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Editor’s View
There is no doubt that AI has tremendous potential to improve processes and make a positive impact on our daily lives. It will certainly make a difference, but possibly not in the way that it is being hyped at present as the solution to every problem.
It was not long ago that we were all going to have a 3D printer in our homes and manufacturing would become obsolete. Now additive manufacturing is a key industrial process and enables us to do things in ways that we couldn’t do previously, but it is still a relatively insignificant part of the market compared to machining, moulding, forming and casting.
So, while AI is emerging as an exciting new way of improving productivity, quality and efficiency in manufacturing, there are still much bigger potential benefits to be found by applying established digitalised processes and automation.
It is great news that the Made Smarter programme, which sets out to do just that for SMEs has been given more funding and a continuing commitment from the Government.
If you want a great example of how traditional automation can make a massive difference read our story on page 12 about Alitech Precision Parts. Calculations found that every pound spent on an automated production system works twice as hard as one spent on a stand-alone machining centre.
Andy Sandford, Editor
Member of the Engineering Industries Association
Contents January 2025
Made Smarter, the government backed programme helping manufacturers adopt technology, has been given an additional £230k to fund new tech projects in the North West.
The allocation from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will fund at least 10 new companies to adopt technologies such as sensors, robotics and 3D printers to increase productivity, growth, create new high value jobs and support decarbonisation.
This cash boost is more good news for the business support initiative that will continue from April 2025 as part of the Government’s £16M commitment to expand into all English regions.
Made Smarter offers SME manufacturing and engineering companies access to technology advice, leadership and skills training, as well as grant funding for digital internships and technology projects.
Alain Dilworth, Programme Manager, said: “I am delighted that DBT have allocated a further £230k of in-year funding to Made Smarter Adoption North West. The majority will go towards supporting our strong pipeline of companies to adopt new digital tools to accelerate their digital transformation.
“The opportunity to be able to support more manufacturing and engineering SMEs is something we relish, and we urge those companies who have yet to make contact with us to do so.”
Made Smarter Adoption North West celebrates its 7th
More smart funding
anniversary in January. The programme was created to accelerate technology adoption in SME manufacturing and engineering businesses lacking inhouse resources and know-how. The programme is run by a team of 16 with expertise in manufacturing, technology and organisational development.
So far, the programme has engaged with 2,500 companies and offered technology advice to over 500 individual businesses. 330 of those have secured over £7m in grants to invest in 379 technology projects backed by £18m of their own money.
This £25m investment is forecast to create over 1,700 new
jobs, upskill 3,200 existing roles, and add £267m GVA to the economy over the next three years.
Over 200 businesses have embedded new digital skills into their operations through Made Smarter leadership programmes, internships and other training opportunities. Half of the 75 digital internships placed with businesses resulted in permanent job offers.
The North West Adoption programme was the blueprint for current regional programmes operating in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, the East Midlands, and will be again for the new regions joining the programme in April 2025.
Donna Edwards, Director of Made Smarter’s North West Adoption Programme, said: “This additional funding package is testament to the positive impact that Made Smarter North West is having.
“Our programme has been designed specifically for manufacturers, offering specialist advice to help them select the right approach, level of investment and tools to grow and build resilience.”
“As we enter our 7th year, we are more determined than ever to reach more SME manufacturers across the sector to talk to them about the benefits of introducing new technologies and new digital skills.”
8 madesmarter.uk
8 Alain Dilworth, programme manager for Made Smarter
Anopol, which specialises in electropolishing and chemical surface treatment processes, announced it has acquired Poligrat UK Limited.
For over 60 years Poligrat has specialised in the development, production and application of processes for metal surface finishing from its plant based in Aldershot, Hampshire.
Anopol operates from ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accredited facilities in Birmingham, West Midlands and Bordon, Hampshire and specialises in electropolishing, pickling, passivation and other surface treatment processes of stainless steels and other metals.
The acquisition expands Anopol’s ability to serve clients throughout the UK manufacturing sector with additional highly specialist industry and technical domain skills. It also provides a broader client base.
David Cass, Managing Director of Anopol, commented: “This acquisition of Poligrat UK marks a significant strategic milestone in the growth and
Metal finishing acquisition
innovation of Anopol. The acquisition is in perfect alignment with our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our customers. As a result of the acquisition, we are thrilled to be able to enhance our service offerings."
A variety of metal parts are manufactured by Anopol using highly customised processes that produce precise, consistent, and reliable results. In addition to working with medical and automotive companies, pharmaceutical companies, and
Turn/Mill Precision Components
food processing companies, the company also works with clients in the food processing industry.
Rob Plimbley, Managing Director at Anopol (South) Ltd, commented: “The continued investment in Anopol South has enabled us to drive change in the supply chain with the expansion of relevant capacity and build value for our customers. This meaningful growth will continue to strengthen our capabilities and enable us to better serve our customers.
We will build on the complementary strengths of both businesses to cement our status as a leading competitor in the European marketplace. I am excited to begin this upcoming chapter of growth.”
Electropolishing provides a surface finish that offers enhanced corrosion resistance and reduced friction, and removes burrs, crevices and loose particles.
8 anopol.com
Yorkshire fabricator expands
Steel fabricator Tadweld has invested over £1m in a new facility adjacent to its current site in Tadcaster, Yorkshire.
The company says that this expansion underscores its commitment to innovation, growth, and supporting its clients across the UK and Europe with high-quality products.
The new facility will enable Tadweld to significantly expand its operations, adding 11,000 sq ft of manufacturing space, 6,000 sq ft of offices and a further 6,000 sq ft of yard space. After renovation during 2025, it is expected that this new building will become the administrative headquarters of the business, and take its workshop count up to four.
Chris Houston, Managing Director at Tadweld, said: "This investment reflects our
confidence in the future of Tadweld and our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality, service, and innovation here in North Yorkshire. Over the past four decades, we’ve grown from a local fabrication business to a trusted engineering partner for leading brands across the UK and Europe.
