Month: February 2025

As we enter 2025, we are delighted to mark a significant milestone – Listgrove’s 50th year in
business. This achievement is a testament to the invaluable partnership and support of our
clients over the years; we look forward to continuing to drive your success in the years to
come.

We are also pleased to announce that Emily Parkes has returned to Listgrove as our Global
Client Services Manager, following her maternity leave. This newly created role highlights
our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional service and achieving outstanding
outcomes for our clients.
Emily’s role will focus on:
 Tailored Recruitment Solutions: Developing strategies aligned with your specific
goals.
 Process Excellence: Implementing streamlined and effective approaches to achieve
optimal results.
 Post-Placement Support: Utilising your feedback to refine future campaigns and
foster long-term collaboration.

Emily Parkes
Global Client Services Manager

With 2025 promising the need for significant transformation, driven by innovation,
sustainability, and evolving market demands, Emily’s expertise will ensure we continue to
provide the personalised support you’ve come to expect from Listgrove.
Should you wish to discuss how Listgrove can assist with your recruitment needs or explore
new opportunities for collaboration, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Wishing you a successful and prosperous year ahead.

WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics competition 2025 opens for applications 3-28 March

Leading industrial automation specialist FANUC UK is continuing its commitment to inspire
the next generation of engineers by supporting a search to find the UK’s best young robotics
talent. For the fifth year in succession, the company is partnering with WorldSkills UK for the
annual Industrial Robotics competition, aimed at giving young people the opportunity to learn
how to programme a robot, enhance their engineering prowess, develop valuable workplace
skills such as timekeeping and teamwork – and even earn the chance to represent Squad
UK at the international finals in Tokyo.
The competition is open to teams of two young people, who must be within a year of
completing a relevant Level 3 Apprenticeship and/or hold qualifications in an engineering-
based subject (to a minimum Level 3 or equivalent). The contest has been designed to
accommodate participants with different abilities and is accessible to those with little to no
knowledge of robotic systems, as well as those with a robotics background.

Hands-on robotics training

The first stage of the competition takes place online from 22-25 April 2025 and will comprise
a virtual task using FANUC’s Robot Simulation Software. Successful competitors will then be
invited to take part in the live Qualifiers Round, where they will complete a timed robot task
at the Smart Factory Expo at the NEC, Birmingham on 4-5 June.
FANUC’s team of robotics experts will provide hands-on training to participants ahead of the
National Finals, to be held in Coventry on 11-13 November 2025 at FANUC UK’s Open
House event. Eligible competitors will then have the chance to represent Squad UK at the
International Finals in Tokyo.
The current UK champions are Aled Gore and Morgan Leyson, both aged 21 and studying
Mechanical Engineering at Bridgend College, in conjunction with Renishaw. When asked
about the value of competing in the WorldSkills UK competition, Aled said: “FANUC is the
number one company in the automation industry. Competing with their support enabled me
to get a head start in learning about robotics and has boosted my CV.”
Morgan added: “I entered in the hope that the contest would help me to grow as a person,
and hopefully provide me with opportunities to get into programming in the future.”

Inspiring a love of engineering

For FANUC, the WorldSkills UK competition has become an annual fixture and forms an
integral part of the company’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of engineers and
plugging the skills gap. “Year-on-year, we’ve seen the quality of participants improve and I’m
sure that 2025 will be no different,” says Paul Coombes, competition organiser and Head of
Technical for FANUC UK.
“There are so many benefits to taking part in the WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics
competition – not least the chance to learn from real automation experts how to programme
actual robots, hopefully kickstarting a love of robotics that could lead to a future career in the
industry. But also, soft skills such as teamwork, record keeping and presenting. And of

course, the chance to boost your CV and stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs
and apprenticeships in the future. I’d encourage anyone with an interest in engineering to
give it a try – you really do have nothing to lose!”

