EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Immersive technology 

The next generation of engineering professionals are now training using the latest immersive technology following a £3m investment at Coventry University. The university’s College of Engineering Environment and Science has installed a Powerwall, which uses 3D immersive technology to help students better understand their mechanical designs and projects. It allows them to display and interact directly with a design on screen, zooming in to see it from all angles. This capability helps to expedite the development of prototypes and form a focal point for collaborative design sessions and discussions.

More information www.bit.ly/46PuSKw

RK partners with DCM

RK International Machine Tools has a new partnership with DCM Tech, a US-based grinding machine specialist. The collaboration will bring DCM Tech’s surface grinding machines to the UK and Irish markets, enhancing RK International’s capabilities and offerings. DCM Tech is known for its IG series surface grinders featuring user-friendly interface, variable speed spindle and table control, automatic down feed, automatic part detection, and closed-loop coolant filtration. “RK International’s extensive experience and commitment to customer satisfaction align perfectly with our values,” says DCM Tech’s president Jennifer Rutz.

More information www.rk-int.com

AWI leads with £10k Guide Dogs donation

A kind-hearted Black Country manufacturer is helping visually impaired people with its biggest charity donation yet. Alloy Wire International (AWI), which supplies a range of 60 exotic alloys to over 6000 industrial customers globally, has given £10,000 to leading charity Guide Dogs. Part of its ‘Wired for Good’ campaign, the value of the gift has seen the company name its own guide dog puppy ‘Allie’, who is currently going through training prior to placement. She will be one of 200 current working guide dog partnerships across the Black Country, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

More information www.alloywire.com

Mec Com Fabrications reports record year

A precision fabricator and specialist in electromechanical assembly is on course for its best-ever 12 months to mark its 25th anniversary. Mec Com Fabrications, which employs 230 people across two manufacturing facilities in Staffordshire and Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is set to hit the £27m sales mark after winning a string of new orders. The company’s order book is nearly 20% up on the budget set in 2023, providing the perfect birthday present for the business which was formed in 1999 by a group of employees who reacted to GEC-Alstom wanting to outsource its sheet metal and mechanical parts manufacturing capabilities.

More information www.mec-com.co.uk

£500,000+ orders from XYZ exhibition

XYZ Machine Tools rolled out the red carpet to customers, technology partners and other stakeholders at its recent 40th anniversary technology exhibition. Taking place last month at the company’s 100,000 ft² headquarters and manufacturing facility in Devon, the two-day event resulted in machinery sales worth over £500,000.

“It was fantastic to see so many familiar and new faces at our technology exhibition,” reports managing director Martin Burton. “XYZ wanted to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style and we were so pleased that 123 representatives from 65 existing or prospective customers took time from their busy schedules to attend. We received terrific feedback and hopefully there was something of value for everyone. The machine orders we’ve taken so far certainly seem to corroborate that aspiration.”More information www.xyzmachinetools.com