MGP helps orders roll in at fabricator

Within an hour of putting its first post on social media, a start-up engineering business from North Yorkshire has been bombarded with orders from around the world – all thanks to help provided by the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP). Topcliffe-based K2 Design & Fabrication Ltd, which makes specialist car parts, set up a Facebook page and secured 80 orders from as far afield as Australia and Singapore within 60 minutes of its initial post.
The company, founded by friends Duncan Oakes and Dominic King in January 2017, continues to be swamped with enquiries and is already taking £25,000 per month in orders after it received specialist advice from a marketing expert funded by MGP. K2 has now taken on an extra member of staff to cope with demand and is looking at employing another person because of its strong future order book.
For further information
www.manufacturingrowthprogramme.co.uk

Dubai’s first 3D printing facility

Immensa Technology Labs, a UAE-based additive manufacturing (AM) company, has launched the country’s first 3D printing facility, the company said in a statement. In line with the ‘Dubai 3D Printing Strategy’, Immensa’s new facility houses over eight 3D printing systems and offers over 30 materials for production. The site is equipped to build and manufacture production parts and one-off prototypes for customers across a range of industries.
Fahmi Al Shawwa, CEO of Immensa Technology Labs, says: “There are ample opportunities for organisations in the UAE to adopt AM to enhance their efficiencies and competitiveness, and we are focused on providing world-class and viable 3D printing solutions. Our team is passionate about 3D printing, design and manufacturing, and we cover the entire process to help our clients every step of the way.”
For further information www.immensalabs.com

Dassault strikes Airbus partnership

DassaultSystèmes, a specialist in 3D design software, 3D digital mock-up and PLM solutions, and Airbus APWorks GmbH, a subsidiary of Airbus and specialist in metal 3D printing, have entered into a collaborative partnership to advance the use of additive manufacturing (AM) for large-scale production in the aerospace and defence industry. The collaboration will leverage DassaultSystèmes’ 3DExperience platform and APWorks’ consulting, engineering and production expertise
for new developments in the virtual validation of
the AM process.
In addition to aerospace and defence, the collaboration will target potential applications
in the automotive and medical industries.
For further information www.3ds.com

£8.9m Lightweight Manufacturing Centre

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) has announced that it will run the Scottish Government’s new £8.9 Lightweight Manufacturing Centre. Developing new manufacturing processes for lightweight materials, such as titanium and carbon fibre, the facility will be the first step towards creating a National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland.
The centre will support highly skilled jobs and help place Scotland at the forefront of lightweight manufacturing. Making the announcement in front of over 130 aerospace industry representatives at a supply chain seminar held at the AFRC recently, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The Lightweight Manufacturing Centre will help Scottish businesses take advantage of the fact that sectors such as aerospace and automotive are making more and more use of lightweight materials.”
For further information www.strath.ac.uk

Whitepaper on global competitiveness

SSC Laser Cutting has shared its opinions on the ways that British manufacturing can compete on a worldwide stage in a whitepaper focused on propositions that industry can make in order to drive global exports. In today’s economy, where the value of the pound has fallen by almost 15% in the past year, UK metal manufacturers are finding that their products and services are now more competitive on an international level. The paper suggests that UK manufacturing is at a turning point, and states that smart decisions must now be made in order to remain competitive with the rest of the world and guarantee a stable future.
For further information www.ssclaser.co.uk