Editor’s Pick

All roads lead south

Southern Manufacturing 2019 will open its doors this week (5-7 February) in Farnborough, Hampshire.
Last year, the event entered its third decade with a move into its new permanent home, the £35m Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, a 20,000 sq m complex offering world-class facilities, easy access and free on-site parking. Around 7700 visitors attended the 2018 event. As always, MTI will be among the exhibitors at Southern Manufacturing. All visitors are invited to stand D275 for an informal chat with the friendly MTI team about the industry’s most expedient way to buy or sell machine tools and associated equipment.

The free seminar programme at Southern Manufacturing has been extended with further sessions addressing the latest advances in Industry 4.0, advanced manufacturing and materials. Some 41 sessions will run in two lecture theatres over the three days of the show, all of which are free to attend.
For further information www.industrysouth.co.uk

Land Rover Schools Technology Challenge

More than 100 future engineers from schools in 15 countries will meet in the West Midlands for the Land Rover 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge world finals.

Students will compete to design and build miniature remote-controlled 4x4s over four days (13-16 April 2019) at the University of Warwick, near Jaguar Land Rover’s headquarters in Whitley.
Thousands of young people have taken part in the competition since 2006. Moreover, the Land Rover 4×4 in Schools Technology Challenge was extended internationally in 2015 and now runs in 20 countries. The world finals will bring together all the national champions, with students travelling to the UK to compete for the world champion’s trophy. Student teams around the globe are now preparing for the finals and working hard to produce a world-beating, remote-controlled, scale model off-roader which incorporates lessons learned in their national final competitions.
For further information www.4x4inschools.co.uk

40 years of Renishaw apprentices

Renishaw is currently recruiting for a record 68 apprentices across its sites in Gloucestershire and Wales.

The 2019 intake will be the 40th cohort to join Renishaw, which has taken apprentices every year since 1979. Applications for a range of roles, including engineering, software, embedded electronic design and development, and IT, are now open until 1 March 2019.
As well as gaining on-the-job experience and nationally recognised qualifications, apprentices at Renishaw receive a tailored induction programme and in-house training to ensure they get the best possible experience. Apprentices are also eligible for Renishaw’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes a 9% non-contributory pension, private medical insurance and a competitive salary.
For further information www.renishaw.com/apprentice

Get set for Expo Manufactura

The most important manufacturing event in Mexico, Expo Manufactura 2019, is set to take place on 5-7 February at the Cintermex venue in Monterrey.

Established for 25 years, last year’s show saw the strengthening of networking activities, while a strategic alliance was made with A3 (Association for Advancing Automation) resulting in a conference day focused on automation and robotics, as well as a 40% increase in the Automation and Robotics Pavilion for the 2019 edition.
Further pavilions set to take their place this year include those for plastics, additive manufacturing and medical device manufacturing. More than 300 exhibitors and 12,500 visitors are expected at the show. There will also be an international conference programme focusing on topics such as Industry 4.0, technological trends in manufacturing, and automation and robotics.
For further information www.expomanufactura.com.mx

Grinder keeps pace with demanding schedule

A well-established Midwest-based manufacturer that cranks out millions of shafts each year, ranging from 38 to 203 mm in length, and up to 32 mm in diameter, has recently sourced a new centreless grinder from Total Grinding Solutions (TGS).

The machine was selected thanks to its ability to handle the company’s myriad of part sizes and diameters with minimal changeover time. Robustness was an equally important factor.
With hundreds of different component sizes to process, TGS incorporated two machine upgrades to ensure that parts were handled properly. First, a custom part-pusher assembly was placed alongside the load conveyor to ensure consistent part pick-up by the accompanying Fanuc robot. Second, an advanced vision monitoring system was attached above the load conveyor to check incoming parts for size and shape, and to eliminate any potential for misfeed. Since the initial order, the manufacturer has ordered two additional TGS machines with sophisticated automation systems.
For further information www.totalgrindingsolutions.com