PHILIPS Components in Durham is fine tuning its training as part of a logical approach to improve overall efficiency at the plant.

Thirty-five craftsmen and engineers are receiving specialist training as the plant upgrades to the latest development software package used to control many of the machines on the production lines.

The two-day course recreates a typical working environment and involves testing, monitoring and the modification of programmes in order to locate any faults.

The company recently launched its latest product, the 21in "real flat" Cybertube which was the culmination of more than 12 months of research, design and development work at the Durham factory.

It is the latest in a series of innovations which has transformed the plant's performance and prospects for the future.

Today, the order books are full and the plant operates round the clock, seven-days-a-week, to meet widespread demand for its 17in, 21in and 25in tubes.

This looks set to continue as Durham plays its part in Philip's worldwide success - one in three tubes found in TVs and PCs are made by the company.

The training, which plays an important part in this success story, is intended to reduce the time it takes to locate faults, therefore helping to speed up the production processes and make the plant run even more efficiently.

Alan Spriggs, equipment engineer at the plant who organised the training, said: "This training will enable the men to interrogate computer logic in the machines and therefore get to the root of the problem more quickly.

"Last year the plant produced over three million 17-inch, 21-inch and 25-inch tubes - which is one every ten seconds. Ensuring we continue to meet this target will entail our staff having the necessary skills to reduce lost time.

"The craftsmen tend to have an electrical bias, which of course is a skill in itself, but it is important they are also brought up to speed on the programming side of things."

Philips, on the Belmont Industrial Estate, is the biggest private sector employer in the city of Durham with about 1,000 staff.

It produces television tubes for the world exporting to countries throughout Europe, Asia and South America