EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Diamond mine shaft guides

The Special Profiles team at British Steel’s Skinningrove site has secured a contract to supply 768 tonnes of unique top hat profile to the Karowe diamond mine in Botswana – the world’s biggest diamond-producing country. Although the mine is currently operating as an open pit facility, underground operations are scheduled to commence early in 2028 to reach a planned depth of 767 m. To facilitate the underground mining, the production shaft will be fitted with top hat shaft guides. British Steel says it is the only global supplier of the unique top hat shaft guides. It will ship the material in four deliveries.

More information www.britishsteel.co.uk

AI-Inspired Field Service

A UK digital transformation specialist is leveraging the power of generative AI to deliver a boost to field service technicians. PTC has released the ServiceMax AI field service management assistant following successful beta testing and is rolling it out immediately across existing and new customers. The assistant enables organisations to modernise their workflows and improve the technician experience. It taps into the history of a field asset stored in the ServiceMax platform – including equipment data, service history and known service resolutions – to help get more done in less time.

More information www.ptc.com

Wired for Good Campaign Hits £60k

Acorns Children’s Hospice has become the first charity to be recognised twice by a Black Country manufacturer’s fundraising campaign. Alloy Wire International (AWI), a producer of round, flat and profile wire, has donated £5000 to the organisation as part of its ongoing Wired for Good initiative, with the money helping deliver essential services to more than 780 children and over 1000 families every year across the West Midlands. It follows a £7500 donation three years ago and takes the total money given out by AWI to good causes to £60,000.

More information www.acorns.org.uk

Grant Supports £1m Paint Shop Boost

A UK manufacturer of bespoke racking is looking to double its sales by 2028 after tapping into assistance from a major business support programme. Wickens Engineering, which employs 50 people at its Worcester factory, is targeting £20m in revenue after completing a £1m improvement project in the company’s paint shop, giving it the capability to powder-coat 8 m steel beams for the first time. The latest phase of the investment drive was supported by consultancy through the Elevate Manufacturing Programme, which included a revenue grant that played a key role in driving change.

More information www.elevate-manufacturing.co.uk

BGB welcomes third generation to team

Family-owned engineering firm BGB has welcomed Alex Holt, son of CEO David Holt, to its
team, marking the third generation of the Holt family to step into the business. Founded in
1976 by David’s father, David Holt Snr and his two partners, Grantham-headquartered BGB
quickly became a stand-out provider in fully engineered solutions for smart rotary
applications. Alex Holt, a business and finance graduate from De Montfort University in
Leicester, will spend the next 18-24 months rotating through key areas of the business as a
management trainee.
More information www.bgbinnovation.com