EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Oerlikon innovation and production hub

Oerlikon celebrated the ground-breaking of its new global innovation and production centre for thermal spray systems and coating cervices at Campus Reichhold in Aargau, Switzerland.

The facility will bring together approximately 250 skilled employees, currently located at three separate Swiss sites. Notably, the campus will integrate R&D, engineering, production and customer services into a single hub. Operations are expected to commence in Q1 2027. The centre will primarily serve customers in the aerospace, automotive and general industrial markets. Among its features is a unique test rig for aerospace turbine parts.

More information www.oerlikon.com

Recognition for MES specialist

Critical Manufacturing, a specialist in advanced Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and a subsidiary of ASMPT, has been recognised as a Representative Vendor in the May 2025 Gartner Market Guide for MES report. Gartner states this recognition is based on “inquiry volumes, market presence and the ability to cover the core MES use cases and features”.

Francisco Almada Lobo, Critical Manufacturing CEO, says: “In recent years we have been recognized three times as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for MES report and we are now equally proud that this research and advisory firm has listed us as a Representative Vendor in its May 2025 Market Guide for MES.”
More information www.criticalmanufacturing.com

Metelec expands with NI facility

Specialist copper supply chain partner Metelec has announced the launch of a distribution facility in Belfast, offering improved convenience and delivery times for customers across Northern Ireland. Metelec has strengthened its relationship with ARO Logistics to open the operation in its state-of-the-art 36,000 sq ft distribution facility in Newtownabbey, from which deliveries will be made across the country.

One of the UK’s largest distributors of copper bars, busbars, copper profiles and copper components, Metelec has a head office in the West Midlands, as well as operating from another distribution centre in Tullamore, Republic of Ireland. The Newtownabbey centre will shorten delivery times for dozens of customers in Northern Ireland.

More information www.metelec.com

JOSCAR approval granted to Pre-Met

A Redditch-based metal pressing and stamping specialist is targeting a multi-million-pound opportunity in aerospace, automotive and defence after it was approved by a major industry buying portal. Pre-Met, which recently acquired Quality Springs & Pressings, has passed all the criteria and compliance checks required to be listed on JOSCAR, a global best-practice supplier portal used by thousands of major OEMs, tier 1s and supply chain companies across the UK and Europe. The company’s 100% OTIF delivery performance, quality scores and commitment to EH&S best practice saw it pass all checks

More information www.metalpressingsandstampings.co.uk

STL Targets 20% EU Growth

A UK specialist in precision stamping and bi-metal bonding for the electrical contact market – Samuel Taylor Limited (STL) – is targeting a 20% increase in European-wide sales by capitalising on its’ global trading heritage. Over the course of the next few months, STL representatives will embark on multiple visits throughout the Eurozone encompassing countries such as France and Germany. The company will have a presence at major exhibitions and visit customers new and old within sectors such as rail, automotive, defence, and mobile/ off-grid power solutions.

More information www.samueltaylor.co.uk