MSM welcomes Chris Taylor as its new Technical Director. Chris joins the company with a wealth of experience as he has spent almost 20 years working in various roles in engineering and manufacturing in the aerospace industry.
Q1 Congratulations on your new role as Technical Director. What attracted you to this role at MSM?
Thank you. I’ve worked with MSM as a customer in my previous role and have always been impressed with its capabilities and engineering knowledge. The Board of Directors has an exciting vision for the future and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of it. Furthermore, I’m passionate about engineering and manufacturing. With the experience I’ve gained over almost 2 decades in industry, I’m hoping I can pass on my knowledge to help develop the next generation of engineers.
Q2 Becoming an environmental, social, and responsible sustainable business is key to SME growth. What in your opinion are MSM’s key attributes in achieving this?
I think sustainability is going to become more important as the country looks to transition to a low carbon economy. Simple things like optimising the input material size to make parts (also known as the buy to fly ratio) can have a big impact in the long term. As an example of this, MSM uses simulation tools to optimise blank sizes before production starts, ensuring that excess material is kept to a minimum. Its specialist hydroforming processes are also more cost effective than traditional pressing, reducing further the impact on the environment.
Q3 The aerospace industry is known as a fiercely competitive one, with fast changing demands. How does MSM stay ahead of the competition?
MSM is continually investing both in the latest technology and in its people. It has a number of capabilities that aren’t found anywhere else in the UK aerospace supply chain. This, combined with a reputation for exceptional customer service means it has carved out a strong position as a dependable partner within the industry.
Q4 With the continuous advances in aerospace, how important is new product introduction to MSM’s success?
New product introduction (NPI) is hugely important as the aerospace industry is always innovating and the supply chain needs to keep pace with this. It’s a real challenge to develop and manufacture parts that have never been made before. Fortunately, MSM has a strong track record of delivering projects on time for some of the most high-volume aircraft programmes.
Q5 What are the biggest challenges of the new role, I imagine no two days are the same working for such an innovative company?
There’s certainly a lot to learn. I’ve always enjoyed the challenges of the manufacturing environment as it’s certainly never boring. The main challenges are ensuring that the shop floor is well supported to make their life as easy as possible, making sure we meet our customer commitments and helping to develop the engineering team.
Q6 Lastly, what do you most enjoy about your new role so far?
The most enjoyable thing about my new role has been meeting and working with a fantastically talented and friendly group of people. I also take great pride in knowing that the products MSM manufactures helps some of the most iconic planes to fly. The company has made a massive contribution to the industry for almost 90 years.
