Hopwood Hall College

R&B Switchgear Group welcomed 10 students to its Manchester manufacturing facility last week as part of National Manufacturing Day 2026.

The company hosted five students from each of its college partners, Hopwood Hall College and the Manchester College for a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering and manufacturing operation.

And in an exclusive op-ed for the manufacturer, Keysight Technologies Christian Lowe explains how intelligent test automation and early stage validation can help EV manufacturers improve battery pack safety and quality while reducing production costs and risks.

The approach combines earlier testing of cells and modules with automated high throughput testing of finished battery packs to balance rigorous validation with the need for faster production.