EN 9100:2018 ISO 9001: 2015 Approved
Telephone: 01905 779783
Email:
sales@lmsprecision.co.uk www.lmsprecision.co.uk
“With this new building, we will significantly increase our manufacturing capacity allowing us to create an additional 30 skilled jobs over the coming 5 years. This is a proud moment for us, and we’re excited to see what the future holds.”
The new building will feature state-of-the-art facilities, enabling the company to meet increasing demand for its services while supporting sustainability goals through improved efficiency and resource management.
8 tadweld.co.uk High quality cost effective CNC subcontracting. Produced on state of the art machines
In 2024 Tadweld recorded a 50% increase in year-on-year sales and created 12 new positions, with plans to add 30 more roles over the next three years. It has also taken on six new apprentices.
Tadweld was also named Winner of Digital Technology in Engineering and runner-up in the Manufacturing Future Talent category of the Insider Media Made in Yorkshire awards held in March.
Portal
Subcontratación 2025, Spain’s only dedicated subcontracting event, will be held at Bilbao Exhibition Centre from 3 to 5 June.
The show will take place as part of +INDUSTRY, a major event grouping for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0.
The fair also hosts the 21st European Industrial Subcontracting Meeting where exhibitors can arrange B2B interviews with leading national and international buyers.
This business forum, organised by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, CamaraBilbao, and BEC, hosted nearly 1,000 meetings at the last event.
Spain has a large number of SMEs in traditional and advanced sectors that together represent approximately 10% of the country's industrial GDP.
8 bit.ly/SubBilbao25
Hannover Messe 2025 (31 March to 4 April) has announced Canada as its partner country for this year’s event under the theme ‘The future’s here’.
At the world’s leading industry show, Canada will highlight its industrial strength in areas such as automation, energy, digital transformation, and green technology. More than 200 companies will showcase the nation’s talent, innovation and commitment to sustainable solutions.
Manufacturing and energy supply contribute 10.5% to Canada’s Gross Domestic
Trade show round-up
Product. Its strongest industries are automobile, food and mechanical engineering and its biggest industrial provinces are Ontario, Quebec and Alberta.
Canada’s motto for Hannover Messe, “The future’s here”, describes the country’s focus on creating sustainable, environmentally friendly industries. The main Canada Pavilion in Hall 2 will highlight Canada’s national science and innovation ecosystems. Additional pavilions concentrate on topics such as artificial intelligence, automation, clean technologies, hydrogen, e-mobility, and robotics.
8 hannovermesse.de
Messe Frankfurt UK has unveiled the headline sponsors and launch partners for ‘Motorvate’, a not-for-profit, Automotive Careers, Skills and Recruitment initiative, running alongside Automechanika Birmingham in June 2025.
Joining forces to tackle the industry’s talent and skills crisis are Toyota GB, European Tyre Enterprise Limited (ETEL, including
Kwik Fit), LKQ Euro Car Parts, Autotech Group and the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
With the IMI forecasting a sector shortfall of 160,000 by 2031 – including the urgent need for 45,800 additional technicians – Motorvate represents a united industry push to inspire the next generation and build a sustainable talent pipeline.
8 bit.ly/Auto25Bmh
Exhibition organiser EasyFairs, which owns the Advanced Engineering and Southern Manufacturing events, has acquired UK Metals Expo.
Since its launch in 2022, UK Metals Expo has become established as an annual event encompassing the entire metals supply chain. The event has experienced rapid year on year growth in visitor attendance and exhibitor participation and enjoys the support of all key trade associations in the sector. The next edition will take place on 10 & 11 September 2025 at the NEC Birmingham and will welcome 380 exhibitors.
8 Easyfairs.com
Alitech Precision Parts, Silverstone is reaping the benefits of automating the machining of prismatic components in a high-mix, low volume production environment.
Since 2019, the subcontractor has invested in four German-built Hermle 5-axis, trunnion-type machining centres from UK agent Kingsbury, two of which are equipped for automatic exchange of pallets with fixtured workpieces between a storage system and the machining area.
Alitech's owner and managing director Darren Cudd commented, "The essence of making this type of production profitable is to buy a high quality, powerful, reliable machining platform, equip it with accurate zero-point clamping systems, in our case from Lang, and use topend carbide tools, mainly Ceratizit here, that can be pushed to the limit of their performance.
"Overlaid on this sound basis must be a second, essential factor if you want to produce a series of small batches, perhaps even one-offs, rather than a long run of the same part. It is to have the confidence to program and simulate a new cycle in CAM –we use hyperMILL – never having cut the part previously and leave it to run overnight without anyone present."
This is exactly what Mr Cudd has been doing since a Hermle C 22 UP machining centre, equipped with a PW150 storage and handling system for eighteen 320 mm square pallets, was installed in 2020, six weeks
Lights out dividends
before the start of the Covid pandemic. He credits the production cell, which has a 450 x 600 x 330 mm working volume, as having saved the subcontract business through its ability to produce efficiently, with minimal operator attendance, batches of typically 10 to 20 motorsport parts, but often ones and twos for Formula 1 teams.
Two years later, a Hermle C 42 U prepared for automation, which may be retrofitted in the future, arrived on the shop floor. Then in October 2024, the second automated Hermle cell was installed, a 650 x 600 x 500 mm capacity C 32 U machining centre with an HS Flex two-level store housing twelve 400 mm square pallets. Its 3-axis handling unit has rotary, lift and linear motions for transferring a pallet either from the set-up station or one of the store positions into the machining area, and then back again after the cycle is complete.
Mr Cudd calculates that, disregarding this latest purchase, the other automated C 22 UP cell accounts for less than 30% of
8 Darren Cudd Alitech's managing director with sales and production manager Ben Phillips
machine tool investment in Silverstone, yet has for the last few years generated up to 50% of Alitech's turnover, a performanceto-cost benefit approaching 2:1.
