Sutherland introduces personalised AI bots

In a landmark shift toward futuristic manufacturing capabilities, Sutherland Presses has announced an ambitious initiative to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all its operations. This cutting-edge programme will see the introduction of dedicated 24/7 AI bots assigned to each department and staff member, creating a network of intelligent agents that enhance productivity, improve decision-making and innovate processes.

The transformative approach of Sutherland Presses places AI at the core of its operational matrix. The seamless integration of AI assistants is poised to revolutionise the company’s production line, supply chain management, customer service, R&D, human resources and administrative duties.

Customer service departments will see AI bots handle enquiries, process orders and provide aftersales support around the clock. Through natural language (NL) processing, these bots can communicate effectively, ensuring that customers receive prompt and accurate assistance while freeing up staff to tackle more complex service needs.

AI bots supporting the R&D teams will comb through vast data sets to identify trends and patterns that humans might overlook. By accelerating the design and testing phases, these AI partners substantially reduce time-to-market for new products, effectively keeping Sutherland Presses ahead in the competitive market.

As each department works closely with its designated AI bot, staff members will undergo specialised training to adapt to this collaboration. Far from replacing human workers, these AI agents are designed to augment and empower the workforce, decreasing mundane chores and elevating the human component to strategic problem-solving and creative innovation.

Sutherland Presses says its adoption of individual AI bots represents a significant leap into the future of manufacturing and beyond. AI integration supports the company’s commitment to pioneering advancements, ensuring that every facet of the business operates with heightened intelligence, agility and foresight.

For further information www.sutherlandpresses.com

Vaski Group expands with Pivatic acquisition

Vaski Group Oy from Seinäjoki, Finland, a company experiencing robust growth, is expanding through its acquisition of Pivatic Oy, based in Hyvinkää, Finland. The consideration paid marks a significant milestone for Vaski as it continues to strengthen its position in the industry and strives for excellence in manufacturing and innovation.


This acquisition is a merger of equals, where both businesses achieved a record recent order backlog of €11m. After the purchase, combined sales exceed €25m and 100 staff. Notably, Vaski significantly enhances its coil-fed systems business with Pivatic’s focus on coil-fed punching and bending lines for sheet metal processing. Pivatic, which Pivatic is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, in turn makes a leap forward with Vaski’s focus on coil-feeding technologies.

Vaski managing director Michael Mansour says: “Off the back of significant growth in the Vaski business, I’m excited by this combination, creating a new leader in coil-fed systems, leveraging the multi-coil expertise of both companies and bringing Pivatic’s 50 years of tradition into Vaski.”

Jan Tapanainen, Pivatic CEO, adds: “I’m thrilled to be part of this merger which creates significant cross-selling synergies and a clear vision for both businesses moving forward. Vaski and Pivatic come together to create a coil-fed systems champion and world market leader in our sector.”

In 2023, over 18% of Vaski’s revenue was spent on R&D, demonstrating the company’s commitment to technology advancement. With a shared commitment to innovation and quality, Vaski Group is ready to leverage its expertise in developing Pivatic, particularly in strengthening research and development activities.

For further information www.vaski.com

£1m press investment at BPL Engineering

A UK sheet metalwork specialist has extended its long-term partnership with Worcester Presses with a new £1m investment. BPL Engineering Group, which employs 40 people at its state-of-the-art facility in Kings Norton, has installed a 500 tonne straight-sided, twin-crank Ching Fong to support its move into medium and high-volume work. The press comes with a large bed, works high up the stroke, and features a 1 m, 3-in-1 Tomac coil line, giving it the capacity to take on large parts destined for cars, trucks and aircraft.

“This latest Chin Fong is our biggest mechanical press to date and gives us additional capacity to take on complex progression tools in medium to high volumes,” explains Matt Adams, operations director at BPL Engineering Group. “There’s a lot of opportunity to service contracts with automotive clients and this machine will hopefully help us engage in new sectors requiring complex metal stamping where we can offer bespoke tooling solutions.”

Installation, including a new isolated pit to cut vibrations, is now complete and BPL is looking to start running products off in the next few weeks. The company is training four operators, including apprentices.

“We know what we’re getting with the Chin Fong: great reliability, superb accuracy and strong performance,” says Adams. “However, the relationship we have with Worcester

Presses is the real reason we keep turning to this press manufacturer. Russell Hartill and his team understand our business and the market opportunity and then put together tailored turnkey packages that not only meet, but surpass our performance expectations. The service and maintenance offers are also top class.”

For further information www.worcesterpresses.co.uk

Hot stamping of high-strength aluminium

Parts made from high-strength aluminium sheets are increasingly found in modern vehicles to save weight. Schuler now offers on its hydraulic presses a new process for hot stamping that heats this light metal very quickly by means of contact heating, with subsequent forming taking place in a water-cooled die. All process steps take place in the die so, in contrast to the hot stamping of steel sheets, no separate furnace is necessary.

“This not only reduces the space requirements for the system, but also significantly lowers investment and operating costs,” explains Christian Palm, who is responsible for the hydraulic presses division at Schuler. “Users of this technology can produce light and high-strength parts with a considerably higher degree of forming compared to cold forming, offering much greater design scope.”

It is possible to achieve highly complex geometries and a tensile strength of 300 to 400 N/mm². In the process, heating plates integrated into the first forming stage heat the 6000 or 7000 series aluminium sheet to over 300 to 450°C in a matter of seconds. In the second stage, forming takes places in a water-cooled die while the next blank heats up at the same time. In a third and fourth stage, the part, which is still at about 60°C, can be cut.

On a 1200-tonne capacity hydraulic press from Schuler operating in conjunction with a dynamic three-axis transfer system, users can achieve cycle times of just 10 seconds per part. Components are ready for further processing immediately and do not require several hours of heat treatment for hardening. The first system is already in manufacture for an automotive supplier in Asia as part of electric vehicle production.

For further information www.schulergroup.com

Group Rhodes showcases metal-forming machinery

Group Rhodes, a manufacturer of metal and composite forming machinery, demonstrated
one of its metal-forming presses within the MMMA Metal Working Village at MACH 2024 in
Birmingham last week. The Rhodes Interform product on display was designed and
manufactured in-house at the company’s Wakefield factory as part of a full turnkey solution
to produce a bespoke twin-press facility for forging forklift truck components. The entire
project, which consists of two Rhodes Interform multi-axis presses, a complete robotic
handling line and an integrated conveying system, is capable of processing the largest forks
at a rate of one every 70 seconds.
At the exhibition, Group Rhodes also discussed the global patents it has registered for its
superplastic forming and diffusion bonding technology (SPF/DB), including the territories of
China, India, USA and Europe. The solution applies extensively to the lightweighting of
components within the aerospace and automotive industries.
Operations director James Gascoigne says: “MACH 2024 gave us the opportunity to
demonstrate our latest innovations in metal-forming technology. It was our first exhibition

since we secured international patents for SPF/DB and it was a great opportunity for our
team to discuss how this technology works and its potential applications globally.”
He adds: “Given that our 19 th century patents were for improvements to the steam hammer,
it’s amazing to think that our most recent innovations are helping to form components for
spacecraft. We were very proud to showcase these innovations, especially in our 200 th
anniversary year.”
Alongside its SPF/DB technology, Group Rhodes’ knowledgeable personnel were also in
attendance to discuss the company’s extensive portfolio of machinery for the hot and cold
forming of metals and composites.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk