Official opening for AMRC North West

AMRC North West will help businesses unlock productivity and sustainability gains and keep the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector ‘ahead of the pack’, the Industry Minister said as he opened the new £20m applied research and development facility in Lancashire. Lee Rowley, Minister for Industry at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), added that AMRC North West is a key innovation asset for the region and beyond.

The applied research centre, which sits at the heart of the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone in Preston, has been built using a £20m grant from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal and extends the University of Sheffield’s AMRC footprint across the north. It was opened by the Industry Minister accompanied by Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Sheffield, and Debbie Francis, chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

For further information
www.amrc.co.uk

Major robotics conference

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is to host a two-day conference that will drive the uptake of robotics and automation across UK manufacturing and address the widening productivity gap. ‘Robotics and Automation – A New Perspective’ will take place on 4-5 May and enable delegates from a range of industries to share insights into the transformational benefits of cutting-edge robotic technologies in development at the MTC.
Mike Wilson, MTC chief automation officer, says: “The UK lags behind many industrialised nations in its adoption of robotics – currently 24th in the world. Such a slow uptake is undoubtedly holding industry back. This conference aims to change that and instil confidence in manufacturers seeking transformation. Pioneers of robotics will be on hand to highlight successful projects that have reaped the benefits of intelligent automation, and help people make the right decisions.”

For further information www.bit.ly/3KHWVQ0

Ringing the changes with a Studer grinder

The recent replacement an older grinding machine with a new Studer S121 universal cylindrical grinder from UK agent Micronz has ensured the efficient production of premium-quality ring gauges offering sub-micron levels of accuracy at the Bradford manufacturing facility of Bowers Group.

Metrology group technical director at Bowers, Tom Parry, says: “An older grinder, used to internal-grind our ring gauges, was beginning to need regular maintenance so we recently made the decision to purchase a new machine. We’ve been very impressed with the precision and efficiency of a Studer S33 grinder that we installed several years ago. This machine is now in constant use grinding spindles and other high-precision components.

“After carefully evaluating market alternatives we came to the conclusion that the Studer S121 best met our challenging, sub-micron precision grinding requirements,” he continues. “It helped our decision that, although we chose the S121 on its technical merits, the Studer machine was actually less expensive than some of the less able grinders that we saw. Now installed in our dedicated, temperature-controlled precision grinding department, the Studer S121 has significantly improved our ring gauge manufacturing capabilities. It’s providing outstanding sub-micron levels of grinding precision and enabling highly efficient production.”

The S121 universal cylindrical grinding machine accommodates medium-sized workpieces in both individual and small batch production runs. It has a swing diameter above the table of 400 mm and is able to process workpiece lengths, including clamping devices, of up to 300 mm. An internal length of up to 175 mm can be ground, while the S121 can handle workpieces of up to 125 kg.

For further information
www.micronz.co.uk

Westley to invest in CNC machinery

Westley Group, one of Europe’s largest privately-owned foundry and engineering groups, is set to further invest in new CNC machinery following an eight-figure funding package from HSBC UK. The funding will support the group’s UK business plans to add further value to its foundry activities through machining more of the castings it produces for its worldwide customer base.
Notably, the financing will also allow Westley Group to grow further into existing and emerging markets for its complex products; most of which are safety-critical in application. As a result, the company will create a number of new jobs in skilled machining operations across its four manufacturing sites. Westley Group was recognised as one of the UK’s top 200 private companies with fastest-growing international sales in the 2021 Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200.

For further information www.bit.ly/3I8l0h2

Guhring to premiere milling lines

Guhring (Hall 19, Stand 210) will be introducing new product lines alongside established ranges, a number of which will be cutting live on a Grob five-axis machining centre. From its milling portfolio, Guhring will be giving a MACH debut to the new RF100 Sharp series of end mills. Designed to address the issue of machining soft, tough and high-alloyed materials that create an issue with swarf clearance, the RF100 Sharp series is Guhring’s sharpest solid-carbide milling tool to date.

The RF100 Sharp demonstrates smooth cutting action and chip removal, making it suitable for slotting, ramping, roughing, helical milling, finishing and trochoidal cutting. These four-flute end mills are designed to machine steel, stainless steel, aluminium alloys and other challenging materials. The RF100 Sharp is available in all common sizes up to 20 mm diameter. Depending upon the chosen diameter, the RF100 Sharp comes with an overall length from 50 to 104 mm, and a flute length from 3 to 41 mm.

For further information www.guhring.co.uk