EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Morf3D reorganisation

Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is unveiling a strategic reorganisation of its subsidiary Morf3D, relaunching it under the new name Nikon AM Synergy (Nikon AM Synergy). Following Nikon’s full acquisition of Morf3D in July 2023, the company has undergone significant realignment in support of Nikon’s advanced manufacturing business strategy. Now operating from Long Beach, California, Nikon AM Synergy will accelerate the adoption and scaling of metal additive manufacturing (AM) for advanced applications in sectors such as aerospace and defence.

More information www.nikon.com

Record orders at Lionweld Kennedy

Lionweld Kennedy, a UK manufacturer of steel gratings, handrail standards and fabricated steel products, is announcing record-breaking orders with the company seeing an all-time high in the value of orders placed. With unprecedented demand across all key markets, including construction, oil and gas, utilities and data centres, Lionweld Kennedy achieved order intake levels of 190% of the 2023 monthly average in May of this year. Managing director Dave Robinson says: “This success is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our ability to adapt and innovate in a competitive market.”

More information www.lk-uk.com

UR reaches milestone

Universal Robots (UR), the Danish collaborative robot (cobot) company, has reached a new milestone of launching over 500 products through its UR+ ecosystem. The landmark represents significant growth in the ecosystem since it started in 2016 with the ambition of making UR an open-source-like platform that empowers developers to create groundbreaking solutions. Today, the UR+ ecosystem offers a wide range of components, kits, applications and solutions within both hardware and software designed to meet various customer needs.

More information www.universal-robots.com

Emco Mecof mills for Baker Industries

Baker Industries, a Lincoln Electric company, is extending its manufacturing versatility and capacity and offering new in-house capabilities with the arrival of two new Emco Mecof UMill 1800 CNC universal machining centres. The new machines boast automatic tool changers and diverse high-speed five-axis machining capabilities that include milling, drilling, turning and undercutting. A large work envelope of 1.8 x 2.15 x 1.25 m (X/Y/Z) supports the ability to turn parts up to about 2.5 m in diameter. The machine commenced production at the company’s Detroit facility at end of 2023.

More information www.bakerindustriesinc.com

30 years of all-electric tube benders

Tube bending technology specialist Unison Ltd is celebrating 30 years since it launched the world’s first all-electric tube bending machine. It is an invention that changed the method of tube bending by precision industries around the globe. “It was no great secret that the accuracy of hydraulic tube bending machines could be affected by fluctuating oil temperature,” says joint managing director Alan Pickering.

Called the Unison Breeze, the world’s first all-electric three-axis tube bending machine was launched in 1994, with the company subsequently registering UK and German patents. In the years since, Unison has launched the world’s first all-electric five-stack tube bending machine, followed by the world’s first 76, 115, 150 and 180 mm multi-stack machines, as well as robotised and twin-head tube benders.

More informationwww.unisonltd.com