ABB + IBM

ABB and IBM have announced a strategic collaboration that brings together ABB’s digital offering, ABB Ability, with IBM Watson Internet of Things cognitive capabilities to unlock new value for customers in industry. Customers will benefit from ABB’s domain knowledge and portfolio of digital solutions combined with IBM’s know-how in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The first joint industry solution powered by ABB Ability and IBM Watson will bring real-time cognitive insights to the factory floor. “This combination moves beyond current connected systems that simply gather data, to industrial operations and machines that use data to sense, analyse, optimise and take actions that drive greater uptime, speed and yield for industrial customers,” says
ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer.
For further information www.abb.com

Wire EDMs

GF Machining Solutions will be launching its CUT P series of wire EDM machines for the first time to UK and Irish audiences at its open house this week (9-11 May). The new CUT P range will replace the company’s CUT Sp and CUT mS series of wire EDM machines.
There are four sizes of machine in the CUT P series; the CUT P 550 will feature at the open house, which offers an X axis of 550 mm.
For further information www.gfms.com/uk

£1.2m investment at Alucast

A UK aluminium casting foundry is celebrating its 50th birthday in style after announcing plans for a new £1.2m technical centre and machine shop. Wednesbury-based Alucast will start work on the new facility in June, which will house its existing CAD and Magma casting simulation facilities, non-destructive testing capabilities, and the firm’s new five-axis CNC machining technology. It is part of a strategy that will see the company target up to £3m of new ‘lightweighting’ opportunities for complex castings in the automotive and agricultural markets. As a result, Alucast will recruit another 20 employees to cope with planned expansion to £10m sales.
For further information www.alucast.co.uk

Wemo names exclusive agent in UK

Press & Shear has concluded a sole agency agreement with Dutch machinery manufacturer Wemo, covering sales and service of its sheet metalworking production lines in the UK and Ireland. Wemo’s modular equipment includes punching, bending and joining lines fed with sheet metal coil, mostly designed and built to customer order, although standard products are also produced. Welding, clinching, cutting and other operations can be incorporated to suit user requirements. The automated lines are intended
for high-volume manufacturing applications in the electrical, storage, building, automotive and domestic-appliance industries.
For further information www.pressandshear.com www.wemomachines.com

Dr Liam Fox opens Swift-Cut facility

Secretary of State for International Trade, Dr Liam Fox, recently opened the new factory, offices and demonstration suite at Swift-Cut Automation, a British designer and manufacturer of CNC plasma-cutting tables. During his visit, he spent some time discussing Swift-Cut’s growing success in the international export market. In just six years since Swift-Cut’s inception in 2011, the company now exports over 80% of its products globally.

Working closely with the Department of Trade, Swift-Cut has opened channel partners in 26 countries and, with the continued support of the government, is now successfully expanding into the USA. “Swift-Cut is exactly the sort of company we need to be replicating across the UK,” said Fox. “Success stories like this are flying the flag for British quality and expertise, bringing a boost to their local economies.”
For further information www.swift-cut.co.uk