Here, Neil Newbrook, business sector manager, wood, Mirka UK, tells us more about the company’s efforts to assist businesses in improving efficiency and reducing production times ...
Abrasive technology and surface preparation techniques on a variety of surfaces continue to evolve. But one area businesses are considering in 2024 is process refinement, as they investigate ways to increase efficiencies to help reduce production times.
To help businesses streamline their processes, Mirka’s team of experienced technical experts constantly liaise with customers to understand their needs and requirements. Alongside this, they carry out regular audits to see if the business is getting the most out of the products being used, which enables Mirka to showcase where savings can be made, leading to the implementation of an action plan. This plan is designed to show the best practices for the business, which include specific processes for jobs, or the recommendation of certain products based on the surfaces being sanded. The benefits include increased overall efficiency and reduced production times, so customers view the audits as an asset that will help them in the short, medium and long term.
“To help businesses streamline their processes, Mirka’s team of experienced technical experts constantly liaise with customers to understand their needs and requirements”
Another way in which Mirka assists businesses is through a series of training programmes. These programmes are not a one-size-fits-all offering but are customisable based on the business’ needs and requirements and ensure they maximise the efficiencies of the products and abrasives being used. The training can either take place onsite or at Mirka’s training centre in Milton Keynes where everything is covered, starting in the classroom where objectives are set through to the hands-on part in the training centre itself.
This option provides the business with a great opportunity to test various products and tooling fully under the guidance of Mirka’s technical experts. With the on-site training, we find that this option provides us with the opportunity to showcase how our products handle customers’ processes in an environment they are familiar with. It also leads to additional questions being asked and the answers that are provided are used by the staff as and when required on the workshop floor.
Overall, what we have found from running the training is that it’s all about the learning and development of skill sets. This means that when customers go back to their business, they have the necessary knowledge and skills to make the most of the tools they are using and can efficiently complete the processes that require the use of Mirka’s products.
