Renishaw inspires budding engineers

To help more young people get excited about engineering, Renishaw is supporting the Technology Club at Blue Coat CEVA Primary School in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. The sessions are run by Technology for Fun, enabling year-six students to experience hands-on engineering activities and build real working models that they then take home.

The club runs for one term each year, with every session supported by a Renishaw science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) ambassador.Technology for Fun is dedicated to inspiring young people about engineering. It offers fun, engaging STEM activities and resources including project books, class kits and teacher resources.

For further information www.renishaw.com

Transatlantic deal puts AWI in good shape

The UK’s leading manufacturer of round, flat and profile wire is heading to Wire 2024 (Dusseldorf, 15-19 April) off the back of one of its largest ever export orders. Alloy Wire International (AWI), which is taking its 60-strong range of exotic alloys to the show, has just sealed a $400,000 contract with a US springmaker to supply a high-strength nickel cobalt alloy.

The DFARS-compliant material will find use in an aerospace application that requires heat and corrosion resistance, with AWI chosen for its quality and the ability to process the order in just a matter of weeks.It is these two qualities, alongside 400-tonne stockholding capacity, that AWI will be pushing in Germany when it looks to increase its international sales even further.For further information www.alloywire.com

Good year for German machine tool exports

In 2023, the German machine tool industry sold machines including parts and accessories to the value of €9.5bn abroad, some 9% more than in 2022. “It means we’ve defended our title as world champion ahead of China and Japan,” says Dr Markus Heering, executive director of the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). Within the triad of Europe, America and Asia, exports to America grew the fastest, increasing by 18%. The US purchased machines to the value of €1.4 billion, while Mexico also performed strongly. Indeed, exports to Mexico rose by 28%.

For further information www.vdw.de

World-unique forging research centre opens

The world’s most advanced research and innovation hot-forging platform opened on 21March at the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. The new facility connects the $75bn global forging sector with the Scotland-based team and industry-scale testbed no matter where they are in the world.

Based in Renfrewshire, FutureForge is a world-unique platform for hot-forging innovation with advanced industry 4.0 capabilities that enables companies from overseas to connect in real-time with the AFRC remotely. FutureForge comprises: a tri-modal 2000 tonne press offering open-die, closed-die and isothermal forging capabilities; instantaneous data analytics;two furnaces;and a custom-built smart robotics manipulator arm.

For further information www.bit.ly/3vqwGvo

Star to show future of sliding-head lathes

Star Micronics GB will showcase its range of sliding-headstock lathes at MACH 2024 (15-19 April, NEC, Birmingham). Visitors will experience a host of process demonstrations and witness a range of complex mill-turn components in production live at the event.

Following its worldwide debut at the EMO exhibition in Germany last September, the new SP-23 sliding head lathe will make its debut appearance at a UK manufacturing exhibition. An entirely new model capable of 1-inch (25.4 mm) machining, Star says the SP Series delivers outstanding versatility and performance within a modest footprint.

The SP-23 features an eight-station front turning platen and a seven-spindle cross-drilling inner tool post, on which it is possible to mount a wide variety of tooling attachments with five cartridge positions available. The machine features five drilling stations on the front and a four-station back-working platen with power tool capability.

Another key development within the Star portfolio, the new SD-26 Type E occupies the middle ground between the supplier’s 20 and 32mm bar diameter ranges. Capable of processing 26mm diameter material, the machine offers a programmable B1 head with four front and four rear facing tool positions, plus an additional six cartridge positions for various attachments.

Superseding the SB-16II Type E, the upgraded third-generation SB-16III model utilises the latest-generation FANUC 0i-TF Plus CNC control system. The machine includes Star’s dovetail structure for the Yaxis and features a fully programmable Caxis on both the main and sub spindles. Notably, the main spindle platen includes six turning tools, two fixed high-speed ER11 spindles for cross working, plus a further three modular cross power-driven stations that can accept a variety of cartridge attachments.

For further information www.stargb.com