Another way of viewing the value of automated machining is to anticipate the return on investment in the new C 32 U cell.
The cost of adding the HS Flex increased the investment by about 50%, but time trials carried out by Kingsbury indicate that the output will be equivalent to that of three unautomated machines, again a 2:1 performance-to-cost benefit. It is down to the raised efficiency with which work is presented to the spindle and removed afterwards, compared with manual loading and unloading, as well as the ability to produce parts lights-out without operator attendance, allowing an extra daily shift to be gained.
These calculations, showing that every pound spent on an automated production system
works twice as hard as one spent on a stand-alone machining centre, are not rigorous but a clear indicator of significantly better value for money. However, as sales and production manager Ben Phillips points out, there are many extra benefits to automating machine tools.
He said, "The main one is lower labour costs. In the case of the latest C 32 U cell, only one operator is required rather than three had we bought three standalone machines. Moreover, the operator is able to walk-away for extended periods to carry out
other duties in the factory.
"Consistency of production output is a further advantage, as robotic systems do not need breaks, holidays or time off sick. There are other upsides to automation as well. Fewer machines take up a reduced area of expensive real estate on the shop floor, and they consume less power, leading to substantial ongoing cost savings."
Approximately two-thirds of the company's business derives from machining metals and composites for the motorsport sector, with another 20% coming
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from high-end road car OEMs or their supply chains and a similar amount from general engineering, including aerospace. The future for Alitech looks bright. Its consistent growth in turnover and diversification into serving industry sectors other than motorsport and automotive has given Mr Cudd the confidence to relocate the business to a new factory unit nearby, four times the size of the current premises. It is presently in build, so the move will take place towards the end of 2025. 8 alitechprecision.co.uk
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A large-capacity vertical turning lathe will boost capacity and capabilities at metal industry supplier and subcontractor Bowers & Jones.
The company is a leading designer and manufacturer of roll tooling and equipment supplied to steel and copper mills around the world.
The machine is a DN Solutions VTR 1216F large-capacity, wide-column, ram-type vertical turning lathe that was supplied by Mills CNC, the exclusive UK distributor for DN Solutions and Zayer machine tools in the UK and Ireland.
The machine, a VTR 1216F, was acquired, primarily, to fulfil an order from a new steel mill customer located in the US to machine batches of highprecision straightening rings.
Additionally, owing to the machine’s size, power, precision and versatility, the new investment will also help generate new business opportunities and growth in the US and other markets, consolidate its supply chain position with existing steel mill customers, and increase and improve its UK precision subcontract machining operations.
The new machine was installed at the company’s manufacturing facility in Bilston, near Wolverhampton, and joins three, previously acquired (Doosan and DN Solutions) machines Mills has supplied to the company over the last four years.
Bowers & Jones, under new ownership since 2020 and led by managing director, Jane
Large capacity vertical turning
Sommerville, and her team, is committed to continuous improvement and, as such, regularly monitors and benchmarks the performance of its manufacturing operations in order to identify and address current and future production inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
The roll-out of the company’s improvement programme, first initiated when the change of ownership occurred four years ago, has been instrumental in Bowers & Jones streamlining and strengthening its in-house machining capacity and capabilities as a route to helping it achieve real, planned and sustainable growth.
The acquisition of new machine tools has been instrumental in helping Bowers & Jones strengthen its supply chain
relationships with existing customers and secure new roll tooling business contracts with new customers.
Bowers & Jones supplies its high-performance roll tooling and equipment to companies around the world and has recently made inroads into the US steel market.
The new machine investment was primarily made to meet the needs of a recently acquired US customer whose sections are used extensively in the US rail and construction sectors.
Jane Sommerville said: “We needed a new large-capacity vertical lathe, specifically, to machine large diameter straightening rings for the customer.”
The Fanuc-controlled 50” chuck VTR 1216F is a beast of a machine boasting a maximum turning diameter of 1600mm and a maximum turning height of 950mm.
Equipped with a powerful, high-torque spindle, a servodriven 12-tool ATC and an innovative quad tool holder with fast indexing that enables the use of four tools directly via the ram, the VTR 1216F delivers impressive processing speeds, improved machining flexibility, high accuracies and repeatabilities, and increased productivity. 8 bowersjones.com
Precision engineering specialist Technoset has completed a £650,000 investment drive to help it boost efficiency and create a new final inspection department.
Technoset Ltd, which employs 27 people at its factory in Rugby, used lessons learnt from a Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme lean workshop to create a more streamlined process flow and a world class production and inspection cell.
Investments include two Star SL 10 sliding head lathes and two new Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex CMMs.
“We are always looking at ways where we can improve our manufacturing performance and being able to discuss and learn about different best practice approaches at the lean workshop was really useful,” commented Adam Land, who recently took over as Managing Director of Technoset.
“It crystalised our thinking and gave us the confidence to continue with our £650,000 investment drive throughout the last twelve months, which introduced two new CNC sliding head lathes into the production department and a completely new inspection facility, not to mention a general rejig of the factory floor.”
Technoset Ltd, which is part of the Techno Group, manufactures components including turned parts from 0.4mm to 66mm and milled components up to 800mm by 400mm.
Over the last few years, the
Lean efficiency investment
company has continued to build on its strong presence in aerospace, as well as diversifying into medical, telecommunications, green energy and hydrogen.
Michelle Connor, Programme Manager for the Warwickshire Manufacturing Growth Programme (WMGP), commented: “This is a fantastic example of the difference we can make to manufacturers, working with Adam and the management team to identify potential barriers to growth and then giving them access to support that helps them overcome the challenges.
“The Lean Workshop was a real
‘Eureka’ moment and provided the opportunity to take a step away from day-to-day pressures and look at improvement projects that make a real difference.
“Investment in the factory reorganisation and new capital equipment will safeguard existing contracts and give it the platform to attack new markets.”
