EDITORIAL ROUNDUP

Thales and Hexagon Formalise Partnership

Thales and Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division have signed a strategic five-year framework agreement, formalising Hexagon’s role as a key technology partner to support Thales’ operational performance and quality assurance across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. 

The agreement appoints Hexagon as Thales’ strategic supplier of metrology equipment, software, services and maintenance for all of the company’s divisions within the EMEA region. The agreement was signed in person during the Paris Air Show 2025 by Didier Perrigault, global expenses procurement director at Thales, and Stephen Chadwick, president EMEA at Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division.

More information www.hexagon.com

LK Metrology expands into industrial CT

Best known as a manufacturer and global supplier of CMMs and more recently laser scanning sensors, LK Metrology, based in Castle Donington, has acquired ProCon X-Ray GmbH, a specialist German manufacturer of computed tomography (CT) systems. Through the acquisition, LK Metrology can offer its customers an even wider range of products for inspection and measurement from a single source, from traditional CMMs, portable measuring arms and laser scanners to high-resolution X-ray and CT equipment. The companies will work closely together in the ongoing development of industrial CT solutions.

More information www.lkmetrology.com

XYZ Tackles Europe’s Skills Shortage

XYZ Machine Tools extends its help in tackling the skills shortage far beyond UK shores. A good example is the Czech Republic, home of Rexim spol, an XYZ distributor for 15 years. Many of Rexim’s machine installations have been into training and technical schools. Indeed, two recent installations have been for large numbers of machines to provide a foundation for skills training within the Czech Republic.

To help modernise the secondary technical school and business academy in Uhersky Brod, Rexim supplied six XYZ SLV manual mills and four 1550 VS manual lathes. Another regional Vocational School benefitting from XYZ machines is SOS Frydek Mistek following the purchase of 12 XYZ 2000 manual mills, 12 1330 Trainer lathes, six RMX 2500 CNC bed mills, six RLX 1630 CNC lathes, a 660 HD Vertical machining centre and a CT65 turning centre.

More information www.xyzmachinetools.com

Robot Idea Comes to Life

Winners of the WorldSkills UK’s ‘Designathon’ took their innovative concept from idea to reality during a hands-on experience at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) Training in Coventry recently. The Designathon, part of WorldSkills UK’s competition-based learning programme, challenged students to tackle real-world engineering problems with creative, practical solutions. The winning team from New College Lanarkshire in Scotland impressed judges with its robotic grabber design, a precision tool for automated picking and placing that shows strong potential for real-world application.

More information www.worldskillsuk.org/learning-lab

Automation Centre Opens

Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global specialist in digitising and automating frontline workflows, has launched the Industrial Automation Centre of Excellence in collaboration with Clearview, a Zebra industrial automation distributor. Located in Oxfordshire, the centre will offer relevant services, training advisory, and practical demonstrations for manufacturing specialists across the EMEA region. The centre will support end users, machine builders and systems integrators looking for machine vision, 3D and AI solutions to secure greater asset visibility and support intelligently automated operations.

More information www.clearview-imaging.com/coe