ACE completes £350,000 investment drive

Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE), which will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year, has installed two additional single-chamber Chemcut etching machines and a UCE developer for creating quicker and cleaner imaging. The £350,000 investment means the company can produce 325,000 sheets every year at its Hortonwood facility, a 30% boost in throughput. Importantly, ACE can also tap into greater product line flexibility and increased accuracy. With the new investment, company bosses are already looking to boost market share in electrification, aerospace, medical and filters.

More information www.ace-uk.net

New Parts Finishing show set for November

The new Parts Finishing trade fair, taking place on 12-13 November 2025 in Karlsruhe, will kick off with an innovative concept. Adapted to the changing requirements of the manufacturing sector, it will present solutions for production steps that include deburring, component cleaning and surface finishing at a single venue. The event’s duration of just two days and turnkey, customisable booth packages ensure reasonable and precisely calculable costs for participation and associated expenses. Parts Finishing will also host a bilingual expert forum on both days of the show.

More information www.parts-finishing.de

SpeedFlex secures £650k finance deal

Independent SME lender Time Finance has provided a specialist £650,000 asset-based lending facility to Midlands-based engineering company, SpeedFlex, helping to support its future growth plans. The multi-product solution consisted of a £250,000 confidential invoice finance facility and a £400,000 asset finance facility, allowing the business to invest in its operations and prioritise expansion.


Based in Stourport-on-Severn, SpeedFlex Engineering specialises in the production of components for the aerospace, automotive and gas turbine industries, all of which are integral to the UK’s economy. Having achieved a growth in turnover from £500,000 to £1.6m, the business required a funding boost to help fulfil its ongoing growth strategy.

More information www.timefinance.com

R&D facility for Renishaw and IDEKO

Metrology company Renishaw and the research centre IDEKO have inaugurated a new Renishaw Solutions Centre in Elgoibar (Gipuzkoa), Spain. The new R&D facility aims to develop innovative solutions for the advanced manufacturing sector. Located on the premises of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) member centre, the laboratory forms part of the collaboration agreement signed last year.

A long-term partnership agreement between the two organisations marks the beginning of a partnership that also involves Danobatgroup, a major industrial group in the field of machine tools. The Solutions Centre drives innovation for this group, while Renishaw has been a long-term technology supplier across several of its product lines.

More information www.renishaw.com

Mikron Group reports modest growth

The Mikron Group – which specialises in automation solutions, machining systems and cutting tools – is reporting preliminary and unaudited net sales of CHF374.1m for 2024, an increase of 1% compared with the previous year. The group’s automation business contributed CHF 233.3m, an increase of 0.9%, with strong growth in Europe offset by a decline in America. Mikron Group’s machining solutions business increased net sales by 1.2% to CHF 140.8m, which the company says is a good result given the difficult market conditions, particularly in Europe.

More information www.mikron.com