EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Stratasys among most innovative companies

Additive manufacturing (AM) machine manufacturer Stratasys has been includedon Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2025. The recognition highlights Stratasys’ impact in advancing the adoption of AM, providing manufacturers with the flexibility, efficiency, cost savings and performance they need to compete in today’s dynamic industrial landscape.By integrating advanced hardware, high-performance materials, intelligent software and a robust partner network, Stratasys says it is making it easier for manufacturers to leverage the advantages of 3D printing.

More information www.stratasys.com

RARUK Automation enters partnerships

RARUK Automation, known for supplying the Universal Robots range of collaborative robots (cobots) and other automation solutions in the UK, is entering new partnerships with SICK and Inbolt. The collaborations will allow RARUK Automation to unlock new cobot applications for UK manufacturing businesses.

For instance, the End-of-Arm-Safeguard (EOAS) from SICK creates a protective field around the cobot’s end effector, preventing it from coming into contact with human workers operating in the same area. Meanwhile, Inbolt’s GuideNOW is an AI-based 3D vision system that enables real-time cobot guidance.

More information www.rarukautomation.com

Expansion at Lawton Tubes

Lawton Tubes, a manufacturer and supplier of copper tubing products, is investing £20m
into a new facility just a few metres from its current headquarters in Coventry. Within three
years, the expansion will see the creation of a 11,148 m², two-storey facility that will house
Lawton’s manufacturing, storage and office operations. The vision is to transform the entire
two-hectare site into a state-of-the-art distribution centre and new head office. The project
will be a significant step forward for the family-run business, which has an annual turnover
of £230m and a team of 140 staff across four sites in Coventry, Redditch and Poole.
More information www.lawtontubes.co.uk

Seco moves to sustainable packaging

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, cutting tool manufacturer Seco is
making a significant change to its product packaging. The company is transitioning to
environmentally friendly packaging made from 98-100% recycled materials, a move that will
result in an estimated reduction of 131 T of CO₂ emissions annually. Seco says the new
packaging, made of recycled polypropylene or polyethylene depending on the supplier,
maintains the same high standards of quality and functionality that customers expect while
contributing to a more sustainable future.
More information www.secotools.com

Sheffield Forgemasters meets PM

A delegation from Sheffield Forgemasters joined the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and
Secretary of State for Defence John Healy MP, at 10 Downing Street earlier this month.
Two apprentices, Renee Marsh and Harley Edmonds, were accompanied by people
development specialist Harriett Eccles and CEO Gary Nutter at the event, which set out to
raise the importance of skilled jobs in defence manufacture.
In addition to meeting the Ministers, the Sheffield Forgemasters team spoke to an audience
of college students about the well-paid opportunities that defence manufacturing jobs can
offer. The company’s ongoing apprenticeships programme, coupled with its large-scale
recapitalisation programme, is providing career opportunities for decades to come. 
More information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com