8 techno-group.co.uk
warwickshire-mgp.co.uk
Visit our website or contact us for a quote or advice
8 Michelle Connor (WMGP), Adam Land (Technoset), Cllr Martin Watson (Warwickshire County Council) and Cllr Louise Robinson (Rugby Borough Council)
Tenable Screw Company has seen a significant boost in its operating standards with the help of advanced measurement solutions from Bowers Group. These include the Baty R14 profile projector and Venture 2510 vision system.
With 228 production machining centres, including 71 CNC machines, Tenable specialises in medium to highvolume production. It produces components ranging from just 0.3mm to over 50mm in diameter, with quantities spanning from thousands to millions of units.
Dan Leigh, Quality & IT Manager at Tenable Screw Company, said: “Our association with Bowers Group spans many years. We’ve been using their equipment and systems since the beginning, including Baty profile projectors and hand tools that remain in regular use. In fact, we were among the first to own shaft measurement machines on the market.
“Many of our components are used in critical applications where failure is not an option. Making sure that the parts that we make are correct is absolutely imperative to both our customers and our success as a business. That’s why we continue our partnership with Bowers Group. Our extensive range of Bowerssupplied equipment includes the latest shaft measurement and visual CMM systems, as well as traditional profile projectors, ten of which are in use across our three sites.”
Profile projectors allow the
Metrology partnership
team to directly measure a wide range of features, compare parts against known standards, and serve as visual inspection tools at various magnifications. The Baty R14 is used both on the shop floor by the production team and by dedicated inspection teams and is particularly integral to its operations, allowing the company to measure complex components with accuracy and efficiency.
Designed to handle a wide range of non-contact, intricate measurements, from the minute details of screw threads to the overall dimensions of components, the R14 ensures every part meets strict quality standards.
Tenable also leverages the advanced capabilities of the Baty Venture 2510 vision system to boost its precision measurement processes. This sophisticated vision system is particularly valuable in operation due to its ability to measure intricate features on small components with high accuracy.
The Baty Venture 2510 is
designed to provide accurate and efficient inspection of complex components, which is essential in industries where even the smallest deviation can lead to significant issues. For Tenable, this level of precision is crucial. With its customer base, even the smallest deviation from specification can lead to component failure, safety risks, or costly downtime.
By integrating the Venture into their quality control processes, with its powerful imaging capabilities and intuitive software, the inspection teams are able to quickly and reliably verify critical dimensions, ensuring that every part meets the exact specifications required by their customers. This not only boosts productivity but also minimises the risk of defects. With its wealth of on-site modern equipment speeding up inspection processes, skilled inspectors at Tenable can now focus more on critical features. 8 tenable.co.uk
LoneStar Fasteners Hydrobolt (LSFH ) has invested in six twinspindle, Y-axis lathes to expand CNC turn-milling capacity at its Wednesbury facility.
The company manufactures and distributes high-specification fasteners, bolts and precision machined components.
The £1.5 million order for the Biglia machines was placed with sole UK and Ireland agent Whitehouse Machine Tools, Kenilworth.
LSFH is investing in the plant to enable it to manufacture nearly every component more efficiently and to tighter tolerance in one hit, rather than in two, three or even four operations, as previously.
The decision to invest in the Biglia brand was based on the rigidity of the lathes and the high power of their spindles and driven tools, which enables the manufacture of components in tough metals such as stainless steel, titanium and high nickel alloys. These materials are commonly used in the oil and gas, petrochemical and power generation sectors, all of which are supplied by LSFH. To preserve surface finish on components and prevent damage after machining, a parts catcher and conveyor are fitted to every lathe.
Robbie Beckett, Operations Director at LoneStar's Wednesbury facility commented, "The first two machines, installed in early 2023, were B620YS single turret turning centres having 80 mm bar capacity, which have enabled us to reduce production costs, improve surface finish on
Bolting on productivity
components and increase productivity. They performed exceptionally well over their first year of operation, so we decided to order four more turn-mill centres from the same supplier."
The next pair of lathes to arrive, in May 2024, were a Biglia B750YS having a single turret and 100 mm bar capacity, and a B465T2Y2, the first with twin turrets. They were followed in August 2024 by an additional B750YS and another twin-turret
lathe, a BMX45T2Y2 with superimposed machining capability, allowing three tools to be in cut simultaneously.
Mr Beckett continued, "The Biglia lathes are allowing us to produce complex parts with exceptional precision, enabling us to raise operational efficiency significantly and deliver consistently high quality products to customers, on time and cost effectively."
8 lsfe.com
With the share of renewable energy more than doubling from 2004 to 2022, Lesjöfors’ component supply for the evolving energy sector has followed a similar trajectory.
Working with Earthmill, one of the market leaders in supplying service and maintenance solutions to wind turbine owners, a team in Cornwall, from Lesjӧfors Heavy Springs UK, has developed an industry specific platform that is progressively establishing Lesjӧfors as a compression spring supply expert within the field.
Luke Smith, Managing Director of Lesjӧfors Heavy Springs UK, based in Redruth, says: “Evolving our spring designs to align with advances and innovations in wind turbine designs is only possible through customer relationships, the like of which we have with Earthmill. Our technical platform enables us to learn design advances alongside our customers, to listen and share experiences, to understand the unique environmental demands on the product and to deliver spring solutions that meet the rapidly advancing technologies and materials associated with renewables.”
This year, the Lesjӧfors Group achieved verification from the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) - committing to drive ambitious climate action across its global organisation. Achieving this first for the spring manufacturing industry, the group has also heightened it’s focus on working closer with the renewables sector.
Springs for renewables
Justin Simmonds, Technical Manager at Lesjӧfors Heavy Springs UK adds: “Our working partnership with Earthmill, and other renewable customers, is mutually beneficial and valuable as it is based on the sustainable values that drives us. Designing technical solutions that delivers against these values is one of the most rewarding elements of our work.”
