EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Get set for Smart Manufacturing Week

Smart Manufacturing Week 2025 (4-5 June, Birmingham NEC) is the UK’s biggest and most vibrant gathering for industrial innovation. The event brings together over 13,500 attendees and more than 450 solution providers to explore the technologies, strategies and connections shaping the future of manufacturing and engineering.

At the event, four dedicated exhibitions cover smart manufacturing technologies that include design and engineering, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, maintenance and reliability, robotics, and more. With over 1000 products and services on display, plus Innovation Alley – dedicated to helping young businesses break on to the scene – there is plenty to see and learn at Smart Manufacturing Week.

More information www.smartmanufacturingweek.com

The die is cast

A global leader in complex aluminium sand castings has secured a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation after a breakthrough in developing lightweight structures for electric vehicles. Grainger & Worrall, which employs 525 people at its state-of-the-art facility in Bridgnorth, has developed methods to produce prototype gigacastings rapidly and consistently so they perform like ‘die-castings’ made for high-volume cars and off-highway production. This capability gives customers the opportunity to test vehicle designs quickly before committing to expensive production equipment.

More information www.gwcast.com

QBO secures £500k loan

A Queen’s Award-winning company that supplies bearings worldwide is set to boost exports to South America after securing £500,000 from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Debt as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). Quality Bearings Online, based in Leeds, currently supplies manufacturing and engineering firms in over 120 countries, with exports accounting for more than 90% of turnover. The business, which is led by Denny Maude and Simon Riley, currently employs 27 staff. NPIF II funding will also provide additional working capital to support growth plans.

More information www.mercia.co.uk

Best of UK Engineering Nears Glory

The brightest lights in British engineering and manufacturing are set to shine as finalists for the Enginuity Skills Awards 2025. Taking place on 3 July 2025, the event’s theme is: Engineering and Manufacturing is the Engine of Growth. The gala dinner will take place at the Park Plaza London Riverbank, where the winners will be announced. Each year, the Enginuity Skills Awards celebrates teams and individuals who inspire and empower the next generation of talent in the engineering and manufacturing sectors, fostering a culture of innovation, diversity and collaboration. Enginuity is formerly Semta, the sector skills council.

More information www.enginuity.org

Successful Citizen Product Launch Event

Last month, Citizen Machinery held a special event at the company’s Bushey headquarters to launch the third generation of its Cincom L20-LFV series of sliding-head lathes, which in the latest version are considerably more productive and eco-friendly. Three of the four variants available to UK and Irish manufacturers were on show under power producing typical customer-type components. As it was not a conventional open house, the gathering was smaller than normal, but nevertheless 60 visitors from 30 customer companies attended. Four orders were taken to the value of around £700,000.

More information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk