EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Fronius opens Tech Centre

Welding technology specialist Fronius UK has opened a Technical Competence Centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Catcliffe. Located four miles from Sheffield city centre, the new centre offers customers the opportunity for bespoke welding trials, demonstrations, training, servicing and hands-on technical problem solving. The expansion strengthens support for Fronius customers nationwide, complementing sites in Milton Keynes and Kilmarnock. Professionals from manufacturing and fabrication are invited to attend the official opening in Catcliffe on 7 May and experience the latest in welding innovation. More information www.bit.ly/3NHymK1

Major trade fairs conclude 2026 editions

Concurrent manufacturing trade fairs, Guangzhou Industrial Technology and Asiamold Select – Guangzhou, concluded their 2026 editions earlier this month. Co-located with SPS (Smart Production Solutions) Guangzhou, the combined platform drew 40,026 professional visitors from domestic and international markets. Attendees gathered to source technologies and share insights across a wide range of advanced manufacturing segments, including industrial automation, embodied intelligence, robotics, mould making and additive manufacturing.

More information www.bit.ly/4lEnnha

Kyocera Unimerco continues sustainability drive

Cutting tool manufacturer Kyocera Unimerco continues to take decisive action in support of the Kyocera Group’s sustainability targets, which align with the Paris Agreement’s ambitious goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The company expects

to reach its 46.2% reduction target in scopes 1 and 2 in 2026. For the fiscal year 2030, Kyocera Unimerco is aiming to reach its next milestone of a 70% reduction. Successful environmental projects include ensuring the evaporation of sludge from its coolant

plant in Sunds, Denmark. This activity is reducing both water usage and waste.

More information www.kyocera-unimerco.com

Technology Partnership set to drive physical AI at scale

ABB is now integrating NVIDIA Omniverse libraries into its RobotStudio offline programming and simulation tool to help manufacturers deploy physical AI in real world robotics applications. Says Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics:“Using NVIDIA accelerated computing and simulation technologies, we’ve removed the last barriers to making industrial and physical AI a reality at a global scale by closing the sim-to-real gap.”

Developers can now simulate robots in digital twins and generate synthetic data to train their physical AI models, enabling businesses of all types and sizes to deploy AI-driven robotics for various industrial workflows. Called RobotStudio HyperReality, the resulting physically accurate simulations and foundation models are endlessly optimised with real-world data feedback. These models can be used to train any number of ABB robots.

More information www.bit.ly/40y7H5o

£1bn contract for 23 new helicopters

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a £1bn contract award for new medium helicopters (NMH). Under the programme, Leonardo will build and deliver 23 latest-generation AW149s at Yeovil, boosting the capabilities of UK Armed Forces. The deal cements the site’s role of serving the national and export market with advanced military rotorcraft, with significant potential for the international market in the future.

The contract also secures thousands of skilled British jobs across the supply chain, as well as sovereign defence skills and expertise for decades to come. AW149 helicopters can operate in all environments in support of defence operations around the globe, from warfare to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts. Notably, the NMH programme will deliver multiple rotary wing requirements using a single aircraft-type.

More information www.leonardo.com