EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Nikken CEO becomes MTA acting president

Nikken CEO and president Tony Bowkett is the latest acting president of the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA). With more than 30 years of experience as managing director and founder of Nikken Kosakusho Europe, Bowkett is responsible for the success of the company’s activities, including multiple subsidiaries within the Nikken Europe Group thattogether operate in excess of 23 countries. He says: “During my presidency, I would like to make it my mission to engage with MTA members and represent their best interests on local, national and international platforms.”
For further information www.mta.org.uk

College hosts landmark Haas facility

West Nottinghamshire College (WNC) has become the UK’s first Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, bringing a major investment in engineering facilities and training programmes for students, apprentices and employers.The link-up will see the college awarded £500,000 to develop its engineering facilities and employer-focused curriculum, aimed at growing the number of skilled manufacturers in the local area and beyond.

The money will fund improvements to the college’s Engineering Innovation Centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield, by remodelling the building to dedicate a larger area of its groundfloor to manufacturing, automation and robotics. WNC will also construct a new mezzanine floor containing classrooms overlooking the existing open-plan workshop space.In addition, the college will rebrand the building, which currently boasts six Haas CNC machines used by engineering students and apprentices, as the Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing.
For further information www.wnc.ac.uk

LOI set to propel AM in the aviation sector

GKN Aerospaceand Materialise, a global specialist in 3D printing solutions and services, have signed a letter of intent (LOI) aimed at advancing the research, designand production of polymer additively manufactured (AM) parts for the aviation industry. The signing of the LOI took place at the recent Paris Air Show and represents an extension of their successful collaboration. Materialise has been a supplier of polymer AM to GKN Aerospace since 2015 and supported the delivery of the additively manufactured wingtip for Eviation’s Alice, the world’s largest all-electric aircraft, which made its maiden flight in 2022.
For further information www.materialise.com

Biggest ever Design & Make Challenge

The UK’s biggest independent STEM event crowned four winners last week in a competition that attracted more than 80 pupils keen to get an insight into engineering. Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, Great Wyrley Academy, John Taylor High School and Lawrence Sheriff High School took the prizes at the Design & Make Challenge 2023, the largest ever staged by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN).The Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 students split up into teams of four to design, test and build an aircraft using just a box of simple materials and a selection of hand tools.
For further information www.man-group.co.uk

Tomorrow’s Engineers Week

Following a successful first decade, the popular Tomorrow’s Engineers Week will return this November, taking place from 6 to 10 November 2023.Now entering its 11th year, the annual celebration is an opportunity to inspire young people with modern engineering and technology, and showcase the benefits of a career in the sector.Tomorrow’s Engineers Week sees schools, employers, professional engineering institutions and individuals working in engineering and technology come together to bring engineering careers to life for young people.
For further information www.teweek.org.uk