Made in Britain – Server Cabinets and UK Manufacturing.
In January 2021 Maxi-Cool Ltd. joined ‘Made in Britain’. Made in Britain is a membership organisation for companies manufacturing goods in the UK. Made in Britain members are bound by a code of conduct and membership of the organisation depends on proof that products are high quality, represent value for money, are safe for anyone who uses or consumes them and that companies that make them adhere to the highest business standards. We qualified for membership because Maxi-Cool as a product is made in Britain and has a UK patent for the technology used in the product. Joining Made in Britain reflects our product innovation and fulfils one of our key objectives which is a determined commitment to British Manufacturing.
The existence of Made in Britain and similar organisations is significant for two important reasons. Firstly, it underscores the continued activity in the British manufacturing sector and reflects its significance to the UK economy as a whole. An article about Brexit and UK manufacturing | UK in a changing Europe (ukandeu.ac.uk) describes the UK as a service-based economy within which the manufacturing sector ‘formally accounts for about 10% of the economy and 9% of employment’. Interestingly this seemingly small sector punches above its weight as its significance to the overall economy is far greater. In real terms, UK manufacturing is responsible for 15- 22% of the economy and 18-25% of employment in the UK. In a post-Brexit trading environment complicated by the implications of COVID 19 UK manufacturing remains an important sector of the economy and is central to the success of the economy overall. Secondly, the existence of organisations like Made in Britain underscores the quality, breadth, and depth of the manufacturing sector in the UK.
UK Server Cabinets
In the last 50 years as many goods on the British shelves and often the shelves themselves have been made overseas it is fair to say that those businesses still producing finished goods of all types in the UK are highly expert. Improved technology and organisation has meant that the factories that remain in the UK are highly reactive and capable of complex responses to demand. UK factories are mostly now capable of ‘just in time’ manufacturing through harnessing the power of technology afforded in automation. Therefore, factories can offer bespoke production of goods even within standard production runs. This is proving valuable to those not wishing to carry huge volumes of stock or manage the time delays of goods in transit. The additional restrictions on imports related to Brexit have reinforced the significance and value of UK manufacturing as a sector supporting British industries and consumers.
The sheet metal fabrication manufacturing sector in the UK is the backdrop for the development of Maxi-Cool’s UK Server Cabinets, after all, their product is a part of a sheet metal fabrication process. As a section of the UK manufacturing sector, sheet metal fabrication is that which processes metal into machines and structures. All the server cabinets and covers for the Maxi-Cool Enclosure Cooling System are made from sheet metal worked on specialist CNC machinery. The processes by which Maxi-Cool server cabinets are produced are computer generated with some of the machines benefiting from robotic handling systems. The fact that Maxi-Cool server cabinets are made in the UK provides for volumes of any size and allows for immediate quality control and stock management. It also allows us to create bespoke server cabinets for customers and respond closely to complex briefs. We are also able to fully support and manage delivery within UK borders.
As a business Maxi-Cool is delighted to be a member of Made in Britain and we are looking forward to increased conversations about the many benefits of R&D, innovation, design, and manufacturing products in the UK.