Defence spending in Wales tops £1bn

UK defence spending in Wales reached more than £1bn for the first time in 2018-19, supporting more than 7000 jobs.

New MoD figures show that the department’s procurement spend in Wales increased from £960m in 2017-18 to £1.08bn last year – an increase in per capita spending from £310 to £350. Major defence projects in Wales include: production of the Army’s next-generation AJAX armoured fighting vehicles at General Dynamics in Merthyr Tydfil and Oakdale; the development of a new £11m Royal Naval Reserve centre in Cardiff Bay; and a £250m contract with Raytheon in Broughton to provide support services to the Royal Air Force’s fleet of surveillance aircraft.
For further information www.gov.uk

NCMT is Rema agent in UK

NCMT has been appointed as the sole sales and service agent in the UK and Ireland for the range of vertical machining centres manufactured by Rema Control of Italy.

Founded in 1987, the company specialises in building large three- and five-axis moving-column machines with travels up to 8000 mm in the X axis and 1200 mm in Y. The manufacturer also produces trunnion-type five-axis VMCs, universal milling machines with box ways, and gantry-type VMCs with a rotary pallet changer.
For further information www.ncmt.co.uk

Nacom grows thanks to investment

Nacom Automation Ltd and its range of Flexopress printers rose from the ashes of liquidation when current owner Nick Cadby, who was a creditor to the original owner of the printing machine business, realised the only way to get his money back was to buy the intellectual property and turn the businesses around.

Part of that transformation was adopting in-house machining in partnership with XYZ Machine Tools.
Flexopress machines are designed and built to order, meaning parts must be designed and manufactured quickly, but the company’s reliance on subcontract machining was causing unnecessary delays. The solution was to bring machining in-house, a daunting task given Cadby’s limited machining experience. However, the XYZ ProtoTRAK control system came to the rescue.
“It was while visiting another business run by a friend that I saw an XYZ 2-OP machine and my curiosity was aroused,” says Cadby. “The compact nature of the machine was perfect for our situation, so I gathered up a few drawings, visited XYZ Machine Tools’ showroom and asked the question: how hard can it be to make these? The answers highlighted just how easy it was with the XYZ ProtoTRAK control, which fills the gap between an experienced CNC programmer and someone with basic machining skills, like myself.”
With that reassurance, the XYZ 2-OP portable vertical machining centre became Nacom’s first step along the road to self-sufficiency. It was quickly followed by an XYZ SMX 5000 bed mill, then an XYZ SLX 355 ProTURN lathe and an XYZ LPM vertical machining centre, with the common thread that all were controlled by a version of ProtoTRAK.
“Eliminating the reliance on subcontracting has cut lead times by at least 50%, and we are in total control of costs and quality,” says Cadby.
For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Only two weeks until GrindTec

GrindTec 2020, which runs from 18 to 21 March in Augsburg, Germany, is set to be the largest since the show’s premiere in 1998.

Around 20,000 visitors will enjoy innovations presented by about 660 exhibitors attending from 31 countries. Decision-makers particularly appreciate GrindTec, as the statistics indicate: 64% of visitors have sole decision-making competence or are involved in decision-making, while a further 20% have an advisory capacity. For the first time, MTI magazine will be among the exhibitors at GrindTec.
Despite all uncertainties the grinding market remains strong. Measured against the product value of machine tools in Germany, the machine group of ‘grinding, honing, lapping and polishing machines’ makes up more than 13% of all cutting and abrasion-based machines. In addition, the revenue generated by the production of grinding tools and abrasives, which at more than €1bn, is just as high as that of German ‘grinding, honing, lapping and polishing machines’.
For further information http://www.grindtec.de/en

Bentley to recruit 76 apprentices

As Bentley Motors begins its next 100 years, the company is opening applications for its 76-strong apprentice, undergraduate and graduate intake for 2020.

The new recruits will be employed at the company’s headquarters in Crewe, with Bentley placing particular emphasis on finding candidates with the digital skills and ability to innovate that will help shape its next 100 years. All successful applicants will benefit from a structured career path that will provide the technical, academic and hands-on experience required to support the company’s digital transformation.
Dr Astrid Fontaine, board member for people, digitalisation and IT, says: “An extraordinary range of opportunities are available, designed to drive our business forward and help build Bentley’s future. Engaging and developing the best trainees in the country is key to ensuring Bentley remains the definitive British luxury car company, as well as one that stays true to craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability.”
For further information www.bentleycareers.com