EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Too much time lost sourcing industrial supplies

Based on a new survey of stakeholders working across the UK subcontract manufacturing industry, commissioned by MSC Industrial Supply, 58% have limited or no capacity to take on more work, while a further 28% are operating at +50% capacity. Notably, according to ‘The Subcon Report: What next for the backbone of British industry?’, significant time is lost dealing with a volatile supply chain. Some 77% of subcontractors are spending up to 4 hours a week sourcing industrial supplies, and 75% of those surveyed have to deal with as many as five different industrial suppliers. Read the full report at the link below.
For further information www.bit.ly/46asihI

Recycling wind turbine parts

Experts at the Manufacturing Technology Centre are to take part in a €10m EU project to develop technologies that recycle high-value parts from wind turbine blades. The four-year EoLO-HUBS project aims to recover glass and carbon fibres from large wind turbine structures that have reached the end of their useful life. The Coventry-based MTC is one of 18 partners from across Europe, with project co-ordination by the Aitiip Technology Centre in Zaragoza, Spain. The consortium also includes research divisions from several leading industrial companies.
For further information www.the-mtc.org

ETG brings Axile brand to UK and Ireland

The Engineering Technology Group (ETG) is expanding its portfolio with the addition of the Axile brand of machine tools, for which the company is now the exclusive UK and Ireland technology partner. From a machine perspective, the company will be introducing the Axile G Series of gantry-type vertical machining centres and the DC series of double-column five-axis vertical machining centres that demonstrate high rigidity for the heavy-duty cutting of lengthy workpieces. There is also a complete range of options available for mill-turning with the MT versions of the machines.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

UKBIC to build £36m FIL

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the UK’s national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, has secured £36m in funding for the facility’s new flexible industrialisation line (FIL.)The new line will bridge the gap between UKBIC’s volume industrialisation line (VIL) and existing kilogram-scale demonstrator lines available elsewhere.Construction of the new line is set to get underway in September, with the equipment coming online during 2025.The line will provide battery developers with a cost-effective route to market, without having to take cell development outside of the UK.
For further information www.ukbic.co.uk

Master Abrasives becomes Supfina distributor

Midlands-based Master Abrasives is now an authorised distributor in the UK and Ireland for Supfina, a Germany-headquartered specialist in superfinishing and grinding machines.Ian Meredith, Master Abrasives’ applications engineering manager, explains: “Whether it is low-volume attachments or complete machining solutions with automation, we will work together with customers to review the existing production structure and meet any improvement requirements. This now includes solutions from Supfina for superfinishing, precision grinding, attachments and automation.”
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk