CUSTOMER NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2015

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ARRK brand rolls out across EuropeOver recent years the ARRK European operation has been

working tirelessly with ARRK Group Japan to integrate our many European companies.

We are now seen as one company with an extremely attractive portfolio of skills and services that differentiates us from most, if not all, of our competitors. For our UK customers the name ‘ARRK’ will hopefully already

be familiar as one of the leading providers of engineering, composite, prototyping, tooling and moulding services. However, some may not know the true nature of ARRK’s European and global footprint, including brand names such as Shapers, P&Z, LCO, SPG.

As part of our new corporate restructuring strategy, 2016 is set to see much closer ties with our sister companies on the continent, culminating in a corporate rebranding exercise whereby each business will sport the same name, corporate culture and visual identity.

ARRK P&Z will take full management responsibility for ARRK Basildon Technical Centre (BTC) and form ‘ARRK Engineering’.

ARRK Gloucester Technical Centre (GTC) takes responsibility for all prototyping in Europe, with ARRK LCO in France, ARRK BCN Barcelona, and the new Prototyping unit being established in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Additional to this integration, is the expansion of the Gloucester Technical Centre with increased capacity and enlarged Fast Response CNC service.

ARRK Petersfield Technical Centre (PTC) and ARRK Nuneaton Technical Centre (NTC), join with ARRK Shapers France to become Low Volume Production Centres of Excellence. NTC focuses on composite tooling and manufacturing composite

products and PTC and Shapers France on injection moulding and product/process development, working very closely with ARRK SPG (Holland) on developing high tech tooling solutions for low volume niche vehicles. Both PTC and Shapers France also have extensive capability and capacity for small to very large tool modification and repair.

ARRK Shapers Poland, ARRK India, ARRK Portugal and ARRK China will become the centres of excellence in new tooling manufacture and modifications.

Proof that this strategy of integration is working for ARRK was witnessed recently when one of

our key customers proclaimed the success of a technical review where our team proposed solutions for a highly demanding project that required a fully integrated approach utilising our Design, Prototyping, Tooling and Low Volume Manufacture, and the Painting, Assembly and Sequencing services of one of our partners.

As this on-going integration continues to build a powerful one stop shop at ARRK, we look forward to keeping you informed about our progress during the course of the year.

Royden MorganAEL Managing Director

Design Engineering

Prototyping Tooling Low Volume Production (LVP)

CAD & Design Rapid Prototyping SLA, SLS & 3D Printing

Simulation, Moldflow Analysis, Stress Analysis

Injection Moulded Parts

CAE & Simulation Vacuum Castings Project Management Composite Components

Test & Validation Block Modelling Prototyping & Rapid Tooling Low Volume Production Intent Components

Electrical & Electronics Rapid CNC Machining Innovative Production Tooling Low Volume Complex Assemblies

Project & Quality Management

Prototyping Project Management

Tooling Maintenance, Modification & Refurbishment

Batch Production Runs: 10-000s

Full integrated Service – Design Engineering, Prototyping, Tooling & Low Volume Production (LVP)We serve: Automotive, Aerospace, Special & Commercial Vehicles, Transportation and the Medical Industry

Your Global Product Development Specialist

EUROPE UK

France

Spain

The Netherlands

Poland

Germany

Romania

AMERICAS USA

Mexico

ASIA India

China

Japan

Taiwan

Thailand

Malaysia

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ARRK takes its Full Line Composites message to Paris

If you are involved in composites or simply want to know more

about it, the place to visit is the JEC Europe Show in Paris, France. Pulling in visitor numbers in excess of 32,000, this annual exhibition brings together an industry sector bustling with ideas, new materials, processes, technical wizardry and people with a passion for innovation and progress. For some years now JEC has been on ARRK’s radar so, together with our colleagues from Germany and France, we presented visitors to the show with ARRK’s complete composite offering from design engineering, tool design and production right through to low volume, niche, composite part manufacture.

This prestigious composite show was held 10th-12th March 2015, and brought together stakeholders from a sector which is enjoying significant interest and growth. The demand for composite services in the Automotive, Aerospace, Defence, Marine, Special Effects and Leisure industries

has never been greater, so as a leading provider of composite services, exhibiting at JEC Europe was an obvious choice.

As well as having a number of our technical experts on hand, one of the main features of our stand was BAC’s Mono Supercar, which is constructed using composite panels produced by ARRK. ARRK provide BAC with over 40 different composite parts that help make up the Mono. With ARRK continuing to develop and invest in its composite capabilities, and Mono continuing to receive rave reviews about its car, this winning combination proved one of the highlights of the show and attracted many visitors to our stand.

