Element Six – a company harnessing the unique properties of synthetic diamond and tungsten carbide to engineer advanced material solutions that improve the efficiency , performance , and reliability of industrial tools and technology – was founded in 1946 .

Colin Lloyd joined the company in 2010 and became Head of Business Excellence in 2021 .

“ Element Six has a rich history in synthetic diamonds , spanning over 70 years . We played a pioneering role in the development of the material and its growth methods , which include HPHT ( High Pressure , High Temperature ) and CVD ( Chemical Vapour Deposition ). Innovation has played a crucial part in that success ,” said Lloyd .

“ However , we recognise that , even as a world-leading company , we cannot stand still . Throughout the decades , we held a fundamental , long-standing principle of ‘ doing something better today than yesterday ’, and this still holds true , all these years later .”

� AMERICAN MANUFACTURING JOBS Reshoring – or the relocation of production to the country of company origin – is growing . A Deloitte report this year on freight points to 350,000 jobs being reshored to the US , a 25 % increase on 2021 .

� HEALTH AND SAFETY The health and safety of manufacturers is a key topic currently appearing in manufacturing discussions . Johann Cilliers , Group Marketing Director at Welding Alloys , argues that technology has improved Health & Safety in the industry .

� THE ENERGY SECTOR A factor weighing on the manufacturing industry has been the sharp increase in natural gas costs , which pushed up inflation and costs for manufacturers . Electricity wholesale prices have also risen steeply .

� THE CONTINUING GLOBAL SEMICONDUCTOR SHORTAGE The global semiconductor shortage has hugely impacted the manufacturing industry , says Browne Jacobson lawyer Paul Kirkpatrick .

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