EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Andrew Elliott rejoins Ward CNC

Andrew Elliott has rejoined machine tool supplier TW Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) as a permanent employee, operating in the company’s sales department and senior management team. He takes up the new position of manager – new and used machine tool sales. Managing director Simon Whitworth says: “This appointment is a valuable and strategically important one for the company’s future growth and succession planning. Furthermore, Andrew’s experience and key connections across the industry give us confidence of continued success.”

More information www.wardcnc.com

Kuka Digital: new business segment

Automation group Kuka has founded a new business segment. With Kuka Digital, the long-established German-based company known for its orange industrial robots is expanding its software and digital business. The goal: end-to-end digitalisation of production machines, from first 3D simulation, through connectivity and data analysis, to the use of AI. 

Specifically, Kuka’s digital segment is focusing on a software and digital portfolio that is not limited to the company’s robots. Regardless of machine type and manufacturer, customers should be able to use software solutions for their production machines and thus digitalise their production halls from end to end.

More information www.kuka.com

FANUC Hails UK Robot Stars

A team representing the UK’s finest young robotics talent, and supported by factory
automation specialist FANUC UK, has been honoured at WorldSkills Lyon 2024. Jason Scott
and Charlie Carson, both from Northern Ireland, were awarded the Medallion for Excellence
in the category of Robot Systems Integration, where they competed against teams from 18
different countries.
The duo attended Northern Regional College and Scott now works at AES Global while
Carson attends the University of Ulster. Over 1500 young people from 69 countries
competed over four days of competition in 62 different skills at WorldSkills Lyon, which was
watched by over 250,000 spectators.
More information www.fanuc.eu

Laser processes with AI intelligence

Machine tool manufacturer Trumpf and machine learning (ML) specialist SiMa.ai have
entered a strategic partnership for lasers with AI. Together, the companies are developing
AI chips and software to improve welding, cutting, marking and 3D printing processes. The
technology will drive more efficient laser applications that accelerate the production of
electric cars, for example.
Edge ML applications that run completely on SiMa.ai’s machine learning SoC (system on
chip) are said to see a tenfold increase in performance and energy efficiency, bringing higher
fidelity intelligence to ML use cases extending from computer vision to generative AI. At
Trumpf, approximately 90 worldwide are working on AI, primarily in product development.
More information www.trumpf.com

Offshore Wind Partnership

The National Composites Centre (NCC), Bristol Composites Institute (BCI) and Vestas have
established a strategic technology research partnership to anchor the UK’s future wind
industry. This enhanced, sustained collaboration will accelerate turbine blade technology
development necessary to propel the UK’s clean energy superpower ambitions and enable
supply chain resilience. The UK Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan estimates the
domestic economic opportunity for the sector to be worth up to £92bn by 2040. Key to
maximising market potential is advanced product and technology development.

More information www.nccuk.com