OAS wins workplace wellbeing award

An Abingdon training centre specialising in technology and engineering has won Oxfordshire Mind’s annual ‘Commitment to Workplace Wellbeing’ award. The accolade recognises the efforts of Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) to improve the wellbeing of its learners, training staff and industry partners by making positive changes throughout the training centre and beyond. OAS is a partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), run by MTC Training. The facility helps businesses to thrive by delivering the crucial engineering skills needed to succeed.
For further information www.oas.ukaea.uk

Mazak rewards staff after record month

Yamazaki Mazak put on a month’s worth of festive activities for its production staff after November 2022 saw its European Manufacturing Plant in Worcester produce the highest number of machines for three years. The month-long programme in the lead-up to Christmas saw employees treated to a broad array of festive fun, with each day involving a different activity. Mazak’s European Manufacturing Plant is responsible for the production of an extensive range of UK-designed and built machines, including the entry-level CV5-500 five-axis machining centre, and the VCN-700 and VCE-600 next-generation VMCs.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Open house success for Hurco

Despite all the headwinds in the economy, manufacturing has had a buoyant 2022, if Hurco’s experience selling its machine tools is anything to go by. Order intake in monetary value was close to a record high, beaten only just by the exceptional figures posted in 2018. To provide further evidence, 70 companies pre-registered to attend the company’s open house at its headquarters in High Wycombe last month. A total of 104 people attended over the two days, generating £650,000 of sales.

Managing director David Waghorn says: “The outlook for 2023 is good. The vast majority of our customers are subcontractors and all seem very busy. There are raised levels of activity in the aerospace and oil and gas sectors, both are now booming after being in the doldrums for an extended period, while motorsport is perennially active. Against this backdrop, we needed to employ five new service engineers in 2022 and we continue to recruit more.”
For further information www.hurco.co.uk

Total Construction Supplies reinforces expansion

A manufacturer of prefabricated reinforcement steel has invested £4m in a new 220,000 sq ft facility in Cannock, with 57 new jobs created so far. Total Construction Supplies has seen turnover double after securing major new contracts with HS2 and a host of highway, housing and nuclear infrastructure projects. This growth has driven the need for the new site that has already been fitted with state-of-the-art cutting and bending machinery, welding equipment and overhead gantry cranes. Cannock adds to the company’s six existing production sites in the West Midlands, Ilkeston and France.
For further information www.total-group.co.uk

18th edition of SteelFab set to open

The 18th edition of SteelFab will open its doors at the Expo Centre in Sharjah next week (9-12 January). This international exhibition for metalworking, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication will build on the last event in 2022 when the 12,000 sq m show floor hosted 150 exhibitors from 25 countries. In total, over 6000 visitors from 42 countries were in attendance.

Demand for manufacturing equipment derives from the Gulf region’s steel production sector, with sheet metal fabrication as its largest segment. The sector manufactured 3.3 million tons of steel in 2020 with a value of around US$3.1bn. At SteelFab 2023, special focus areas will include machine tools, tube and pipe machinery, and welding and cutting. The complementary SteelFab Conference will see global leaders, experts and suppliers discuss key challenges and opportunities for the global steel industry.
For further information www.steelfabme.com