How to apply: Register in teams of two via the WorldSkills UK website from 3-28 March
2025: https://www.worldskillsuk.org/competitions/industrial-robotics/

Perfect Integration of multiple devices and robots

Sepro’s intelligent automation systems are based on the company’s extensive experience with
customers from the plastics industry using a specialized software architecture. Particularly in the high-
wage countries of Europe and the USA, injection moulders are increasingly looking for software-
supported automation solutions that can also be used to implement complex technical applications in
a highly competitive environment.
The design of the systems and the interaction of components can be customized and expanded to
meet customers needs. The Sepro range of services includes:

• Conveyor systems with and without packaging tasks (e.g. trays/KLTs/pallets),
• Protective enclosures,
• Quality control,
• Separation and insertion
• Post-processing and assembly,
• CE conformity of the entire system.
  Sepro’s Visual control system has been specially developed for injection-moulding applications. As an
  open system, this control system can be easily linked — via a single, centralized and intuitive human-
  machine interface — to the control systems of different types of injection-moulding machines,
  regardless of manufacturer, and to peripheral devices. The visual control system thus ensures simpler
  and more intuitive machine operation and an overall improved user experience. Thanks to the
  integrated PLC function, no additional external PLC control is usually required in automation systems.
  This, in turn, simplifies start up, operation and set-up and significantly reduces the complexity of the
  application.

Typical medical or clean-room applications

A specialized and intelligent automation system for medical applications was developed for a leading
global supplier of drug dosing systems. It consists of a mobile automation cell that is used in injection
moulding under clean room conditions. The production cell integrates quality control, reliable
separation of good and bad parts, and packaging in ‘KLT’ containers. It has a very small footprint and
allows easy accessibility to the injection moulding machine and Mold.
A 3-axis linear S5-35 MED robot takes control of all parts handling within the automation cell, which is
only 800 mm (31.5 inches) wide, including transport for cooling and packing the parts. The robot
separates the discharged items and manipulates full and empty KLTs. Separation between full and
empty KLTs ensures that the cleanroom requirements are met in full.
The Sepro S5 MED robots are specially designed for the cleanroom environment. All areas where
lubricants are used are sealed or shielded. All cables are protected in cable ducts and the
compressed air is filtered down to 0.3μm. Smooth surfaces make cleaning much easier and minimize
dirt accumulation. Abrasion is minimized by contactless container transport. The surfaces that come
into contact with moulded parts can be selected according to the customer’s specific requirements
(e.g. stainless steel, anodized aluminium, various plastics). Please contact us for more details.

Expansion of German site in 2025

Following recent expansion of Sepro sites in the USA and Mexico, the company has also acquired
new buildings in Germany. This will increase capacity for assembly of complete automation cells to be
used for projects in Germany as well as in neighbouring countries. The move to the new location in
Heusenstamm is planned for early 2025.
“Sepro Group continues to expand its regional production capacities in order to provide local and
global players with the best possible support,” emphasizes Philippe Lang, Sepro Group CEO. In order
to coordinate and intensify cooperation between all Sepro automation centres, Dirk Schröder,
Managing Director of Sepro Germany, has also been appointed CTO Automation for the Sepro Group.
The objective is to help injection-moulding companies further increase their productivity and profitability
despite the shortage of qualified workers. Two interesting examples of this kind of automation system will be
presented on the Sepro stand in Friedrichshafen.

Customized automation of injection moulding machines is one of the Sepro Group’s strategic
core competencies.

Sepro specializes in solutions for increasing efficiency in plastics processing. As one of the world’s
largest providers of automation solutions for injection-moulding machines, the company currently
operates automation centres in Germany, the USA, Mexico, Brazil and China as well as at its
headquarters in France.
In 2023, Sepro acquired a majority stake in the automation specialist Garbe Automatisme, based in
Izernore in the “Plastics Valley” near Oyonnax in eastern France. This expansion increased Sepro’s
global automation capacity by a further 20%. The company specializes in the development of complex
automation systems with upstream and downstream processes for injection-moulding automation.
Experts at Garbe and Sepro now work hand in hand to support customers in the automotive, medical,
packaging, household goods and other application areas.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag announces its exciting expansion in the Ireland polymer processing market with Kris Thacker appointed as the company’s dedicated technical sales manager in Ireland. As part of this local development phase, the company has also recruited a new service engineer, Cathal Deegan.