Earthmill’s Head of Operations, David Smith concludes: “As wind energy continues to be a key supplier of electricity, the demands on the industry and the environment, are increasingly under pressure. Partnerships with quality component suppliers
are essential for the network to operate at the turnover required. This is why our customer relationship with Lesjӧfors is so crucial, as we know we can trust and rely on their springs and supply service to meet the demands of our industry.
“The group’s focus on a more sustainable pathway is also a key reason why they are such a valued supplier.”
The Lesjӧfors Group is also working to enhance its product development process, engaging with customers and suppliers to increase the share of recycled metals, developing lower carbon footprint metals across its product line.
8 lesjoforsab.com
Why is 2025 going to be an important year for you?
2025 is going to be the 40th anniversary of the company under my leadership. The company started as Hugh H Fisher Limited shortly after World War 2. Hugh Fisher retired in 1985, so I undertook a management buyout.
Tell me a bit about Alchemy Metals and re-branding last year to Waste Mission.
Under Alchemy Metals, the company focused on waste metal, and we became a key voice in the UK’s metal recycling industry and took a key role in developing the 2013 Scrap Metal Dealers Act. Over the years, we have built a strong reputation for metal and have gradually expanded to manage all waste streams.
Tell me a bit about the Waste Mission re-brand last year.
As a family-run company, we work hard at what we do and care about our staff, clients, and the environment.
Sustainability is paramount to us, and the re-brand to Waste Mission last year reflects this. For us, transparency is essential, as is building a future that is a few shades greener. We
Sustainability is paramount
As sustainable practices become ever more key to the manufacturing sector, Engineering Capacity talks to Philip Newman, Managing Director of Waste Mission about its focus and its 40-year history under his leadership
handle all waste streams throughout the UK, and nothing is sent overseas.
What have you been most proud of over the last 40 years?
My staff. The company runs itself now, and the staff have made it happen that way.
Can you talk to us about some of those staff? I know some of them have been with you forever. Some staff have been with us for 30, even for 40 years!
They're a great team of people who run the company in all sorts
8 Philip Newman, Managing Director of Waste Mission
of ways, from down in the yard to up in the offices, and together, they make it all happen. They provide fantastic service to our customers and continuously develop better ways to serve, including the release of the fantastic customer portal last year. 8 wastemission.com
SSAB and tier-one automotive supplier Snop have entered into a long-term partnership for future deliveries of fossil-free steel. The partnership will help Snop to reduce the CO2 footprint of its products and to meet its target to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.
The Groupe Financière SNOP Dunois (FSD) is a privately owned major tier-one automotive supplier with established relationships with all European OEMs. The group has three divisions (Snop, Smom and Balconi) and employs over 8,200 people in twelve countries at 36 production sites and 4 technical centres. Groupe FSD offers its customers a broad product portfolio, supplying body structure stampings, roll-formed parts and assemblies for cars and commercial vehicles, as well as stamping dies and automatic presses.
“We are delighted to have signed this agreement with our partner SSAB. Achieving our objective of reducing our CO2 emissions by 30% before 2030, and to be net zero in 2050, is a must for us, for our industry, and for the preservation of our planet. We know that to achieve it, we can count on SSAB, which is a major player in the decarbonisation of the steel industry,” says Pierre Mainguy, Purchasing Director, Snop.
“We are pleased to support Snop’s sustainability goals in the automotive industry in delivering the tough CO2 reductions that both producers and consumers
Fossil free car parts
require for more sustainable cars. The virtually fossil emission-free steel we produce retains its high quality, but its climate impact is significantly lower compared to steel based on traditional blast furnace technology. This helps to reduce our customers' carbon footprint and provides a competitive advantage in the market,” says Huy Nguyen, Sales Director, SSAB Europe.
This agreement marks a new step in the long-standing partnership between Snop and SSAB that comprises a variety of actions addressing all aspects of the development chain, from sales to production to testing and customer experience as an example of inter-company cooperation in the world of steel products.
Traditional steel production represents a significant source of global CO2 emissions, By changing the way steel is produced, SSAB wants to cut emissions and create a fossil-free value chain with
8 Hervé Daenens, Vice President Operations, Snop and Tony Harris, Head of Sales and Business Development, SSAB Europe
customers and partners, regardless of whether the raw material is scrap or iron ore.
In 2021, SSAB produced the world’s first fossil-free steel as a proof of concept using HYBRIT® technology. The revolutionary steelmaking technology using hydrogen reduced sponge iron, removes the primary source of CO2 emissions with water as by-product, instead of CO2. Since then, a number of pilot deliveries have been made to customers in different industries. When available in commercial volumes, the fossil carbon emissions in SSAB’s production of SSAB Fossil-free™ steel are targeted to be less than 0.05 kg CO2e/kg steel in Scope 1, 2 and for iron ore upstream Scope 3, of the GHG Protocol.
8 ssab.com
Maybrey Precision Castings and Newby Foundries were the joint winners of this years Component of the Year award at the Cast Metals Industry Awards.
Maybrey Precision Castings was recognised for producing a series of 52 unique castings in silicon bronze that was used to create a series of statuesque heads that are now on display in the memorial sculpture park in Alabama.
The foundry carried out significant design work to divide the concept into castable sections, taking into account the dimpled fishing required and the numerous undercuts around the eyes, ears and noses – as specified by Digital Sculptor, Rayven Shaleigha D’Clark, in her pioneering commission by the Equal Justice Initiative ‘Black Renaissance’ project.
With both investment and sand casting unviable, printed sand moulds were employed with the team creating a double pour running system to ensure minimum turbulence and quiescent filling.
Highlighting the diversity of the casting sector was the other joint component winner Newby Foundries.
The Wednesbury-based company has created a motor housing in aluminium for the next generation of electric vehicle, developing a product that improves the cooling performance whilst reducing the number of parts from two to one.
