Sheffield Forgemasters meets PM

A delegation from Sheffield Forgemasters joined the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and
Secretary of State for Defence John Healy MP, at 10 Downing Street earlier this month.
Two apprentices, Renee Marsh and Harley Edmonds, were accompanied by people
development specialist Harriett Eccles and CEO Gary Nutter at the event, which set out to
raise the importance of skilled jobs in defence manufacture.
In addition to meeting the Ministers, the Sheffield Forgemasters team spoke to an audience
of college students about the well-paid opportunities that defence manufacturing jobs can
offer. The company’s ongoing apprenticeships programme, coupled with its large-scale
recapitalisation programme, is providing career opportunities for decades to come. 
More information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com

150 new manufacturing roles

JLR is recruiting 150 maintenance technicians in the West Midlands. The engineering roles
are central to the company’s ‘Reimagine’ strategy, which will see pure electric versions of all
of its brands launched by the end of the decade. Of the 150 roles, 50 are at its Solihull plant.
These positions will maintain automated and stateoftheart manufacturing equipment
essential to the production of forthcoming Range Rover Electric.
The remaining 100 maintenance roles are based at JLR’s Electric Propulsion Manufacturing
Centre in Wolverhampton. With the site playing a key role in JLR’s UK industrial footprint,
the technicians will help maintain advanced machinery used to build battery packs and
Electric Drive Units (EDUs) for JLR’s next-generation electric vehicles.
More information www.jaguarlandrover.com

SOUTHERN MANUFACTURING & ELECTRONICS 2025 BREAKS RECORDS FOREXHIBITOR AND VISITOR ATTENDANCE

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2025, the annual UK trade fair serving manufacturing
in the mechanical and electronic engineering sectors, concluded its most successful show to
date in February. Celebrating its 27 th anniversary this year, the international event saw a
significant surge in visitor attendance and exhibitor participation, solidifying its position as a
vital business hub for industry professionals. In addition to the bustling showground
featuring everything from cutting-edge technology to more everyday items essential for
factory operations, the expo featured 53 independently approved, open-format seminars
including a keynote address from Ben Fletcher, COO at Make UK.
The number of attendees reached 10,204, a 14% increase compared with 2024. This year’s
visitor profile reflected the perennially diverse nature of the show. The biggest cohort was
from the aerospace manufacturing sector, which plays a crucial role in the southeast of
England, employing thousands of highly skilled engineers. More than 72% of visitors had
purchasing influence, underlining the event’s importance as a platform for business growth.
The number of exhibitors also grew by an impressive 12%, with 535 companies showcasing
their latest products and innovations, breaking the notional 500 barrier for the first time.
Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2025 marked a significant step forward in enhancing
the visitor experience. People were provided with new smart badges that enabled seamless
information collection via an EasyGo reader on each stand. The innovative system
eliminated the need to carry brochures around, while simultaneously providing exhibitors
with valuable data on who had expressed interest. On average, each stand collected 60
EasyGo leads, demonstrating very positive engagement.
The show also launched Southern Connect, a dedicated app designed to expedite
networking and matchmaking between attendees. It saw excellent uptake, with 41% of
visitors utilising its features alongside the printed guide. The app facilitated 31,191 actions,
1974 connections between 3948 participants, and 85 meetings arranged directly through
the platform.
Simon Farnfield, a director at Easyfairs, the new proprietor of the event, said: “We’re
thrilled with the resounding success of the exhibition in this our first year of ownership. The
record-breaking number of visitors, increased exhibitor participation and enthusiastic
adoption of our new networking technology demonstrate the show’s continued importance
to a broad spectrum of manufacturing. The positive feedback we’ve received, particularly
regarding EasyGo and Southern Connect, underscores our commitment to providing a
valuable and engaging experience for everyone involved.”

