£17m hydrogen aviation project

The MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) is playing a pivotal role in a major new £17m initiative to accelerate the development of a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell system that could power commercial aircraft before the end of the decade. Project HEIGHTS – a three-year programme led by Intelligent Energy – aims to advance the company’s modular 300 kW aviation fuel cell platform, IE-FLIGHT 300, for use in next-generation aircraft.

MTC has secured £1.2m in funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to support the work. It will utilise the latest design tools and state-of-the-art metal additive manufacturing equipment to reduce the weight and size of critical components developed and tested in the HEIGHTS project. The work will be completed in a way which will also enable these parts to be manufactured on a commercial scale.

More information www.the-mtc.org

adi Group Celebrates 35th Anniversary

Engineering a better future for over three decades, adi Group is celebrating 35 years of delivering engineering and construction services. Founded in 1990 by Alan Lusty, adi Group began as a small team under adi Electrical. Inspired by a dream to create a self-delivered ‘one-stop-shop’ for multidisciplinary engineering services, Lusty’s vision was clear: build a business that would add an engineering service or sector specialist delivery division every 12-18 months – a vision that continues to drive the company today. Fast forward to 2025, the group now boasts nearly 40 specialist divisions and a team approaching 1000.

More information https://adiltd.co.uk

Advanced Engineering opens registration

Visitor registration is now open for Advanced Engineering UK, an annual UK exhibition for engineering and manufacturing professionals. Taking place on 29-30 October 2025 at the NEC in Birmingham, Advanced Engineering is the UK’s only event that connects the entire industrial ecosystem. This year, the show features additions like the expanded Composites Pavilion, SME Village, ADS Pavilion and AM2 Forum.

The 2025 event comes at a pivotal moment for UK industry, following the Government’s announcement of a new 10-year industrial strategy. With measures that could reduce electricity bills by up to 25% for over 7000 manufacturing firms and billions earmarked for innovation, R&D and AI, the strategy signals a renewed focus on long-term industrial growth – a direction that will be reflected across the show floor at Advanced Engineering 2025.More information www.advancedengineeringuk.com

AXYZ WARDJet Names Open House Dates

AXYZ WARDJet, a global specialist in CNC router and waterjet cutting systems, will stage an open house and CNC manufacturing expo at its Telford headquarters on 16-17 July. Following a successful run in Ontario, Canada, the event brings the latest in smart manufacturing technology to the UK – offering live machine demonstrations, hands-on experiences and direct access to CNC experts.

With over 30 years of experience, AXYZ and its sister brand WARDJet say they are known for building versatile, high-performance systems that power manufacturers across a broad range of industries – from signage to aerospace, automotive and plastics. The UK open house offers a rare opportunity for professionals to see this technology in action and explore real-world applications tailored to their specific production needs.

The event will feature live CNC router and waterjet demonstrations where visitors can witness machines cutting a wide range of materials, including aluminium, acrylic, foam, wood, stone and composite. Also prominent at the event will be high-speed (40,000 rpm) spindles for twice the output and ultra-clean edges, while a new wire-free automatic loading system streamlines loading without messy cables.

Further attractions are set to include: an on-machine sheet loader that reduces footprint and increases efficiency in material handling; a 10-position automatic tool changer for fast and seamless tool transitions; and expert consultations.

New for 2025 is smart safety technology, with the debut of machine safety innovations that include laser Scanners (creating adjustable safety zones for safer machine interaction) and AI-driven cameras (providing intelligent threat detection and real-time operator monitoring).

More information www.bit.ly/3TDcZJr

Alphajet TVL Upgrades 2D Waterjet Cutting

Alphajet TVL from Waterjet Sweden is the new generation of mechatronics for vertical cutting. With a design of 45-30-30 mechatronics, fixed TCP and low rotation point, only very small, precise movements are necessary to achieve a perpendicular cut. The concept of TVL includes three functions that compensate for the dynamics of the waterjet cutting process: TAC, VOC and LAG.

TAC (Taper Angle Control) controls the incision size of the bottom side of the part, while VOC (Variable Offset Control) controls the size of the top side of the part. The jet will remove more material when cutting with a slow speed than when cutting with a fast speed. To obtain correct measurements the VOC change the kerf depending on the actual cutting speed.

When cutting through the material, the jet on the down side will be reflected opposite to the cutting direction. This reflection is called the LAG. The LAG will increase with a faster cutting speed than with a low speed. 

The Alphajet TVL can handle both 4100 and 6200 bar water pressure. An upgrade from 2D to Alphajet TVL cutting tools includes the Alphajet unit, software upgrades, any new hardware needed, installation, commissioning, performance measurement and user training. To minimise downtime, Waterjet Sweden delivers Alphajet pre-assembled.

Installation and commissioning take about two business days with one day of user training.

The main requirement for the upgrade is a machine with a four-axis FANUC CNC with PanelOne. On older machines, the control system can also be upgraded.

More information www.waterjetsweden.com