PM visits Xtrac

Automotive and motorsport transmission and mechatronics specialist Xtrac welcomed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to its Thatcham headquarters in Berkshire last month. Laura Farris, MP for Newbury, arranged the visit and accompanied the PM. “It was great to meet the team at Xtrac today and talk about their world-class apprenticeship schemes,” the PM said on social media. “Xtrac is a business that’s now at the heart of Formula 1, Indycar and NASCAR successes all over the world. It’s also a shining example of apprenticeship success in manufacture and advanced engineering.”

For further information www.xtrac.com

£3m upgrade at college

Leicester College is set to formally open its advanced manufacturing and engineering facilities at the Abbey Park campus following amulti-million-pound investment in resources, equipment and teaching space. The move will enable the college to provide industry-standard technical training to students and employers across the region. Included in the project is the installation of engineering laboratories and workshops to develop skills in robotics, PLCs, mechanical systems, and hydraulic and pneumatic systems, together with a range of mills, lathes, grinders, rigs, testing equipment and simulators.

For further information www.bit.ly/4arcnNm

Swiss Steel Group drives green steel

Swiss Steel Group has placed an order with SMS group for the delivery of Viridis Carbon software for the company’s Steeltecproduction plantin Emmenbrucke, Switzerland. This milestone marks a major step forward in enhancing Swiss Steel Group’s sustainability initiatives. In a first phase, the melt shop, rolling mill and bright bar plant will use the software.Viridis Carbon softwareenables near real-time tracking of a plant’s emissions. It uses a methodology based on robust computational models, which can compute and report the amount of CO2 equivalent.

For further information www.sms-group.com

University to use Prima metal3D printer

Prima Additive will supply a system for metal additive manufacturing based on powder-bed fusion technology to the University of Birmingham. The Print Genius 150 Double Wavelengthmodelwill find use at the Advanced Materials & Processing Laboratory (AMPLab) within the School of Metallurgy and Materials.The system is a unique configuration on the market, featuring two lasers of different wavelengths: a 300 W infrared laser and a 200 W green laser which can work alternately within the same 150 x 160 mm diameter cylindrical work area.

For further information www.primaadditive.com

Renishaw inspires budding engineers

To help more young people get excited about engineering, Renishaw is supporting the Technology Club at Blue Coat CEVA Primary School in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The sessions are run by Technology for Fun, enabling year-six students to experience hands-on engineering activities and build real working models that they then take home.

The club runs for one term each year, with every session supported by a Renishaw science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) ambassador.Technology for Fun is dedicated to inspiring young people about engineering. It offers fun, engaging STEM activities and resources including project books, class kits and teacher resources.

For further information www.renishaw.com