70 Apprentices and Graduates to Join British Steel

Some 70 new apprentices and graduates will join British Steel this month as the company continues to build the next generation of steelmakers. In Scunthorpe, 36 electrical, mechanical and structural apprentices will launch their careers, joined by 17 apprentices in similar roles for British Steel’s Northern mills in Teesside and Skinningrove, and one at the company’s R&D centre in Sheffield. 

At the same time, 16 graduates will join British Steel, the first to do so since 2022 following this year’s relaunch of the company’s graduate recruitment programme. British Steel, which was nationalised by the UK Government in July, received more than 1000 applications when the roles were advertised earlier this year. The successful candidates have come through a robust vetting process including a series of assessment centres. 

More information www.britishsteel.co.uk

Wohlhaupter Acquires KOMflex Technology

Wohlhaupter GmbH, part of Allied Machine, is acquiring the KOMflex technology from Ceratizit as part of a technology transfer. Going forward, Wohlhaupter will further develop the KOMflex solution, integrate it into its own product portfolio, and assume future support and marketing for existing customers. Official product availability through Wohlhaupter is scheduled to begin on 14 September 2026.  

The new product will be unveiled to the public at the AMB trade show in Stuttgart and the IMTS trade show in Chicago. KOMflex is an automatically adjustable fine-boring head designed to compensate for cutting-edge wear with high precision. The technology supports reliable, stable fine-boring operations and complements Wohlhaupter’s existing range of digital fine-boring tools.  

More information www.alliedmachine.com 

Made Smarter Expands Team With Four Wew Specialists

Made Smarter is bolstering its northwest team with four new specialists as SME manufacturers accelerate investment in technology and skills. Mike Richards-Brown and Tabs Khojani will help firms find practical ways to digitalise their operations, while Jane Duffy and Mike Connolly will help businesses develop the leadership needed to deliver change. Together they bring decades of experience from some of the region’s leading manufacturing, technology and business support organisations. Launched in 2019, Made Smarter North West has engaged with 2500 manufacturers and provided £8.3m in funding. 

More information http://madesmarter.uk 

Citizen Names Dates For Autumn Open House

On 6-8 October 2026, Citizen Machinery will host an autumn open house at its Turning Centre of Excellence in Brierley Hill, West Midlands. The company will use the event to show manufacturers how they can streamline workflows and boost profitability using Cincom sliding-head lathes and Miyano fixed-head lathes. 
Notably, the company is extending its MACH 2026 Gateway to Japan offer of a free trip to Japan for one individual from each company that places an order at the event for a machine delivered by the end of this year. Places are limited, however, and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be an abundance of technology on show that the company says will reshape manufacturers’ perception of what is possible in terms of productivity gains, lights‑out machining and return on investment.  

More information https://citizenmachinery.co.uk/open-house

Efficient Subcontracting Using DMG Mori’s MX Strategy

The semiconductor industry presents major opportunities for contract manufacturers. However, increasingly stringent requirements for precision, cleanliness and surface quality demand reliable, reproducible and scalable processes. DMG Mori’s machining transformation (MX) approach combines process integration, automation and digitalisation to address these challenges.

Semiconductor components such as equipment housings can involve long cycle times and tolerances down to microns. Combining milling, turning, grinding and measuring in a single machine reduces set-ups, handling and potential sources of error, helping to improve quality, reduce scrap and shorten lead times.

Automated pallet handling and AGVs support the flexible manufacture of different component variants, while digital tools provide end-to-end data chains, simulation and real-time production information for proactive planning and process optimisation.

Cleanliness is equally critical, which is why DMG Mori integrates Fuchs SE technology into its solutions as part of its Qualified Products partnership.

A practical example is the manufacture of an 800 mm-diameter housing from EN AW-5083 aluminium. The component is machined on a DMG Mori DMC 125 FDS µPrecision five-axis horizontal-spindle mill-turn centre.

The process begins with milling and drilling, followed by automatic alignment using easycenterSET, which corrects radial runout and eccentricity to within 5 µm. Deep flange turning, probing, face-groove turning, deburring and chamfering follow.

Specialised tooling facilitates the high-gloss milling of external vertical faces, creating the ultra-smooth surfaces required to prevent microscopic contaminants adhering to semiconductor equipment. Further operations open and finish grooves on the component’s eight faces before holes are drilled using a 90° angle head. High-pressure internal coolant removes chips and controls cutting-edge temperature.

On-machine inspection is performed throughout the cycle, followed by GD&T inspection on a Zeiss CMM, achieving single-figure-micron flatness and perpendicularity tolerances, with positional tolerance of 15 µm.

More information www.dmgmori.com