EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

World-first environmental standard claim

A UK manufacturer, fabricator and installer of access products – Teesside based Lionweld Kennedy – has secured an Environmental Product Declaration, making it the only grating manufacturer in the world to carry this accreditation.The Environmental Product Declaration is a transparent declaration communicating a product’s materials, and how it impacts the environment across its lifecycle. It also recognises those companies continually seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. The company says the accreditation reassures customers wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and use more sustainable products.

For further information www.lk-uk.com

£2m investment at Alucast

A £2m investment drive is helping a UK aluminium foundry pass the £10m sales mark as it looks to make the most of new opportunities.Alucast, which has increased its workforce by 20% to more than 120 people at its base in Wednesbury, has commissioned six CNC machines, a HDTD low-pressure machine and boosted its ‘new core’ capabilities. It is the company’s largest investment drive in nearly a decade and reflects an increase in demand for Alucast’s casting expertise and machining capabilities. Headlining the recent funding boost is an 800-tonne LK high-pressure die-casting machine.

For further information www.alucast.co.uk

Sheffield Forgemasters acquires more space

Sheffield Forgemasters has acquired a10,000 sq ft two-storey office building close to Meadowhall that will house increasing staff numbers.Located at the junction of Brightside Lane and Weedon Street, the 1980s-built Riverside Court complex, will become a new base for project leaders and associated contractors working on the company’s new 13,000-tonne forging line and proposed machining facility.With Sheffield Forgemasters undertaking a multi-million-pound recapitalisation project, its workforce has almost doubled through the presence of around 500 on-site contractors.

For further information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com

Orbex awarded £3.3m funding

UK-based orbital launch services company, Orbex, hassecured £3.3min funding from the UK Space Agency as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) ‘Boost!’ initiative. Orbex will use the funding to build the ‘Ultra-Green Launch Complex’ at Sutherland Spaceport on the north coast of Scotland. The spaceport aims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceport in its construction and operation. The site will see the launch of up to 12 orbital rockets per year, with Orbex already securing several commercial launch contracts with satellite manufacturers.

For further information www.orbex.space

£140,000 for iAero Centre

The Heart of the South West LEP has announced £144,500 to support ‘factory of the future’ digitisation for SMEs. This new funding will allow the iAero Centre at Yeovil to install an Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Factory+ demonstrator and equipment, thus creating a dedicated digital data demonstration space. TheiFACTORe project will focus on harnessing the power of data to drive innovation and collaboration in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors. By collecting and analysing vast amounts of data, companies can enhance efficiency and productivity.

For further information https://iaerocentre.co.uk