A Black Country testing specialist is celebrating its fifth birthday in style by committing to reaching £1m+ sales over the next 12 months. Staht, which was created by former 3M global product manager Rob Hirst, says it is transforming the way companies complete pull-testing and proof loading testing for fixings and safety eye bolts.

The company’s growing range of products have been designed to deliver optimal measuring performance and “boasts the best digital app in the marketplace”, giving a ‘connected’ solution that provides a GPS location, videos/photos and data in real time.

The Lye-based company has also tapped into support from Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) to help it build brand awareness and access capital funding to buy a 3D printer. BGWM’s package of support includes advice from local business growth advisers, grant programmes to improve productivity and expedite the businesses’ journey towards net zero, innovation support, and assistance for entrepreneurship and start-up businesses.

“We’ve come a long way since we started in my kitchen during Covid-19 and sometimes you have to take a step back and realise how far you have come as a business,” says Hirst. “I knew there was a gap in the market for a new pull-testing and proof loading product and, five years on, we now have an industry-leading ‘connected’ solution.”

He adds: “Our first year saw us achieve about £250,000 in turnover, but that was all about laying the foundations, with 2026 set to generate £1m+ in revenues. To cope with this expansion, we’ve invested heavily in our warehouse and workshops on Hayes Lane Trading Estate and have recently added a new training centre to educate existing and new clients on how our products work.”

More information www.staht.com

New equipment at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) will put the UK at the forefront of future hybrid and electric propulsion. The AMRC is now home to an open-access rotor spin test capability, the first of its kind in the UK, for high-performance electrical machines and rotating machinery. 

The equipment’s arrival has been made possible by funding from UKRI’s Driving the Electric Revolution (DER) challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and secured by UK-based Driving the Electric Revolution Industrial Centres (DER-IC) manufacturing innovation network, to support the industry in developing the technology needed to reach net zero. 

Some £1.2m of this funding has been allocated to help establish a world-class spin testing capability to support the design, manufacture and validation of electrical machine rotors and other rotating components. The Schenck Centrio 100 test system, installed at the AMRC’s flagship Factory 2050 facility, part of the DER-IC network, will allow component-level testing at speed and elevated temperatures to simulate in-service conditions. 

Together with the other capabilities at the AMRC, it will enable the ability to manufacture, test and iterate design and processes for high-performance electrical machines and rotating machinery. Professor Mike Capaldi, chair of DER-IC says: “Due to the lack of a UK-based open-access facility for high-speed rotor spin testing and certification, UK manufacturers are often compelled to offshore essential testing such as product certification – facing long lead-times and limited availability. This reduces the overall access to testing during process and product development making advanced rotor testing rare despite the benefits and cost savings it could yield. The installation of this equipment is a significant milestone in our mission to grow UK manufacturing in PEMD to power net zero.”

More information www.der-ic.org.uk

The latest revision of the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) – HNC in Mechanical Engineering for England has emphasised the need for educational institutions to collaborate with industry specialists. These partnerships ensure that students gain industry-relevant knowledge and practical skills aligned with real-world expectations. When Gateshead College began revising its quality control modules, finding the right partner became a critical step in shaping the future of its engineering curriculum.

Gateshead College faced the challenge of identifying a partner capable of delivering cutting-edge quality control solutions and hands-on training, while enhancing the overall learning experience for students. The ideal partner would not only supply state-of-the-art technology but also support the programme with industry expertise, ease of implementation and cost efficiency.

After evaluating several options, Gateshead College chose Aberlink. This decision was based on Aberlink’s reputation for delivering high-quality, easy-to-use CMMs and its commitment to supporting education. The college invested in two Aberlink systems: a Fulcrum manual CMM, designed for first- and second-year students to develop foundational skills; and an
Extol CNC CMM, allowing students to progress on to more advanced, automated measurement techniques later in their course. This two-tiered approach ensures that students gain a comprehensive understanding of quality control processes, preparing them for careers in engineering and manufacturing.

Aberlink also plays an active role in enhancing the educational experience by hosting tailored training sessions for students, both at Gateshead College’s modern engineering facility and at Aberlink’s office in South Shields. By sharing industry insights and expertise, our CMMs ensure the curriculum remains aligned with current and future engineering trends.

More information www.aberlink.com