Get smart

Barclays is calling on manufacturers to urgently invest in smart factory technologies, such as AI, Industry 4.0 and big data, to avoid spiralling further down the productivity black hole, and to get ahead of global competitors.

Through a survey of 500 manufacturers, Barclays Corporate Banking has found out why organisations are currently hesitating to invest: 35% said more education and information is needed on the tangible benefits of smart technology; 40% blame recruitment difficulties due to a skills shortage; and 23% said they were not clear what the ROI would be.
For further information www.barclayscorporate.com

Okuma stages EMO retrospective

Earlier this month, Okuma Europe (which is represented in the UK by NCMT) welcomed over 200 visitors to its recently established Aerospace Centre of Excellence in Krefeld, Germany.

In keeping with the location, the manufacturer presented innovations introduced at EMO (Hanover, September 2017) with a particular focus on aerospace machining. Highlights included Okuma’s award-winning Laser EX series of super multi-tasking machines, the smart factory solution Connect Plan, as well as the manufacturer’s latest automation technologies.
In addition, Okuma demonstrated the cryogenic machining of a titanium disc on an MA-600 HII horizontal machining centre.
For further information www.okuma.eu

Machine tool orders soar in Germany

In the third quarter of 2017, order bookings in the German machine tool industry rose by 13% compared with the previous year’s equivalent period. Domestic orders were up by 31% and exports by 5%, while in the first three quarters of 2017, total order bookings increased by 3%.

“The gratifying upturn in our orders is even more marked in the most recent figures,” says Dr Wilfried Schäfer, executive director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). In September, orders in all three categories showed a double-figure rise, thus recording the steepest growth of the year to date. Domestic orders, in particular, witnessed a dramatic climb, soaring by 46%.
For further information www.vdw.de

£3.4m taken at Citizen open house

Within a couple of hours of Citizen Machinery UK opening the doors for its ‘Technology Days’ open house, the directors of Ilkeston-based subcontractor Adams Engineering (pictured) ordered a Citizen Cincom L32 VIII sliding-head turn-mill centre to increase its installed base of Citizen machines to five. Adams Engineering employs seven people and supplies sectors that include medical, mining, automotive, rail and HVAC. “We have grown on the back of our Citizen installations, which give us reliability, consistency of production, and support and service when we need it,” says director Scott Burrows.

Over the three days of the event more than 300 people attended Citizen’s UK headquarters near Watford, with 18 orders placed worth in excess of £3.4m. Seven of the machines sold feature the company’s patented Low Frequency Vibration
(LFV) technology.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Dedicated Industry 4.0 sheet-metal event

A number of companies from across the UK sheet-metal industry are set to host an event dedicated to technology that can facilitate the implementation of Industry 4.0. Taking place on 29-30 November at Yamazaki Mazak’s European Technology Centre in Worcester, the ‘Sheet Metal 4.0’ event will see a selection of companies and industry experts come together to showcase technology which can unlock the next generation of sheet-metal production as part of a connected factory infrastructure.

Participants include: tooling specialist Mate Tooling Solutions; CADCAM software expert Radan; sheet metal supplier and service provider Press-Form; as well as used machine suppliers JTES and MSS Lasers. Thanks to the collaboration between these suppliers, there will be a number of sheet-metal cutting and peripheral machines on display, along with technical presentations, machine demonstrations and factory tours running throughout the day.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk/sheetmetal