Redditch-based Heller Machine Tools Ltd, a wholly owned daughter company of German
machine tool manufacturer Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH, is celebrating its 50th
anniversary this year. Both the parent company and the UK and Ireland subsidiary build
four- and five-axis horizontal machining centres. The UK site is a global competence centre
for turnkey projects and innovative manufacturing solutions.

Heller began its UK operations in 1974. Seven years later, a bespoke factory was built in
Redditch, with the company relocating in 1997 to a nearby facility capable of assembling
more than 200 machines per year. This assembly capability has since been extended to over
300 machines. Today, more than 150 employees work at the facility, which has seen
investment of more than £2m in recent years.
More information www.heller.biz

The next generation of engineering professionals are now training using the latest immersive technology following a £3m investment at Coventry University. The university’s College of Engineering Environment and Science has installed a Powerwall, which uses 3D immersive technology to help students better understand their mechanical designs and projects. It allows them to display and interact directly with a design on screen, zooming in to see it from all angles. This capability helps to expedite the development of prototypes and form a focal point for collaborative design sessions and discussions.

More information www.bit.ly/46PuSKw

A kind-hearted Black Country manufacturer is helping visually impaired people with its biggest charity donation yet. Alloy Wire International (AWI), which supplies a range of 60 exotic alloys to over 6000 industrial customers globally, has given £10,000 to leading charity Guide Dogs. Part of its ‘Wired for Good’ campaign, the value of the gift has seen the company name its own guide dog puppy ‘Allie’, who is currently going through training prior to placement. She will be one of 200 current working guide dog partnerships across the Black Country, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

More information www.alloywire.com

A precision fabricator and specialist in electromechanical assembly is on course for its best-ever 12 months to mark its 25^th anniversary. Mec Com Fabrications, which employs 230 people across two manufacturing facilities in Staffordshire and Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is set to hit the £27m sales mark after winning a string of new orders. The company’s order book is nearly 20% up on the budget set in 2023, providing the perfect birthday present for the business which was formed in 1999 by a group of employees who reacted to GEC-Alstom wanting to outsource its sheet metal and mechanical parts manufacturing capabilities.

More information www.mec-com.co.uk