EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Free automation and robotics conference

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is to host a two-day conference at its Coventry facility to drive the uptake of robotics and automation across UK manufacturing. ‘Robotics and Automation – A New Perspective’, will take place on 10-11 May, exploring the future of automation and demonstrating the opportunities available to UK industry.Delegates will get the chance to share insights into the transformational benefits of robotic technologies and learn how automation can improve productivity and drive global competitiveness.

The free event will bring together high level speakers from industry, government and academia. Mike Wilson, chief automation officer at the MTC, says: “It’s an opportunity to meet, discuss and address the challenges with the adoption of automation and robotics. Delegates can listen to inspiring talks by industry experts, join educational workshops, discover innovative technologies or simply network with like-minded individuals.”
For further information www.bit.ly/3E4t6Z0

Horn mourns passing of managing director

Lothar Horn passed away earlier this month at the age of 66 after a long illness. As managing director of Paul Horn GmbH in Tübingen, Germany, he shaped the company into an international manufacturer of cutting tools, with production sites in the UK, Italy, the Czech Republic and the US, alongside subsidiaries in France, Hungary, China, Mexico, Turkey and Thailand. He joined the company in 1991 as son of the founder, Paul Horn, becoming managing director in 1995. In 2018, Lothar passed the reins to his son Markus.The Horn Group says it has lost an outstanding entrepreneur and a wonderful person.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk

Mazak names sales engineer for north of England

Yamazaki Mazak has further strengthened its UK sales team with the appointment of a new dedicated area sales engineer to support the company’s existing sales managers in the north of England.Liam Slack joins from Maydown International Tools with a remit to strengthen customer relationships, increase the frequency of customer visits and provide a high-quality service to a growing Mazak customer base. The new wide-ranging role will see Slack working alongside Mazak’s existing area sales managers in the north of England: Karl Hargreaves, Mark Ireland and Joe Trozzo.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Protolabs launches 3D printing DFM analysis

Protolabs has launched DFM (design for manufacture) analysis for 3D-printed parts, offering peace of mind to manufacturers across Europe.It is a significant advancement to the offer as it provides added assurance that a part is suitable for 3D printing before committing to production, all entirely online in a matter of seconds.Andrea Landoni, Protolabs EMEA’s 3D-printing product manager, says: “The system will instantly highlight all the issues to the user, whether they are critical, such as parts that are too large, or non-critical, like dimensions that are close to certain thresholds like wall thickness and may not form completely.”
For further information www.protolabs.co.uk

DMC achieves certifications

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) has received a key aerospace certification that demonstrates its commitment to production quality and traceability. Working alongside the Midlands Aerospace Alliance and the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the DMC has been awarded AS9100 Rev D and ISO 9001.It makes DMC one of the few commercial additive manufacturing businesses in the UK to receive AS9100. In meeting the requirements for this quality management system, the DMC has ensured that it is well-placed to meet the current and future needs of the aerospace industry.
For further information www.digitalmanufacturingcentre.com