Sales force expansion

Machine tool supplier Ward Hi-Tech is further expanding its sales force by welcoming Jon Mannion to cover the East Midlands region as sales manager. Offering many years of experience within the UK machine tool industry, Mannion says: “I’m delighted to join Ward Hi-Tech, a long established and well-respected UK machine tool supplier with a wide-ranging product portfolio and a great support team.” Ward Hi-Tech is the sole UK distributor for global machine tool brands that include Hwacheon, HNK and Kiheung from South Korea, as well as Dah Lih Machinery, SFM and Vision Wide from Taiwan. 

More information www.wardhitech.co.uk

£13m nuclear programme

The University of Manchester has been awarded a major grant to lead a new programme that will transform the lifecycle of graphite in nuclear energy. The five-year ENLIGHT programme (Enabling a Lifecycle Approach to Graphite for Advanced Modular Reactors) will develop critical technologies to support the deployment of next-generation nuclear energy technology and address two of the UK’s most pressing nuclear challenges: securing a sustainable, sovereign supply of nuclear graphite; and finding solutions to manage the country’s growing volume of irradiated graphite waste.

More information www.manchester.ac.uk

New Vocational Celebration Day launched

The UK skills sector is to hold an annual Vocational Celebration Day, a new initiative designed to shine a spotlight on the vital contributions of vocational training and skilled trades to the nation’s prosperity. The day, set to be observed every year on the first Thursday of August, honours those whose passion, expertise and dedication in vocational fields form the backbone of the UK’s economy and society. Devised and driven by former Sector Skills Council Enginuity and awarding organisation EAL, the first Vocational Celebration Day will take place on Thursday 6 August 2026.

More information https://enginuity.org/

MAG IAS names new MD and CSO

Machine tool supplier The Fair Friend Group (FFG) has appointed Bernd Hilgarth as managing director and chief sales officer (CSO) of group brand MAG IAS GmbH (MAG IAS). He will assume overall responsibility for the sales organisation of both MAG IAS and the Fair Friend Group, reporting directly to group CEO Dr Sebastian Schöning. Hilgarth has more than 30 years of experience in the machine tool industry. He began his career at Boehringer, followed by various management roles in renowned sector companies. Most recently, he held a leading sales position at the Chiron Group for over a decade.

More information https://ffg-ea.com/en/

Stronger, cheaper 3D-printed titanium

Engineers from RMIT University in Australia have produced a new type of 3D-printed titanium that is about a third cheaper than commonly used titanium alloys. The team used readily available and cheaper alternative materials to replace the increasingly expensive vanadium.

RMIT has filed a provisional patent on its innovative approach as the team considers commercial opportunities to develop the new low-cost approach for aerospace and medical device industries. RMIT’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing (RCAM) PhD candidate and study lead author Ryan Brooke says testing of the alloy shows improved strength and performance compared with standard 3D-printed titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V). 

More information www.bit.ly/3V4U4Yt