ARRK is pleased to report that it made many new contacts during the show and we are busily following up on them.

MuCell A process designed to lighten the load

There’s been much interest in this pioneering injection moulding process that’s designed to significantly reduce CO2 emissions through the reduction in weight of traditional injection moulded components. With possible weight savings of up to 30% in some cases, there has been plenty of media coverage regarding the potential benefits MuCell can offer, with many large automotive OEM’s already looking at incorporating this process into future production. The process works by injecting nitrogen at the point where plastic is injected into the tool cavity. This mixture helps to produce lighter components and reduce material consumption, potentially leading to reduced CO2 levels and cheaper parts.

If you are interested in reducing the overall weight of some of your plastic injection moulded components, this process could prove the perfect solution. MuCell is well suited to prototype – pre-series injection mould tooling, as well as serial tool runs. Parts of any size can be produced using the MuCell process on short to medium volume runs. For further information about MuCell, please contact tooling@arrkeurope.com or your key account manager.

Key features:✓ Cost-effective parts

✓ Weight reduction

✓ Reduction in CO² emissions

✓ Reduced material consumption

✓ More environmentally friendly

Paul PattersonUK Quality Manager

ARRK’s quality continues to be recognised at the highest levels

The Quality team, headed up by Paul Patterson, is pleased to report that its Tooling & Moulding facility in Petersfield has successfully renewed its TS16949 approval status following a recent audit by the NQA. This automotive accreditation requires a yearly inspection and it clearly demonstrates ARRK’s procedures and continued programme of

investment and development are being recognised by one of the industry’s highest quality standards. ARRK has aligned itself to NQA as its partner of choice for the provision of assessing its business management systems and processes across all its divisions within the UK, with the exception of AS9100, as it attempts to standardise its procedures.

Why wait to find out about the benefits of MuCell when ARRK can offer it to you now!

Providing Key Account Manager support across Europe

As we have already started to see in this newsletter, ARRK’s European businesses are working towards much

closer integration in order to provide a complete service and customer experience. Within my role as Head of European Sales & Marketing, I am pleased to report that we are starting to introduce a number of Key Account Managers to support clients who require a more involved, over-arching view and support package, as they require a number of ARRK’s product development services around Europe. The Key Account Manager will be a central contact in support of large, complex accounts, although clients will of course still be supported on a day to day basis by their local, individual technical project adviser for each of the services.

Key account Managers will also meet on a regular basis with senior directors from each of ARRK’s business operations within

Europe, to pass on client feedback and understand services their clients may require in the future. This way our clients can be assured that their project management is as seamless as possible and that their account is being looked after at the highest of levels around Europe to deliver a successful project. I am pleased to report that a number of these meetings have already been held, bringing many benefits to our customers and enabling us to manage their accounts with the maximum efficiency and care.

Petersfield welcomes new Plant Operations ManagerWe are pleased to report a number of new appointments that have been made at our Petersfield Tooling and Moulding Technical Centre. Firstly we are delighted to have appointed Geraint Taylor as our new Plant Operations Manager. Geraint is an extremely experienced and qualified manager who has successfully led many

1st tier manufacturing operations. He is now undergoing a condensed induction programme familiarising himself with current operations and procedures. Gary Mugford also joins as our new Tooling Manager, providing customers with even greater project management support.

Providing invaluable knowledge and customer support in the fieldThe sales team are also pleased to formally introduce Ian Goddard as our new Rapid Tooling Manager. Ian comes to ARRK with over 15 years of tool and mould making experience. Ian has only recently joined

us but has hit the ground running, helping to support many of his colleagues and subsequent customers on a number of new projects. Welcome to ARRK, Ian.

Geraint TaylorPlant Operations Manager

Gary MugfordTooling Manager

Upcoming ShowsIAA Event in FrankfurtAnother Group undertaking sees ARRK attending the Automotive Show in Frankfurt during 15th-18th September 2015.

With representatives from our various automotive divisions of our service, we will be participating at this event in conjunction, once again, with the Dutch RAI trade Association. Look out for the RAI stand, we will be pleased to see you.

http://www.iaa.de/en/

Composites Europe – ARRK P+ZOur team from ARRK | P+Z in Germany will be exhibiting at the Composites Europe Show in Messe Stuttgart, Germany between the 22nd-24th September 2015.

Our German colleagues will also be joined by James Walker from ARRK in the UK at this important composites show.

http://www.composites-europe.com

SMMT October Open Forum – MidlandsARRK will be present at the SMMT’s Open Forum Event on 15th October 2015 at Cranmore Park, Solihull UK.

http://www.smmt.co.uk

Joining composites UK, a natural fit to helping ARRK expand its horizonsFollowing on from our recent success in gaining automotive quality accreditation ISO TS 16949 and aerospace quality standard AS9100 for ‘manufacture of composite panels, assemblies and metals for the aerospace markets’, ARRK is now pleased to announce that it has joined Composites UK association.

