Tornos opens Poland factory

Tornos has opened its new factory in Kąty Wrocławskie, Poland. The factory was designed primarily to refurbish and modernise Tornos’ Deco 10, a flagship and best-selling bar-turning machine. By giving the Deco 10 new life as the Deco 10 Plus, Tornos highlights its heritage and know-how, while promoting the circular economy.

More than 200 invited guests took part in festivities marking the opening of the new factory in Kąty Wrocławskie. By establishing a permanent presence in Poland, Tornos is making more than a strategic choice. The new factory, located just a few minutes from Wroclaw, an important university centre, makes it easy to recruit highly competent research and innovation personnel.

The story of Tornos Poland began more than 10 years ago, with only two employees representing the brand on Polish soil. Today, Tornos Poland has more than 40 trained employees who know the machines inside out and are able to overhaul and repair them if necessary. Of course, service is about more than resolving technical issues and replacing machine parts. It includes the labour-intensive and important administrative work that Tornos’ new global Shared Services Centre is undertaking in Kąty Wrocławskie. Indeed, the Tornos Shared Services Centre provides these services to the benefit of Tornos sales companies and customers in Europe and, eventually, worldwide.

In Poland, Tornos executes its approach to industry’s circular economy. Since Tornos last year began offering its customers the opportunity to refurbish their Deco 10 machines by upgrading them to the Deco 10 Plus model in celebration of this iconic machine’s 25th anniversary, requests have been pouring in. So much so that Tornos Poland is set to expand even further in the coming months, offering staff the opportunity to train on the unique know-how of machine tool manufacturing and refurbishment.
For further information www.tornos.com

Vollmer holds majority stake in UltraTEC

Sharpening machinery specialist Vollmer now holds a majority share in start-up company ultraTEC Anlagentechnik Münz GmbH, which will be known as UltraTEC Innovation GmbH moving forward. UltraTEC launched its ultrasonic deburring systems in 2019 and is keen to advance its economic and marketing development. Vollmer was impressed by the start-up’s innovative spirit, its advanced ultrasonic deburring technology and the fact that UltraTEC is a fellow family-owned company from the Swabia region. The core expertise of ultraTEC Innovation lies in the contact-free deburring of metal and plastic components.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Aerospace giants to collaborate

Leonardo and BAE Systems are actively progressing UK-Italy collaboration opportunities on the demonstrator aircraft as part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. The FCAS programme pursues the development of a technologically advanced multi-domain system of systems, underpinned by highly innovative and disruptive technologies, with a 6th generation core platform, and intended for the renewal of Eurofighter fleet.

This collaboration between Leonardo and BAE Systems will focus on the application of model-based system engineering (MBSE) design methodologies and the joint development of enabling technologies for the national sovereignty of the future system. These activities are the natural evolution of the innovation processes already initiated by the partner companies, and assume strategic importance as they explore a technological frontier not yet reached by European industry.
For further information www.leonardo.com

UK closer to net-zero steel

More sustainable, low-carbon steel and electric vehicle batteries are the target of a new two-year technology development programme between WMG at the University of Warwick and Tata Steel. The partners will come together to focus on developing environmentally friendly steel grades, coatings, films and battery structures, enabling the growth of steel application across key industrial sectors. The initial research activity will focus on five core themes: product metallurgy; surface state optimisation; non-metallic coatings; future material applications; and material forming/joining and associated characterisation.
For further information www.tatasteeleurope.com

£80m hydrogen gigafactory set for UK

Johnson Matthey (JM) is building a £80m gigafactory at its existing site in Royston, UK, to scale up the manufacture of hydrogen fuel cell components. Earlier this year, JM announced a refreshed strategy, with an ambition to be the “market leader in performance components for fuel cells and electrolysers”, targeting more than £200m sales in hydrogen technologies by end of 2025. The gigafactory will initially be capable of manufacturing 3 GW of PEM fuel cell components annually for hydrogen vehicles, with support from the UK Government through the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF).
For further information www.matthey.com