EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

UK Manufacturers Risk Becoming Forgotten Link In EU

The UK must intensify its efforts to secure a closer relationship with the EU or risk leaving domestic manufacturers at a growing disadvantage in the fast-changing industrial landscape. Stephen Morley, president of the Confederation of British Metalforming and chair of the Euroforge Automotive Sector, made the rallying call when he addressed the autumn meeting in Munich. The former auto veteran said an EU reset was imperative not only to protect the future of UK car making, but also to safeguard the interests of EU partners whose manufacturing success depends on integrated cross-border supply chains. 

More information www.thecbm.co.uk 

Start Up Loans Ambassadors Named For East Midlands

The founders of an aerospace business that used funds from the Start Up Loans programme have been named Start Up Loans Ambassadors for the East Midlands. Rowan Carstensen and Andrea Savi launched Flyber Aerospace Composites in 2023. The business manufactures composite propellers for drones, UAV and urban air mobility. Flyber secured £50,000 of financing, enabling it to develop its first prototype and invest in the R&D needed to support its manufacturing process. Flyber now supplies the MoD, has developed opportunities with prospects in the US, attracted angel investment, and opened a factory in Northamptonshire. 

More information www.startuploans.co.uk     

Lang Technik UK Unveils New Showroom

A UK five-axis work-holding and automation system specialist has unveiled its new showroom. Lang Technik UK, which works with many of the world’s major machine tool suppliers, has invested heavily into converting a 2000 sq ft facility near Banbury into a dedicated space for showcasing its growing range of products. 

“Demand for our solutions in the UK has grown between 10 to 15% every year since we launched in 2019,” explains Danny Brook, sales director at Lang Technik UK. “We’re seeing more and more requests for live demonstrations, so felt the time was right to add a dedicated UK showroom. If you’re looking to maximise performance and reduce changeover times for your CNC milling machine then our solutions can help – it’s as simple as that.”  

For further information, please visit www.lang-technik.co.uk 

Consecutive Years Of Innovation And Environmental Awards

Cutting tool manufacturer Tungaloy has received two awards from the Japan Cutting & Wear-Resistant Tool Association (JTA): the 2026 Environmental Special Award for ongoing improvements in CO₂ emissions intensity and waste reduction; and the 2026 Technical Achievement Award for its DeepTri-Drill indexable gun drilling system. 

These honours mark four consecutive years of Technical Achievement Awards and three consecutive years of environmental recognition. Tungaloy has shown consistent reductions in CO₂ emissions intensity per unit of production and total waste generation over multiple years. From an innovation perspective, DeepTri-Drill is an indexable gun drill with a minimum drill diameter of 8 mm that incorporates three proprietary technologies.  
More information www.tungaloy.com

PPMA Panel, BARA And UKIVA Help Unify Sector

The PPMA Panel, the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA) and the UK Industrial Vision Association (UKIVA) will be renamed the Automate UK Processing and Packaging Committee, Automate UK Robotics Council and Automate UK Vision Committee respectively. The move brings each organisation under the unified Automate UK identity. Their role is to provide a strong voice within the processing and packaging, robotics, automation, and industrial vision sectors. All three bodies will continue to represent their own sectors, providing standards, guidance, training and growth opportunities. 

More information www.automate-uk.com