Alan Smithers, General Manager at ARRK’s Nuneaton composite facility, believes

membership is a natural fit for the ARRK organisation to engage with the wider composites community and to play an active role in helping ARRK achieve its growth plans.

Alan explains; “ARRK has ambitious plans for the future and developing our composites offering is a key part of our full line service to customers. We are impressed by Composites UK’s level of activity in promoting the industry and seeking out new business opportunities for its members. We look forward to a successful partnership.”

AutoClaves at Nuneaton

James WalkerHead of European Sales, Marketing & Communications and Programme Management.

ARRK’s Prototyping operation embarks on expansion programmeHaving experienced an increasing appetite within the UK for rapid CNC machining and prototype services used within a low volume production environment, work is underway to expand ARRK’s capability, particularly at its technical centre in Gloucester.

We have now secured additional space adjacent to our existing facility in order to accommodate the expansion of our Rapid CNC Operation and Selective Laser Sintering service. Both departments will be expanding capacity through further investment in CNC and SLS machinery.

Dai Kinman and Tim Klemz, who together run Gloucester’s Rapid CNC operation, commented: “Over the last 12 months we have found considerable demand amongst clients for a competitive, quick turnaround and local CNC provider. We believe we have found a winning combination. Customer numbers are growing significantly with many placing repeat orders, which means we must be doing something right! In the last two years we have expanded from two to

seven CNC machines, and that growth is set to continue.”

SLS continues its steady growth with the installation of a 7th SLS machine. Increasingly this is being seen as a production solution, as well as its historical prototype use.

Tom Waterland, General Manager at Gloucester, and Craig Vickers, ARRK European RP Operations Director, who announced the expansion programme to staff recently explained: “this is fantastic news for both ARRK and its team at Gloucester. We have already recruited a number of new employees this year, as well as taking on even more apprentices which is so vital to industry in this day and age.” Craig goes on to explain that further expansion and investment is planned across Europe later this year, so watch this space.

Basildon Technical Centre (Specialism: Design Engineering Services)

ARRK Europe LtdBasildon Technical Centre, Endeavour Drive, Basildon, Essex, SS14 3WF, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1268 245000 Email: btc@arrkeurope.com

Nuneaton Technical Centre (Specialism: Composites, Jigs & Fixtures)

ARRK Europe LtdNuneaton Technical Centre, Caldwell Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 4NG, UK

Tel: +44 (0)2476 580700 Email: ntc@arrkeurope.com

Gloucester Technical Centre (Specialism: Prototyping)

ARRK Europe LtdGloucester Technical Centre, Olympus Park, Quedgeley, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 4NF, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1452 727700 Email: projects@arrkeurope.com

Petersfield Technical Centre (Specialism: Tooling & Low Volume Manufacturing)

ARRK Europe LtdPetersfield Technical Centre, Langrish, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 1RL, UK

Tel: +44 (0)844 346 0310 Email: ptc@arrkeurope.com

ARRK Europe Ltd – Teesside (Specialism: Prototyping)

Durham Tees Valley Business Centre, Primrose Hill Industrial Estate, Orde Wingate Way, Stockton-On-Tees, TS19 0GA, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1642 769930 Email: projects@arrkeurope.com

ARRK Europe Ltd – Barcelona (Specialism: Prototyping)

C/Murcia, No. 58B, Pol. Ind. Can Calderon, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.

Tel: +34 936 616001 Email: bcn@arrkeurope.com

www.arrkeurope.com

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ARRK Europe Limited, is a limited company registered in England and Wales with registered number 3418673. Its registered office is Caldwell Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 4NG, United Kingdom

Tom WaterlandGeneral Manager, Gloucester

Craig VickersARRK European RP Operations Director

Left to right:Tim Klemz, CNC Technical Manager Martin Reynolds, CNC Programmer Dai Kinman, Rapid Machining Manager

Martin Burgess, SLS Manager, oversees the installation of the new S/Pro Sintering Machine

Keeping us in the pictureBasildon Technical Centre – expanding into movie market.As always our team of engineers and designers at the Basildon Technical Centre (BTC) are busy working away on a number of key projects.

However, what is both interesting and satisfying to note is that BTC is expanding the range of industry sectors and markets that it serves.

ARRK Design Engineering service is well known for its competence and experience in the automotive and transportation sectors but we find that some of today’s projects support the movie industry and several high profile films.

We knew they were all stars there but we just didn’t realise they would be hitting the big screen so soon!