EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

NCMT reaches milestone

NCMT is celebrating 60 years of trading. The company was formed in 1964 by Gerry Gray after he won the exclusive right to market Japanese-built Makino machining centres and spark-erosion machines in the UK and Ireland, an agreement that persists to this day.In 1976, a second agency was added to sell Okuma machine tools, also from Japan, into the same markets. The move introduced extra CNC machining centres to NCMT’s portfolio as well as CNC lathes and grinders. In other news, NCMT will stage a pre-MACH open house at its Coventry showroom on 7-8 February.

For further information events@ncmt.co.uk

FourJaw doubles customer base

FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics says that the number of manufacturers using its plug-and-play machine monitoring platform more than doubled in 2023. In addition, the company’s installed base – the number of machines monitored by manufacturers using FourJaw technologies – increased almost threefold. FourJaw’s platform captures real-time production data from machinery and combines it with operator feedback to generate insights that improve productivity, operational efficiency, and financial and environmental performance. More than 120 manufacturing businesses worldwide now use FourJaw. 

For further information www.fourjaw.com

Blue Diamond back in UK hands

Blue Diamond Technologies is returning to UK ownership following its purchase, four years ago, by Swedish polymer engineering company Trelleborg Group. Incorporated in 1977 as a stockist and distributor of engineering and industrial components, members of the Worley family were the original owners of Blue Diamond. It is two of the original directors who are responsible for its re-acquisition now. Richard Worley, former managing director, and his brother, James, former operations director, aim to build on the company’s previous reputation for reliability and service, setting it back on a path for growth.

For further information www.blue-diamond.co.uk

Mills CNC publishes latest Insight

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of machine tools from DN Solutions and Zayer in the UK and Ireland, has published a new winter edition of Insight – the company’s biannual customer-facing magazine. Available in digital format from the company’s website, the latest edition celebrates Mills’ 50th anniversary with a feature article that charts the development and successes of the business over the past five decades.

In addition, this edition of Insight also contains a number of recent customer case studies completed since the last edition in July 2023, as well as retrospective reports on Mills CNC’s attendance at both Seco’s ‘Inspiration through Innovation’ event in October 2023 and Fanuc’s open house in November 2023. There is also a brief write up on the new DN Solutions DVF 4000 five-axis machining centre.

For further information www.millscnc.co.uk/leaders-digest

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics acquired

Easyfairs, the world’s largest privately owned exhibition organiser, has acquired European Trade & Exhibition Services, organiser of the Southern Manufacturing & Electronics exhibition, bolstering an engineering and manufacturing portfolio that already incorporates Advanced Engineering. Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is in its 26th edition, and this year takes place on 6-8 February at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre. The show attracts over 460 exhibitors and 9000 attendees. 

The show’s founder Phil Valentine says: “We could not be more delighted to reach this agreement with Easyfairs. As a family business, founded exactly 30 years ago, we were always going to be cautious in choosing the right company to take the event forward when we were ready to sell. We’ve built a strong relationship with the team at Easyfairs over many years; we’re therefore confident that Southern Manufacturing & Electronics is in the right hands for the future.”

For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk