EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

£7m for tidal turbine tech

Orbital Marine Power, the Scotland-based operator of the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, has secured a multi-million pound investment to advance its international commercial projects and contribute to the wider decarbonisation of energy.The investment follows a major vote of confidence from Canada, where the Province of Nova Scotia recently awarded Orbital and Eauclaire Tidal significant new tidal energy licences through the province’s 2025 procurement process.Orbital harnesses tidal energy along the UK coast, from Orkney to the Isle of Wight, sourcing its materials and manufacturing domestically.

More information www.orbitalmarine.com

Supplychain resilience

Digital Catapult has named five start-ups that will join its accelerator programme to improve industrial supply chain resilience in the defence industry and drive the practical application of deep-tech innovation. Dataline Labs, CamyPro and Technia will work to address the Technical Data Packs (TDP)-Digital Inventory Connectors challenge, developing software solutions to extract and standardise metadata from PLM systems, whileVistory Group and Quaisr will tackle the Federated Digital Inventory challenge to develop a unified, permissioned platform to view and share technical data across the entire supply chain. 

More information www.digitalcatapult.org.uk

Shepley Spring boosts efficiency and safety

Huddersfield-based Shepley Spring has transformed efficiency and improved safety with the support of improved factory access. The company appointed Tadweld, an expert UK steelwork and safe access supplier, to complete a series of bespoke solutions and structural steel modifications that included staircases, platforms and conveyor crossovers at its 16,000 sqft factory.Tadweld addressed complex challenges,such as operating in highly confined and irregular spaces, and adapting existing structure to include cutting and relocating overhanging steel supports to accommodate new platforms.

More information www.tadweld.co.uk

Metrology giant names president of global sales

Metrology specialist Optical Gaging Products (OGP) has appointed Panos Angelopoulos as president ofglobal sales, succeeding R. Stephen Flynn, who is retiring after 31 years with the company. Angelopoulos brings to OGP over three decades of experience in executive leadership roles within industrial and commercial manufacturing. He begins his tenure with OGP at a pivotal time in the company’s 80-year history, as OGP’s tradition of technological advancements continues with the next evolution of its SmartScope 3D multi-sensor dimensional measuring machine featuring the patented IntelliCentric-M optical system.

More information www.ogpnet.com

Stratasys Supercharges Airbus Production

Powered by Stratasys additive manufacturing (AM) technology, Airbus is now producing more than 25,000 flight-ready 3D-printed parts annually, transforming how aircraft are built and maintained across its global fleet. Evolving from its first part, a spare crew seat component, Airbus has embraced AM, taking it to new heights with more than 200,000 certified Stratasys polymer parts now in active service.

Recent data shows that the implementation of Stratasys’ 3D printed parts utilised in the Airbus A350 resulted in a 43% weight reduction, the elimination of the minimum order quantity requirement, and an 85% reduction in lead time. Airbus has parts printed for the A320, A350 and A400M models using Stratasys ULTEM 9085 material on multiple Stratasys industrial-grade FDM printers.

More information www.bit.ly/4iTItq9