Offering on-the-ground, responsive support, Kris and Cathal are being supported by global
medical specialist Andrew Sargisson, as well as UK and Ireland managing director Dave
Raine. The entire team are on hand applying their deep technical knowledge to assist
Ireland-based processors in their drive to boost productivity and secure new mass-
manufacturing opportunities.
In addition to on-site visits, Kris and Cathal are welcoming processors weekly to the
company’s state-of-the-art Limerick centre. Here, local and multinational moulders and
medical manufacturers are benefiting from having access to state-of-the-art technologies to
perform trials and validations. Processors can also access production optimisation training
at all levels to help address industry skills gaps.
This latest expansion in 2025 marks the company’s rich history serving processors
throughout Ireland. In 1974, Demag Hamilton managed more than 800 Ankerwerk and
Stubbe machines, many of which were built in the company’s factory in Craigavon Northern
Ireland. Kris, who has worked in the injection moulding industry for two decades, says that
there are now strong signals that Ireland is once again outpacing most western economies
with manufacturing growth.
Starting his career as an electrical maintenance apprentice, Kris has a deep understanding of
the industry challenges. Including sustainability and how to minimise waste.
Joining Sumitomo (SHI) Demag in 2011, Kris describes himself as a Sumitomo specialist and
will continue to draw upon this field support to assist customers with maintaining machine
uptime and resolving production issues. “My familiarity of all of the machine ranges and
control systems, from NC3 to NC5 and the latest digital tools, is expansive. Although our
remote support can often resolve most processing challenges in minutes, there’s always a
toolbox in my car to assist customers that require some instant support when I am making
sales calls. Through our registered office we can also offer customers direct access to spares,
as well as support with integration and retrofit requests.”
Productivity partners
A huge advocate for sustainability, Kris’s favourite saying is buy cheap buy twice. “I am a
firm believer that we can all play a role in minimising waste and choosing more long-term
sustainable options. That includes taking responsibility for products once they have served
their purpose and ensuring value is always optimised. Together, we can ensure that our
industry contributes positively to both business success and a more sustainable future.”

Service engineer Cathal agrees. Local to Limerick with a degree in Electronics and Electrical
Engineering from the Limerick Institute of Technology, Cathal brings a new perspective
focused on efficiency and problem solving. “Having worked in operator roles, I have a strong
understanding about production. I am excited to continue supporting customers in
improving their sustainability credentials,” comments Cathal.
The Central Statistics Office reports that pharmaceutical manufacturing output in Ireland
increased by over 38% in 2023 and has now returned to similar levels documented in 2021.
Additionally, manufacturing in Ireland grew 17.1% year-on-year between October 2023 and
October 2024.
Sustaining this growth requires local capabilities and access to dedicated people, tool trial
and training facilities, reaffirms managing director Dave Raine. The Sumitomo (SHI) Demag
Limerick Centre of Excellence opened in 2023 and combined with the recent appointments,
is now fully established and serving the company’s already sizeable customer base in
Ireland.
“Supporting over 400 machines, our collaborative approach to local customisations and
delivering OPC-UA factory tested automated production cells, builds on this growth synergy
and investment in infrastructure. Indicative of the growth focus, our IOM3-accredited
training, and a dedicated team of experienced technical, service support and processing
professionals are on hand to support polymer processors of all sizes from all sectors to
increase productivity and future proof their investments. This includes collaborating with an
extensive network of domestic periphery and automation partners,” notes Dave Raine.