EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

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

NCMT to distribute metal 3D printers in UK

NCMT has signed an exclusive UK distribution agreement with Tritone Technologies, a specialist in metal additive manufacturing (AM). Jonathan Smart, managing director of NCMT, says: “We’re now entering the AM sector, elevating our capabilities to meet the evolving demands of modern industry. The integration of Tritone’s advanced MoldJet technology not only diversifies our portfolio but also solidifies our position as a leader in shaping the future of precision engineering and manufacturing.” MoldJet allows quick and easy changeover between various metals for parallel manufacturing of different parts.

For further information www.ncmt.co.uk

Subcontract market ends year on a high

The latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) shows that the UK market for subcontract manufacturing ended 2023 on a strong note, with the market up 106% compared to the previous three months. Overall, the market concluded 7.5% higher than at the end of 2022. Fabrication was the strongest area, up 160% on the previous quarter and 12% on the previous year. Growth in machining was less strong but still significant, up 51% on the previous quarter and 2.4% on 2022.

Sourcing specialist Qimtek produces the CMI, a reflection of the total purchasing budget for outsourced manufacturing of companies looking to place business in any given month. The CMI represents a sample of over 4000 companies that could be placing business, which together have a purchasing budget of more than £3.4bn, and a supplier base of over 7000 companies with a verified turnover in excess of £25bn.

For further information www.qimtek.co.uk