While many paused for a well-earned rest over the Easter break, the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) Hub remained a hub of activity—welcoming final-year project students and investing in the continued professional development of its technical team.
As part of this commitment to hands-on learning and staying ahead in smart manufacturing, the GBSIoT technical staff took part in a specialist session exploring the science behind torque tightening, advanced tool design, and the intelligent integration of tooling systems into modern assembly lines.
The session was delivered by Mark Shrimpton, Technical Support Engineer at CAS Assembly Tooling and Services, who is widely recognised for his expertise and engaging approach. Over the course of two hours, Mark provided an interactive and insightful exploration of threaded fasteners—highlighting their critical role in ensuring product reliability and safety.
The workshop concluded with a practical demonstration, where staff had the opportunity to get hands-on with a wide selection of tools from leading manufacturers including Bosch, Ingersoll Rand, and Makita UK. This gave the team valuable insight into tool performance in real-world conditions and how such tools can be effectively integrated into automated or semi-automated production systems.
Looking ahead, the Hub is keen to embed torque tooling technology into its learner factory, recognising that threaded fasteners make up around 40% of all fastening methods used in commercial products. While often overlooked, these components are essential to the structural integrity of many manufactured items.
A huge thank you to Neil Evans for arranging the session. We look forward to continuing this collaboration as we further strengthen the technical expertise within GBSIoT.
