EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

NCMT and BEL build talent pipeline

To mark the UK’s recent National Manufacturing Day, machine tool supplier NCMT and engineering services provider BEL Engineering shone the spotlight on how manufacturers can grow next-generation talent by pairing hands-on training with an Okuma Genos M460V-5AX five-axis machining technology and meeting young people where they already are: on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Jonathan Smart, managing director of NCMT, says: “We deliver world-class manufacturing technology and work with partners to unlock its full capability; social media adds the spark and ambition apprentices need to excel.”

More information www.ncmt.co.uk

Tokamak Energy acquires Ridgway Machines

Tokamak Energy, a UK fusion technology company, has accelerated the growth and manufacturing capabilities of its TE Magnetics business with the acquisition of specialist engineering company Ridgway Machines. Leicester-based Ridgway Machines, an expert in solutions for winding and insulating superconducting magnets and cables, will operate as a subsidiary of Tokamak, with the existing brand, workforce and facility remaining unchanged.

Andy Glanville, Ridgway Machines’ managing director, says: “Throughout the company’s 100-year history, Ridgway has always been forward-looking. Our track record means we’re well suited to expansion and this new period of growth. In Tokamak Energy, we’re proud to be joining one of the UK’s most exciting technology businesses, and to play our part in their ambitious and transformative plans.”

More information www.tokamakenergy.com

Amentum to create 3000 UK jobs

Amentum, a global advanced engineering and technology solutions specialist, is set to create 3000 new jobs in the UK over the next four years on the back of growth in nuclear power and defence. Amentum is a lead delivery partner for the UK’s new nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, and provides key technical and project solutions for small modular reactors and fusion research.

“We’re stepping up collaboration between our people on both sides of the Atlantic to ensure that we seize opportunities which are tailor-made for our company,” says Mark Whitney, president of Amentum Energy & Environment. “Based on current demand projections, we expect to increase our UK headcount by 50% over the next four years.”

More information www.amentum.com  

Caracol acquires Weber IP and technology

Caracol, a global specialist in large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM), has acquired IP and robotic machine configuration assets from the additive division of Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik GmbH, a German expert in extrusion technology. The acquisition serves two purposes for Caracol: to integrate Weber’s additive technology into its portfolio, creating the market’s most comprehensive LFAM ecosystem; and reinforce its commitment to accelerating the global adoption and industrialisation of LFAM technologies across diverse manufacturing sectors.

More information www.caracol-am.com

DN Solutions accelerates ‘Vision 2032’

DN Solutions, the world’s third-largest and Korea’s leading machine tool company, announced at the EMO 2025 exhibition in Hanover last month the key achievements and future direction of its global ‘Vision 2032’ growth strategy. Key milestones in the past two years include surpassing 300,000 machine deployed globally since its foundation in 1976.

The company has also expanded beyond the automotive and semiconductor sectors into aerospace, space and defence. In addition, DN Solutions has launched the DLX series for PBF additive manufacturing, began construction of a new plant and R&D centre in India, opened a new Tech Centre in Chicago, and acquired German machine tool manufacturer Heller to create a combined entity with revenues of approximately €2bn.

More information www.dn-solutions.com