An interesting meeting between two companies underlined the collaborative initiatives that
exhibiting at the show presents. A regular returnee that takes the same stand space every
year, British CMM (coordinate measuring machine) manufacturer LK Metrology, met with a
fellow exhibitor, bearing manufacturer Bowman International, which was promoting its 3D
printing expertise. The company discovered LK when visiting the 2024 show and within eight
weeks had bought a measuring machine from them. What appealed in particular to
Bowman was the Made-in-Britain graphics on the CMM manufacturer’s stand.
LK’s sales and marketing director said: “It’s very worthwhile for us as a business to be here
year-in year-out, in a great location, to help us push and advertise our UK brand.”
Several other companies attributed sales directly to their presence at the show, highlighting
the event’s effectiveness in connecting suppliers with buyers. Many praised the high quality
of leads from a diverse range of industries, indicating strong potential for future business.
The networking technology was frequently mentioned for helping to streamline lead
capture. In addition, the overall organisation, including set up and venue facilities, was
singled out for being smooth, well managed and accessible. Exhibitors described a buzz on
the show floor, with strong attendance and a positive atmosphere contributing to a
successful experience.
Visitors were similarly enthusiastic. A design engineer from Rolls-Royce said: “I found the
exhibition very useful and good for getting ideas and contacts. It’s really useful to come
across lots of technology and products that I hadn’t seen before and it’s good to attend and
keep up to date with the latest trends. I would definitely recommend this show – there’s so
much to see and I’m looking forward to attending the seminars.”
Other visitors liked the show’s range of products and services, networking opportunities
with both new and existing contacts, and the chance to discover the latest industry trends
and technologies, particularly in areas like additive manufacturing, AI and digitalisation.
Many of those canvassed appreciated the informative seminars and commended the
professional atmosphere and organisation of the event, including the helpful app and
spacious layout of the hall.
The high footfall and lively atmosphere were also frequently mentioned, with many visitors
highlighting the value of face-to-face interactions and the ease of finding relevant suppliers.
Overall, the show was considered a worthwhile and enjoyable three days, with many
attendees expressing their intention to return every year.
This year’s Southern Manufacturing & Electronics, held at the world-class Farnborough
International Exhibition and Conference Centre, was such a success that it was shortlisted by
the trade magazine Exhibition News for a coveted EN Award in the category ‘Best Trade
Show 5000 to 10,000 sq m’ at a dinner in London on 28 March.
More information www.southern-manufacturing-electronics.com

Tailor-made modernisation of an LH gantry

With increasing market demand and growing technological innovation, Jintongling Technology Group Co Ltd is facing new challenges: the wind turbine components it manufactures are becoming increasingly larger, and measurement requirements are becoming more complex. Existing measurement devices can no longer meet the demands for high precision and efficiency. A new measurement solution was therefore necessary to meet both current requirements and provide future expansion options.

For this reason, Jintongling decided to collaborate with Wenzel to upgrade its existing Wenzel LH Gantry CMM (built in 2015). The goal was to future-proof the existing system and meet increasing demand for precision and flexibility. Wenzel’s professional team conducted a comprehensive inspection of the original measuring system.

“We not only inspected the core components but also conducted a detailed performance evaluation to find the optimal solution for Jintongling,” reports a Wenzel engineer. After intensive technical co-ordination, a custom modernisation plan was developed. The main modification consisted of converting the original bridge-type CMM into a gantry-type CMM to ensure greater measurement accuracy and stability. Furthermore, the measuring range was expanded from the original 2 m to 2.5 m in the X axis, and from 1.5 m to 2.8 m in height. Thanks to underground construction, the load-bearing capacity also saw a significant increase – a decisive advantage for the large-format measurement requirements in the fluid power and wind power industries.

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In addition to the improved workpiece holding capacity and load capacity, the expanded inspection function is particularly noteworthy. The modernised CMM now also enables gear inspection, enabling Jintongling to measure large gearboxes for wind turbines with high precision.

“With this solution, we can not only meet the increasing demands of the market but also gain a competitive advantage,” says a Jintongling representative.

More information www.wenzel-group.com

Mitutoyo unveils Formtracer Avant FTA-H3000

Mitutoyo’s Formtracer Avant series now welcomes the FTA-H3000, a model that seamlessly integrates surface roughness and contour measurement into a single drive unit. This addition completes a robust line-up, which includes the FTA-S3000 for surface roughness, the FTA-C3000 and FTA-C4000 for contour analysis, and the FTA-D3000 and FTA-D4000 featuring dual drive units. With the Formtracer Avant series, Mitutoyo says it offers a versatile and comprehensive range to meet the demands of precision measurement. 

Traditionally, measuring surface roughness and contour required two separate devices or drive units. The FTA-H3000 enables both measurements in just one operation, reducing user error while maximising productivity.

One of the defining features of the FTA-H3000 is its Z1-axis measuring range of 16 mm, a 3.2-fold increase compared with the previous model. This enhancement allows the device to measure workpieces with large height differences effortlessly, offering versatility for diverse applications. Whether dealing with intricate components or larger structures, Mitutoyo says the FTA-H3000 enables precise, high-quality results.

Precision lies at the heart of the FTA-H3000. With a Z1 accuracy of (0.5+0.02H) µm and low straightness noise, users can have confidence in their measurement data, reports the company. The system is compliant with ISO21920 and other industry standards, ensuring reliable and consistent performance. Additionally, its stylus attachment and removal mechanism allows for interchangeability, offering a range of styli with different geometries to meet various measurement needs.

A key advantage of the FTA-H3000 is its retrofit capability, providing existing Avant customers with a simple and cost-effective upgrade path. The ‘hot-swap’ function enables users to replace their drive units quickly and easily using a tool-free rotary clamp system, ensuring minimal downtime and uninterrupted workflow.

More information www.mitutoyo.eu