EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Digital Catapult invests in UK start-up

Digital Catapult, a deep-tech innovation organisation, has invested £510,000 into Productive Machines, a Yorkshire-based start-up that is planning to transform UK digital supply chains. The investment will enable the start-up to scale its customer base for its SenseNC products, reshore manufacturing by increasing the competitiveness of local manufacturers, and drive greater resilience of UK digital supply chains.  

Productive Machines has developed the world’s first autonomous milling optimisation software, SenseNC. The software streamlines machining operations by simulating and optimising various machine settings, helping manufacturers to optimise performance before operations are sent to CNC machine tools. This Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution reduces the need for time-consuming trial-and-error processes.

More information https://productivemachines.co.uk/

Mills CNC to stage technology show

Machine tool supplier Mills CNC will be hosting a two-day advanced technology event at its facility in Leamington on 15-16 October 2025. With an umbrella title of ‘The One Show’, this best-practice event will provide UK and Irish component manufacturers with an opportunity to find out more about the productivity and process efficiency gains achievable from one-hit machining.

The show will also provide the platform for Mills CNC to launch two DN Solutions multi-axis/multi-tasking machine tools. The new machines, a second-generation DVF 5000 simultaneous five-axis machining centre and a DNX 2100SB entry-level multi-tasking mill-turn machine, will be put through a series of machining demonstrations. Technical presentations on the new machine will take place from 10.30 to 11.00 on both days.

More information www.millscnc.co.uk

MTA secures employer recognition Award

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has achieved a Gold Award in the Defence Relationship Management (DRM) Employer Recognition Scheme. Having previously held the Silver Award, the association has been working hard to increase its support, alongside current Gold Award holders, who have acted as excellent role models. 

In the 10 years since signing the Armed Forces Covenant, the MTA has proactively advocated for, and supported, the armed forces community. Some of the key actions for which the MTA have been recognised include its extensive charitable and advocacy work.

More information www.mta.org.uk

Subcontract Market Up 61% in Q2

The UK subcontract manufacturing market leapt ahead in the second quarter of 2025 as large buyers returned to the market with new projects. The signs are that there are more to come. The latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) shows that the subcontract market was up 61% on Q1 20205, which was itself 50% up on Q4 2024.

Commenting on the figures, Qimtek owner Karl Wigart says: “It’s good to see the market up on the previous quarter; it finally seems to be getting up some momentum and shrugging off potential adverse factors. We’re hearing that there are more projects to come, but buyers are not sure when that will be. Hopefully this growth will continue in the next quarter.”

More information www.qimtek.co.uk

Outstanding apprentice

A Black Country toolmaker that is a ‘fantastic ambassador’ for vocational learning has been crowned ‘Outstanding Apprentice of the Year’. Accura Engineering’s Ethan Austin beat off the challenge of over 100 peers to secure the title at the In-Comm Training Awards in Birmingham earlier this month. More than 420 people from 50 companies heard how Ethan had shown exceptional commitment to both technical and professional development, and is the youngest apprentice at the company to be trusted in customer-facing roles. Judges also commented on his track record in supporting improvement projects.

More information www.in-comm.co.uk