IOM3 | Heritage crafts go digital

Made Smarter is helping manufacturers embrace technology to protect traditional skills.

The industrial digitalisation movement Made Smarter North West is supporting heritage craft businesses to adopt digital tools such as digital design, 3D scanning and automated manufacturing.

This could help them improve efficiency, reduce waste and take on more complex work, while retaining skilled craftsmanship, to meet the increasing demands of modern production.

For example, although blacksmithing and metalwork business Grace Forge Sculptures in Penrith, England, produces bespoke gates, railings, sculptures and more using traditional forging methods, paper-based designs and manual measurements on larger projects were slowing the approvals process and creating material waste.

Made Smarter has also supported Grace Forge to invest in CAD software, 3D scanning, rapid prototyping and large-format plotting to improve design and planning stages. This is reportedly expected to reduce material waste by up to 50% and cut reworking by up to 20%.

Darwen Terracotta in Blackburn, England, specialises in architectural terracotta and faience for historic building restoration and contemporary architecture.

The movement has supported Darwen Terracotta to access digital strategy advice, skills programmes, a digital internship and technology consultancy, to explore tools like 3D scanning, digital sculpting, additive manufacturing and robotics. It says this has helped triple turnover to £6.7mln and increased its headcount from 43 to 51.

Siddique Rasul, Digital Project Manager at Darwen Terracotta, says, ‘Digital transformation isn’t about replacing traditional skills. It’s about understanding what the tools can do, testing them properly and building confidence before scaling.’

Made Smarter is also contributing to digital transformations for luxury menswear manufacturer Private White V.C., as well as Daedalian Glass Studios. It says it has aided more than 2,500 manufacturers in the North West of England to gain access to digital advice, technology adoption roadmaps and workforce development opportunities.