The ‘Best of British Casting
Winning cast components
Company’ award was won by automotive tier one supplier Magna Cosma Casting UK. The company has defied uncertainty in the sector to post one of the best years in its history, impressing judges with the way it has developed a high-pressure die casting digital twin whilst also leveraging design methodology
and traditional manufacturing methods.
This approach has seen it boost the workforce by 40% and has been critical in helping it support the production of large structural body and chassis castings that reduce costs and increase value for its customers.
8 castmetalsfederation.com
A Sheffield-based start-up company is bringing disruptive materials processing technology to a site that has a 150-year manufacturing heritage.
Sheffield Technology has installed a state of the art 24kW Trumpf 5060 TrueDisk laser with fully automated material and part handling at the Crucible Works in Darnall Road, Sheffield.
The laser has a 6m by 2m bed capacity and can cut stainless steel, armour, carbon and alloy steels up to 60mm thick as well as aluminium up to 40mm thick, 16mm copper and 12.75mm brass and bronze.
The site also has extensive fabrication and machining facilities including 400 tonne, 5m press brake and cobot welding.
As Sales Director Richard Gould explains: “Whatever we can cut, we can bend and fabricate.”
He says that the vision of the company is to build on Sheffield’s manufacturing legacy. “We don’t make as much steel in Sheffield any more, but we certainly have the capabilities to process it. So we have gone all out and invested in the biggest laser with a very large, automated handling system for sheet loading and unloading nested parts.
“We trust that the blend of automation, the latest laser technology and world class manufacturing software – all complemented by a highly skilled workforce – provides a solid platform to attract and underpin materials processing projects within the Sheffield area. This, we trust, will help to strengthen
Big laser, big vision
the existing skills and services available in the city and, in turn, support our young people in developing and retaining relevant skills within the manufacturing sector.
“We are now fully operational and have gone from 10 people this time last year to 58 now with four apprentices. We aim to grow the number of apprentices over the coming years, this being a major reason for establishing the facility. Passing on to the next generation the skills and capabilities developed in the city over many decades.
“An important thing for us is that we have disruptive technology. We are using a super power, super scale laser to do things that you wouldn’t normally think of doing on a laser.”
He says that even 40mm is too
thick for most people’s lasers and with the capability to cut up to 60mm Sheffield Technology can compete very well on quality and cost with other processes.
“At that thickness you would otherwise be looking at high definition plasma, which is a dirty process, or waterjet, which is a slow and often expensive process. So we can cut thicker material and more complex shapes that you couldn’t normally do with other cutting processes. We can cut small holes, slots and other features to (very fine tolerances) so cutting out machining operations thanks to the quality of the cut – even on things that are difficult to machine such as wear plates and armour.”
The capacity at Sheffield Technology lends itself to a multitude of markets and
materials. In defence, for example, this includes fabrications for land-based vehicles. For the mining and construction sectors there are applications cutting high strength steels and wear resistant materials for yellow goods, crushing equipment and wear plates. The ability to cut materials such as nickel alloys, duplex steels, weathering steels and stainless steels open up opportunities in the offshore, subsea, marine, rail and architectural sectors.
Sheffield Technology already has a segregated working area dedicated to stainless steel processing for the nuclear industry. On the non-ferrous side there are massive opportunities in cutting heavy duty copper busbars.
“These are just a few of the potential markets,” says Richard. “We are looking at anyone who wants parts up to 6m long and 60mm thick.”
He says that the real sweet spot for Sheffield Technology is from 20mm to 60mm, especially when customers are looking for a fast turnaround.
“Fast Track is something that we are really focused on. With the speed of the laser coupled with fully automated handling and a large stock of material we can offer a really quick turnaround on large parts and kits of parts.”
“The handling system has multiple storage trays on the infeed side – so we have ready availability of different materials. The system loads sheet onto a shuttle table and removes and sorts cut parts while the laser is
cutting, so there is minimal downtime.
“The real edge is in the speed of the laser, but we can offer the whole package of cut, bend, fabricate and machine if that is what the customer wants. We also have a team of chartered engineers on site, mostly working on design for manufacture, but if the customer wants it we can provide any level of design support, including turnkey projects.”
The 7.5 acre site includes a Grade II building dating back to the 1870s, where 60 crucible furnaces were once producing special steels. This has gone through its first phase of restoration and rebuilding, ready to be developed for advanced
‘‘An important thing for us is that we have disruptive
technology.
We are using a super power, super scale laser to do things that you wouldn’t normally think of doing on a laser
technology manufacturing in the future.
The current manufacturing facility encompasses three manufacturing bays and modern offices with 80,000 square feet of capacity – with plenty of room for expansion.
The site has also been beautifully landscaped.
Richard says: “We take pride in the site and its heritage. It is a nice place to work and we are attracting quality people – and there are always opportunities for the right people to join the team.
“When you look at Crucible Works itself, which is our oldest building, there are 72 foot timbers there that were put up in the 1870s. They would have been 200-year-old trees at the time, so there is a lot of history here.”
As for the future, he says that Sheffield Technologies already has quotes in for additional capacity and capital equipment –“Watch this space,” he says. 8 sheffield-tech.com
Laser for growth
Fabweld Steel Products, which manufactures access covers and steel products for the construction, water, energy and security sectors has
invested in a 15kW laser to drive its plan to double turnover in the next five years.
The 15kW Accurl Fibre Laser will increase its production capacity and scope to boost growth. It replaces the firm’s 3KW fibre laser cutting equipment, which handled 95% of products at the Telford factory.
Managing director Wayne Carter said: “It’s my aim that we will grow sales 75% within the next five years.
“The Accurl laser is the latest investment to help us achieve that and follows previous work to extend our welding capability and nitrogen gas generation. All three investments will ensure we have the right infrastructure for the growth we want.
“After more than 10 years of hard work, we had outgrown our 3kW fibre laser. This new machine will provide us with far greater cutting speeds and scope, ultimately removing a major barrier to growth and creating many new opportunities for FSP.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those staff who worked additional hours to get us ahead of our cutting schedule so we could get the new laser installed and commissioned with as little disruption as possible.
