apprenticeships have stood the test of time—much like us!

Many years have past since Marcus and I studied together in 1986, but apprenticeships have stood the test of time—much like us!

Since acquiring a new unit for the machine shop and on-boarding Marcus last spring, the added in-house resource has performed even beyond our own high expectations. We’ll circulate a press release about it in due course but we’ve recently shipped our largest ever order to Asia, which comprised nearly 80 load cells, weighing 7t in weight—yes, weight, not capacity. All products in the shipment were machined in the shop, adding profitability and efficiency to delivery of the landmark order.

Plumb job

It’ll be a prerequisite for our new apprentice to be interested in the product centricity of our business and the machine shop is a perfect place for that intrigue to flourish. Further down the supply chain, that equipment is applied in diverse applications across the world. Last month (February), Wayne Wille, national business development manager, and I launched one such new innovation, CableSafe, to plumb and tension professionals at the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) annual event, Unite, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee.

Here, we were discussing how line pull forces must be engineered to ensure the structural capacity of a tower is not compromised.

Here, we were discussing how line pull forces must be engineered to ensure the structural capacity of a tower is not compromised.

While the new apprentice won’t have many opportunities, at least initially, to engage with the end user community as Wayne and I did at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Marcus will be sure to apply the work in his machine shop to, in the case of CableSafe, measuring synthetic rope tension in the real world. What the machine tools do isn’t really the important part; it’s about why they do it and what solution that helps to present to, say, a broadcast and telecommunications tower erection, service, or maintenance professional.

Thank you for reading!
Mr. Loadlink

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Dizzy Heights…

Mr. Loadlink comes back down to earth after scaling the heights of the recent National Association of Tower Erectors annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Was the suspense killing you?

I closed my last blog with reference to our latest ‘groundbreaking innovation’, offering only a clue that it will be used for ‘measuring tension on static lines’, and kept you on tenterhooks by adding, ‘watch this space’ before signing off and disappearing knowingly into the sunset.

The Clamp On Line Tensionmeter (COLT) boasts a state-of-the-art Bluetooth load monitoring app among a myriad of standout features.

The Clamp On Line Tensionmeter (COLT) boasts a state-of-the-art Bluetooth load monitoring app among a myriad of standout features.

I wasn’t really trying to create the same effect as the novelist of a good old-fashioned page-turner; I’m a humble blogger. I was merely honouring a commitment we made to stage the official launch of the Clamp On Line Tensionmeter (COLT) at the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) annual conference, which straddled the end of February and the beginning of March in Fort Worth, Texas. As the show proved, there was no need for added theatrics.

 

The reaction from the tower erection, maintenance and service professionals in attendance was overwhelming. I’d go as far as to say it was the most emphatic response I have seen for a new product in nearly three decades of attending trade shows and exhibitions. I’m glad it was kept under wraps, as the engaged, positive, quality demographic that NATE attracted to the convention deserved the first look.

Of course, many pointed to the state-of-the-art Bluetooth load monitoring app, while the integral quick adjustment mechanism (meaning it can be used to measure wire rope diameters from 3/16 in. to 1 in. or 5mm to 25mm) was the standout feature for others. Both elements equally impressed one of the early visitors to the exhibit, from the tower erection sector. “So I won’t need additional sheaves or tooling and the app will contain details of infinite wire ropes,” he remarked. “Wow!” he added. It wasn’t the only time we heard that word.

If the constant flow of footfall had abated I would have sat down to catch my breath. Reality was, no sooner had one inquisitive tower maintenance team left the stand (or booth as they call an exhibit stateside) a service company arrived, followed by another tower erector. At times, people had to leave the back of the crowd and come back later. Our product range is generally well received but this was unprecedented.

Tower erection and maintenance professionals were among visitors to our exhibit at NATE’s recent conference and exhibition.

Tower erection and maintenance professionals were among visitors to our exhibit at NATE’s recent conference and exhibition.

Plumb market

This blog isn’t about basking in our glory. The more important takeaway is the importance of tailoring a product to a marketplace and launching it in their back yard. Not everyone in the below-the-hook or, more specifically, force measurement industry knows what ‘plumb and tension’ means. To the NATE community, that’s their world. It’s a way of life. It was the perfect audience for the COLT, hence our endeavours to keep it behind closed doors until the event.

Welcoming another NATE attendee to the Straightpoint exhibit.

Welcoming another NATE attendee to the Straightpoint exhibit.

As I said in the press release we circulated as NATE doors flew open, we based the COLT on feedback from end users. Combining industry intelligence with our own research and engineering expertise, we devised a product that fills a gap in the market and supersedes alternative solutions. Further, it raises the bar in tension measuring technology to the stratosphere.

