EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Made Smarter drives £22m investment

SME manufacturers have invested £22m in technology, backed by Made Smarter’s adoption programme in the northwest. Some 300 businesses have now secured £6.5m matched funding from the government-funded, industry-backed initiative, adopting technologies as diverse as robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI).These 350 technology projects, supported by £16m private sector investment over the past five years, are forecasting the creation of almost 1600 new jobs and over 2850 upskilled roles. They are set to add £242m to the economy over the next three years.

For further information www.madesmarter.uk

Exhibitors sign up early for BIEMH

Four months before it starts, the organiser of the BIEMH 2024 machine tool show says 985 exhibitors have already booked space at the event. BIEMH, which will take place for the 32ndtime at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre on 3-7 June, will present the latest in innovation, technology, knowledge and business opportunities. Itsexhibition space will cover everything from cutting-edge machinery,tooling, accessories and components, to machine tools, metrology and production services. In addition, automation, robotics and digitalisation will consolidate their position as a prominent part of the event.

For further information https://biemh.bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com/en

World-first welding technology

Engineers from across Europe met in Flimby, Cumbria last month to demonstrate welding technology that will transform the way repairs take place in the shipping industry.Forth Engineeringinvited 12 partners from across Europe to showcase RESURGAM (Robotic Survey, Repair and Agile Manufacturing), a project that combines in-water friction stir welding technology with artificial intelligence and robotics.

The new technology will ultimately allow ship owners to repair vessels in the water, eliminating the need for a dry dock, thusimproving safety, cutting costs and saving time. Forth will share outcomes of the demonstration with the consortium and continue to work towards a solution that will be ready for roll-out across Europe and beyond.

For further information www.forth.uk.com

25th anniversary for Kautex Unipart

One of the UK’s longest-established joint ventures is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Kautex Unipart Ltd (KUL), a joint venture between Unipart Group and German partner Kautex Textron GmbH, has now produced 12.3million plastic fuel tanks at its state-of-the-art production line in Coventry. Fuel tanks have been manufactured for 19 different vehicle models since 1998, with £50m invested in the latest robotic cells, finishing stations and traceability technologies.

A celebration event was held to celebrate the 25th birthday, with all 122 employees at KUL praised for their commitment.They heard from management teams at both businesses about key achievements, which included the way the company supports STEM and the next generation of engineers, and how it has successfully embedded Industry 4.0 best practice across its 11,000 sq m site.

For further information www.unipart.com

SolidWorks co-founder invests in Flexxbotics

Flexxbotics, which delivers work-cell digitalisation for robot-driven manufacturing, is announcing investment and mentorship from industry luminary Scott Harris, co-founder of SolidWorks and Onshape. “Flexxbotics is at the forefront of a transformative movement in manufacturing, where robotics and digitalisation play a pivotal role in creating smarter, more efficient production environments,” says Harris.“Their capability to adapt robot performance on-the-fly in response to feedback is unique. I’m excited to contribute to their mission of redefining how robots and industrial machines work together in manufacturing.”

For further information www.flexxbotics.com