“Going forward, the increased speed, capability and capacity will quickly put us onto an upward trajectory to achieve our full potential.”
8 fsp.co.uk/
One of the UK’s leading disruptors in additive manufacturing has celebrated its best-ever year by being presented with its King’s Award for Innovation.
RYSE 3D, the brainchild of 28-year-old entrepreneur Mitchell Barnes, has seen sales increase by 58% over the last twelve months as its ability to deliver 3D printing production parts quickly has seen it race towards a near £5m turnover.
The Shipston-on-Stour-based company has also created ten new jobs, added new export markets and launched LANDR 500, a large format FDM printer that is designed and built in the UK.
Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, was welcomed to its state-of-the-art factory as part of the King’s Award celebrations for its 24-strong workforce, suppliers and customers.
Mitchell Barnes, Founder of RYSE 3D, commented: “For a company of our size to be recognised at this stage is tremendous and it’s all down to the courage, commitment and hard work of our staff… this event was to say a big thank you to them.
“The profile of the King’s Award is like no other and we have seen huge interest from new and existing clients in the US, as well as from potential customers in sectors we never thought would be suited to additive manufacturing.”
He continued: “Our 3D printed moulds - that allow UK manufactures to compete with low cost overseas operators - was
King’s Award for 3D printers
the reason we won the prestigious title, but that’s just the first part of our story.”
RYSE 3D has evolved from a start-up in Mitchell’s mum’s garage to a modern-day industrial success story, supplying 23 Hypercar projects with components destined for HVAC units, brake ducts and wing mirror vision systems.
Automotive is just one sector that is benefitting from the company’s technical expertise and bank of more than one hundred 3D printers at its manufacturing hub in Warwickshire.
Aerospace, medical, renewables and even pest control specialists have been quick to engage to find new ways to build components and products more efficiently, sustainably and cost effectively.
Mitchell, who is joined in the business by Dhilon Sudra, went on to add: “Innovation is what
we’re all about and this was reflected in the launch of LANDR 500 earlier this year.
“We needed a new large format printer, but this was going to set us back £150,000 which, at the time, wasn’t possible. So instead, we decided to design, build and put in place our own version that features an expansive 500x500x500mm build volume and gives customers the power and speed to build larger and more complex parts.
“This was a ‘Eureka moment’. We created technology that was a fraction of the cost, a third of the weight and half the footprint of more established models, yet under extensive testing more than matched them in performance.
“Keeping innovation as part of our DNA is what sets us apart from much bigger rivals and something we are looking to capitalise on in 2025.”
8 ryse3d.com
Engineering excellence on show
Advanced technology from across the mechanical engineering and electrical/ electronic sectors in approximately equal measure will attract more than 9,000 visitors through the doors of the next Southern Manufacturing & Electronics trade fair, which will take place from 4th to 6th February 2025 at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre.
The new owner of the show, Easyfairs, says that a particularly high level of interest from companies not just in Britain and Ireland but also from overseas indicates that the event will be a sell-out, with more than 500 stands expected to be booked for the first time.
Widely regarded as the largest and most comprehensive annual industrial exhibition in the UK, Southern Manufacturing & Electronics moved to its present location in 2008 and was the first to be held in the new, world-class Farnborough centre when it was built a decade later. Since its inauguration in 1997, the show has grown continuously from a small, regional gathering of engineering firms into one of
global significance. The exposition is important enough to attract multinational firms but is also accessible to the rich ecosystem of engineering SMEs. The organisers operate an open access policy that discourages larger companies from dominating the space to the detriment of smaller vendors. Easyfairs says that it intends to maintain the intimate look and feel of the event, which is a defining quality that gives it a unique atmosphere unlike that of other trade exhibitions. Testament to its effectiveness as a place to do business is the high rate of re-bookings year on year. There will be an abundance of new engineering technology, making it a highly functional venue for anyone involved in design, manufacture, procurement, training or management looking to research and source multiple products and services efficiently. Although the industries represented throughout the hall are multifaceted, there are no barriers
between the areas, allowing easy cross-over between the different disciplines. Technology Trails grouping firms having expertise in particular areas help to guide visitors around.
The event encourages subcontractors working in the mechanical engineering and electrical/electronic sectors to take stands to explain the scope of their activities. Rotational and prismatic metal cutting as well as sheet metal cutting, forming and fabrication will be well represented. Rowan Precision will highlight its turned parts manufacturing capability, as will Bailey & Wade, whose capacity includes 15 sliding-head CNC lathes, two fixed-head models and many cam autos. Sterling Machining offers both turning and milling for the production of complex parts, from one-offs up to high-volume runs. So too does Sub-CNC Precision, which adds cylindrical grinding to its services as well as strict quality control procedures.
Wiltshire firm Altex Engineering, a full-service provider of CNC machining and sheet metal working, will be there to explain its manufacturing capabilities and particularly its re-engineering advice. From the other end of Britain, Glenrothes-based Fife Fabrications will promote its precision sheet metal working, machining and electromechanical assembly. Havant Sheet Metal specialises in manufacturing stainless steel, mild steel and aluminium components and fabrications, while Pegasus Profiles provides flame cutting and laser cutting of plate and sheet, plus rolling and press braking. LL Potter & Sons
and Titan Manufacturing will similarly give details of their sheet metal working and fabrication expertise.
MJ Allen Castings and Machining, another part of the MJ Allen Group, offers
aluminium, bronze and iron castings together with other added-value services such as CNC machining, quality testing and fabrication. MRT Castings, a manufacturer of aluminium gravity and high pressure die
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castings, will be another familiar name in the sector on hand to explain its capabilities. Specialising in the production of complex, thin-walled aluminium parts, Norse Precision Castings has built a reputation for supplying customers throughout the UK and continental Europe, as visitors to the stand will learn.