The towers themselves are getting pretty high too. Many of the professionals we met frequently service structures that are hundreds of feet in the air and I heard references to 1,000-foot-high structures, as the communication network achieves coverage across the vast landscapes of North America. Imagine how important it is therefore that when there are, say, 12 guy ropes around a tower, the tension is equal. In this business, it’s no good being a few degrees off vertical.

That’s where the COLT comes in. The computer numerical control (CNC) machined aluminium construction with high precision roller bearing pivot; high leverage tensioning arm; auto-locking magnetic handle mechanism for security when installed; and IP67 / NEMA6 waterproofing rating, will all combine as the tensionmeter is applied to keep this fascinating sector working efficiently and safely.

(The COLT will typically be applied from ground level or using a stepladder to attach it two feet from a termination or connection).

Wayne’s world

Wayne Wille, technical sales manager, has walked the corridors of NATE for a number of years. He’s a trusted authority in tension measurement and served as a great product champion for us after he joined the company during the latter stages of the COLT’s development. It was tremendous to have him on the stand throughout the show.

Therein lies another important reminder: becoming a thought leader and commentator on a sector builds up incredible trust in a marketplace. It’s not as crude as this, and I paraphrase, but one delegate suggested, “If this product is as good as you say it is, Wayne, we want to buy it”. Another said, simply, “Wow! That looks awesome”, after exchanging pleasantries with their old friend and looking across to the COLT.

Wayne started working with the tower industry in 1994 and attended his first NATE event in 2006. I like the way he summed it up when I asked what he enjoys about working in the sector. “The tower industry is always looking for solutions that offer them efficiency, safety and reliability,” he replied. I could certainly relate, as a supplier of equipment that does just that. As Wayne added in networking conversations, Straightpoint offers a solution that is very quick and accurate. It was music to the ears of a captivated audience.

Wayne Wille, technical sales manager, talks a NATE visitor through the COLT.

Wayne Wille, technical sales manager, talks a NATE visitor through the COLT.

Even as the business leader, I was there to learn from Wayne and the contacts he has spent many years cultivating. It would have been a mistake to be bullish on my first visit to the show. As I listened to stories, I was charmed by references to the mechanical dynamometers with cable grips and come-a-longs that were widely used in the sector years ago. They spoke about juggling three pieces of equipment; with COLT they’ll use just one.

I’m singling Wayne out but it’s worth referencing the expertise Dave Mullard, our UK-based business development manager, has in this marketplace. The engineering and marketing teams deserve a doff of the cap too for producing a product that looks fantastic but is also designed for purpose. Many tower erectors identified its key components and standout features just by looking at the COLT’s dimensions, which was rewarding.

Despite this positivity—“The COLT will sell very well in this market,” Wayne beamed within the first hour of the NATE show—we haven’t put all our eggs in one basket. Manufacturers of any product will be wise to challenge its potential for diversity even when the fanfare from the primary marketplace is prolonged. We’re already looking at applications including cable median barriers, zip lines, metro transit, ski lifts, fall arrest systems, and more. The first units will be put to use on site as early as 1st May this year!

Wayne Wille and I used our trip to NATE’s conference to visit Aldinger, an accredited calibration, certification and repair center for test and measurement instrumentation.

Wayne Wille and I used our trip to NATE’s conference to visit Aldinger, an accredited calibration, certification and repair center for test and measurement instrumentation.

Power of positivity

It was truly an honour to spend a few days among tower erection professionals, most notably because of their positive outlook. Positivity is damn powerful; don’t underestimate it. I spend a lot of time at lifting equipment, oil and gas, maritime, breakbulk and other trade shows where, with all due respect to these industries, there is often an air of negativity about the state of the market and prospects for each other’s businesses. Not so at NATE. These guys are on the up, in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, Jeff Miller, the new general manager of Straightpoint Inc., has settled into the company and has started to focus on our six key performance indicators for 2017. The old adage is true, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. (There’s a nice synergy there with our equipment!) Jeff’s introduction to the company has allowed John Molidor, director of sales for the western hemisphere, to concentrate on big projects, research niche markets and attend trade shows. He was at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas this week where he caught up with many contacts to discuss force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing load cell solutions for the construction sector.

There have been other highlights over the last month or so but, as always, I can’t cover them all in detail. Joining Scott Abernethy on a traditional English pub-crawl during his recent visit from Straightpoint Inc. in California and an enlightening trip to Gaylin in South Korea were among the most memorable moments.

Thank you for reading! Use the hashtag #loadcell on social media.

Mr. Loadlink