EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

£500,000+ orders from XYZ exhibition

XYZ Machine Tools rolled out the red carpet to customers, technology partners and other stakeholders at its recent 40th anniversary technology exhibition. Taking place last month at the company’s 100,000 ft² headquarters and manufacturing facility in Devon, the two-day event resulted in machinery sales worth over £500,000.

“It was fantastic to see so many familiar and new faces at our technology exhibition,” reports managing director Martin Burton. “XYZ wanted to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style and we were so pleased that 123 representatives from 65 existing or prospective customers took time from their busy schedules to attend. We received terrific feedback and hopefully there was something of value for everyone. The machine orders we’ve taken so far certainly seem to corroborate that aspiration.”More information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Learning masterplan

The new £8.1m City of Wolverhampton College Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre on the Wellington Road campus in Bilston has been handed over by contractor Speller Metcalfe on schedule following an 11-month build. The college will now move its kit into the state-of-the-art training facility ready for students this September. The centre will secure hundreds of jobs in the local economy and create learning opportunities for thousands of students specialising in engineering and automotive, including electric vehicles (EV).

More information www.bit.ly/3SIrLy8

Gravotech joins Brady Corp

US-headquartered manufacturer Brady Corporation has acquired Gravotech, an international specialist in the marking and engraving market for over 80 years. Arnaud Linquette, president and CEO of Gravotech, says: “The sale of Gravotech to a market leader in printing and high-performance adhesive material provides us with an excellent opportunity to expand into new markets and generate long-term profitable growth. In recent years, we’ve enhanced our new product development and manufacturing capabilities, and broadened our portfolio of direct-part marking and engraving solutions.”

More information www.gravotech.co.uk

Date set for next NORTEC exhibition

After intensive evaluations, enquiries and discussions involving a large number of exhibitors, the date of the next NORTEC trade fair has been set. NORTEC will be held at the Hamburg Trade Fair Centre on 3-5 February 2026. The new date was carefully selected in order to take account of the requirements of exhibitors and trade visitors. In addition, the duration of NORTEC has been reduced from four to three days with the clear objective of increasing trade fair efficiency. The previous edition of the biennial show, NORTEC 2024, made a positive restart under the new management of Messe Stuttgart and the VDW.

More information www.nortec-hamburg.com

Mazak sponsors penguin sculpture

A unique ‘steampunk’ penguin sculpture, sponsored by Yamazaki Mazak, is part of the Great Waddle of Worcester supporting the Wild in Art event to raise funds for St Richard’s Hospice. Named ‘Dr Waddlecog,’ the creation by artist Kevin Baumber is one of 40 penguin artworks displayed throughout Worcester from 22 July to 15 September. Yamazaki Mazak regularly supports charities and the Wild in Art initiative. The company identified Dr Waddlecog as the perfect sculpture to sponsor thanks to its eye-catching exterior and level of advanced engineering expertise required for its design and fabrication.

More information https://waddleofworcester.co.uk