Record sales

Press manufacturer Schuler AG says it raised sales and earnings to record levels in 2017.

The company posted consolidated sales of €1.23bn (prior year € 1.17bn) with particularly strong growth in North America and China. Compared with the previous year (€123m), the operating result (EBITDA) rose to €141m. As a ratio of sales, this corresponds to a margin of 11.5% (10.4% in 2016). There were important contributions to the successful annual financial statements from the two strategic investments in Yadon and AWEBA (included in the full-year consolidated figures for the first time).
For further information www.schulergroup.com

STAG invests in MecWash

Stourbridge Turning and Grinding Ltd (STAG) has invested in a Duo 400 parts-washing system from MecWash.

Director Phil Pargeter says: “Our production levels were rising but we were unable to increase the number of components we could wash at any one time. On top of this, the expectation from our customers was for increased levels of cleanliness, something that is mirrored throughout the engineering world as technology and capabilities evolve. I’d seen the MecWash system in use and had been impressed not only by the high levels of cleanliness, but the quantities that could be cleaned while surpassing the existing cleanliness levels.”
For further information www.mecwash.co.uk

Cutting tool specialist joins AFRC

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) has welcomed cutting-tool manufacturer Quickgrind as its latest tier-two member. This new partnership will enable Quickgrind to promote its products and services to the AFRC’s tier-one members and partners, as well as tier-two members. In return, the company will provide the AFRC with its technology and consultancy support for the centre’s machining-related research.

Crawford Cullen, manufacturing engineer at the AFRC, says: “Quickgrind is ideally suited to the growth and developments of the AFRC’s machining team.”
For further information www.quickgrind.com

Bruderer tops £5m turnover mark

A supplier of press technology is celebrating its 50th birthday in style by aiming for a record-breaking year. Bruderer UK, which was formed in Luton in 1968, has just smashed the £5m turnover barrier for the first time in its history and is now setting its sights on adding a further £1m of orders for new presses, ancillary equipment and service packages over the next 12 months. Notably, the company is set to impose its biggest ever presence at MACH 2018 (hall 20, stand 330) to mark the anniversary, where it will be providing live demonstrations of its BSTA 510-125B2 press, fitted with BPG22 planetary gearbox and BSV300 servo-feeder.
For further information www.bruderer.co.uk

Robot hire service introduced

Part of Warrington Robotics Ltd, Bots.co.uk has launched a robot rental service, one of the first of its kind in the UK. Aimed at both industrial and commercial businesses, the robots available to hire include collaborative industrial robotic arms and commercial humanoid robots. Tim Warrington, CEO at Bots.co.uk, says: “As the demand for this technology grows, we’re supporting many of our customers who are new to using robots. We are able to advise the most suitable way to implement the robot into the business, and even offer training and programming upon delivery.

“Most clients will start out with one robot, to see how it goes, usually before hiring multiple numbers,” he adds. “Robot rental is already popular in the US by businesses such as Hirebotics, but is not something that has been seen in the UK before.” Hire starts from £65 per day plus training and delivery.
For further information www.bots.co.uk