EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

£242m Economic Boost For Northwest

A pioneering programme helping northwest manufacturers invest in industrial digital technology is forecast to create more than 1550 new jobs and boost the region’s economy by £242m, new figures reveal.The Made Smarter adoption programme launched in Liverpool to help businesses digitalise, decarbonise and drive growth.So far 2500 manufacturers from across Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashireand Cumbria have engaged with the programme, with hundreds going on to receive support through grant funding, impartial technology advice and leadership and skills training.
For further information www.madesmarter.co.uk

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK strikes gold

Injection-moulding machine manufacturerSumitomo (SHI) Demag UK has earned the emissions-reversal gold certification badge from Carbon Neutral Britain. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag UK has offset 153.81 tonnes of CO2e emissions through the Woodland Fund portfolio of certified nature-based carbon reduction projects.To achieve this certification, the company measured and reportedday-to-day activities such as car journeys, flights, trains, taxis, hotel stays, recycling, waste, and electricity and gas consumption figures. The audit helped to identify hotspots where it was possible to make further improvements.
For further information https://sumitomo-shi-demag.co.uk

Emag Group mourns loss of former CEO

Norbert Heßbrüggen,the former CEO and shareholder of machine tool builder Emag passed away last month at the age of 88 in his hometown of Salach. The company owes a lot to him: under Heßbrüggen’sleadership from the end of the 1960s, the small southern German machine manufacturer became a globally active group with numerous subsidiaries. He also had the pioneering idea for a multi-functional vertical turning centre that made Emag a technology leader. In addition, the successful corporate structure that is still in place today was created under Heßbrüggen’s tenure. The entire company is mourning his passing.
For further information www.emag.com

Mestec scores hat-trick of contract wins

A UK technology specialist is building on a record year by winning a trio of high-profile contracts and a prestigious global award. Mestec, which has seen sales grow by over 50% since its acquisition by Eyelit, will use its cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES) solution to create smarter factories for clients involved in supercar customisation, advanced engineering and golf equipment manufacture.

The Bracknell-based business will work with the global brands to rapidly deploy technology that promises to improve performance across 80+ KPIs in a bid to improve productivity, OEE, quality and compliance.It comes at an exciting time for the firm after it won the Oracle ‘Global Leaders ISV of the Year Award’ at a ceremony that formed part of the recent Oracle CloudWorld in Las Vegas.
For further information www.mestec.net

Around 30,000 expected at Maktek Konya

The second edition of Maktek Konya is taking place in Turkey’s Anatolian region week (11-14 October). Staged at the Tüyap Konya International Fair Centre, Maktek will focus on manufacturing technologies that include sheet metal processing machines (bending, folding, straightening and flattening), tooling, measurements systems and CADCAM software.

Maktek Konya takes place in co-operation with the Machine Tools Industrialists and Business Association (TIAD) and the Turkish Machine Manufacturers Association (MIB). The last edition of the trade fair, in 2019, achieved great success by hosting 29,753 professional visitors from 47 countries, as well as 276 exhibitors from 20 countries. Some 88% of visitors said that they intend to return.
For further information www.maktekkonya.com/en