Toolmaking and injection moulding is another service that is strongly represented at Southern and this year's event will be no exception. Broanmain, a UK plastic moulder capable of thermoplastic, thermosetting and injection moulding, will promote its PP, PC, ABS and technical polymer component production. With an ability to make parts from 1g to 45 kg in weight and up to 1.5 metres in size, Rutland Plastics offers plastic injection moulding services. Merriott Group is a moulding company that uses injection and compression processes to produce thermoset and thermoplastic mouldings. Injection mould maker
Neptune Injection commits to rapid lead-times on both prototype and fully hardened production tools and offers moulding in machines rated from 25 to 110 tonnes. Nordell is a UKbased plastics design and manufacturing company that offers toolmaking and subassembly to complement its plastic injection moulding business.
Precision Engineering Plastics works with PEEK, PPA, LCP, PPS, polyesters, POM, PC/ABS thermoplastic alloys, TPE, various nylons, and up to 65% glass-filled polymers to produce closetolerance injection moulded components. Size ranges from just a few millimetres to large components like vehicle trim. Sanpin Mould and Sanpin Medical, members of the Wisdom Industrial Group, operate 37 injection machines from 50 to 1,300 tonnes and also has clean room facilities for assembly and inspection. Meanwhile in rubber moulding, on the stands of two exhibitors, SRM Industries and Camberley Rubber Mouldings, there will be examples of parts they manufacture for a host of different industry sectors including defence, rail, petrochemical, nuclear, construction and medical.
Supporting the manufacturing process, metrology exhibitors include Carfulan Group
companies OGP UK and Vicivision UK will show scanning probe and multi-sensor systems, and solutions for the quality control of turned components.
CDG 3D TECH also offers stationary and mobile scanning options from Evatronix and Shining 3D and the firm also offers 3D scanners from Faro.
Central Scanning sells inspection equipment and provides services for quality control and reverse engineering. Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence will exhibit metrology equipment for optimal quality control in factories, including CMMs, measuring arms, laser trackers and handheld laser scanners, together with associated software. British CMM manufacturer LK Metrology will show a high-accuracy series model equipped with its new EcoAir function that reduces compressed air consumption by up to 95% when the machine is idle. MJ Allen Precision will promote Verdict Gauge products including precision gauges, dial test indicators, lever indicators, depth gauges and bore gauges.
Mechanical engineering subcontractors and OEMs alike will be presented with a wealth of new machine tool technology. Efficient production of one-offs and small batches is Hurco’s theme at the show. The company will have two machines cutting metal, both controlled by a Max 5 CNC running WinMax software. One will be a VM10i VMC and the other a TM8Mi 3-axis CNC, driven-tool lathe.
A 5-axis VMC with integrated 4-pallet change system will make its debut on the Matsuura stand. The automated production cell will be demonstrated throughout the exhibition to show its power and versatility. Machine tool agent Mills CNC, which represents DN Solutions (Korea) and Zayer (Spain), will promote both brands and will have one of the former principal's multi-tasking, large-
bore, turn-mill machines on display, a Puma SMX 2100SB with opposing 22 kW spindles, a B-axis milling head with 40-position ATC, a turret with 12/24 live positions and integrated thermal compensation.
Yamazaki Mazak will be cutting components on its new twinspindle, triple-turret HQR-200/3 NEO turning centre, which it says provides users with elevated
levels of productivity and accuracy. In the area of tube bending, British manufacturer Unison will promote its allelectric tube and pipe bending machines, which it pioneered 30 years ago, as well as its dualstack, hybrid tube benders, which combine electric control with hydraulic operation.
Over the three days of the show, visitors will be able to take advantage of free technical seminars covering a wide range of topics, with a particular focus on the technical, managerial and environmental issues facing
manufacturers today. Southern Manufacturing & Electronics colocates with AutoAero, a specialist thread that runs through the main programme concentrating on matters important to automotive and aerospace engineering. Both
sectors directly contribute billions of pounds to the UK's GDP, while supporting numerous industries and businesses in the supply chains and providing much needed employment for highly skilled people.
There is free car parking at the Farnborough site, which is well served by road and public transport links. A regular, complimentary bus service runs between the two local railway stations and the showground. Admission to the exhibition is also free.
8 bit.ly/ECSouthern25
The British Turned Parts and Machined Component Manufacturers Association Find out how our members can benefit your business Enquire directly with our Members, via btma.org or mail to info@btma.org
The Amodil Group tkd@amodil.co.uk www.amodil.co.uk Floyd Automatic Tooling Ltd sales@floydautomatic.co.uk www.floydautomatic.co.uk Bowers Group sales@bowersgroup.co.uk www.bowersgroup.co.uk
Ceratizit UK & Ireland Ltd info.uk@ceratizit.com www.ceratizit.com
JFL are broach and broaching specialists with many years personal experience. We offer a comprehensive broaching service covering keyways, squares, hexagons and special forms.
Unit 2, Deethe Farm Industrial Est, Cranfield Rd, Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK17 8UR Tel: 01908 585103 www.jflbroaches.co.uk
Qualiturn Products Limited
Qualiturn are a very modern subcontract machining service. We offer CNC precision Turned and Milled components to your specifications and quantities. We work with all sizes of customers, offering the same service to all. Supplying various market sectors across the world.
We are a subcontract machine facility that manufactures precision Turn/Mill components using one-hit technology. We supply various industry sectors which has helped us develop our machining techniques over the years.
CNC mill-turn facility using Star sliding head lathes with bar capacity up to 32mm diameter. Miyano and Doosan fixed head lathes with bar capacity up to 65mm. Hurco vertical machining centre.
Looking for precision engineered components? Trust the experts
Simpson Springs & Pressings Ltd
Precision manufacturers of a wide range of compression tension and torsion springs. Also circlips, wireforms, contacts, antennas and light pressings. Quality approved to BS EN ISO 9001:2000.
