Wenzel is celebrating following the installation of its landmark 9000th measuring machine, a feat that follows another important milestone in the German metrology specialist’s history – its 50th year in the business.

Installing the Wenzel LH 1512 3D CMM coincides with a record-breaking output of almost €92m in 2018, based on strong sales success across its four regions: DACH, EMEA, Asia and America. The CMM purchase also comes full circle, with the very first measuring machine sold in Austria and now its 9000th going to another firm in the country, Voestalpine Krems GmbH.
Heralding the landmark installation and prosperity across the region, Dr Heike Wenzel, managing partner of Wenzel Group, says: “In 1981, the very first measuring machine built by Wenzel was sold by agent GGW Gruber in Austria. Now, the 9,000th machine manufactured in our German factory – with the serial number 189000 – has also gone to Austria. That cannot be a coincidence.”
Installed at the Krems site in Austria, the decision to purchase the Wenzel LH 1512 3D CMM by Voestalpine means the firm can streamline its operations across the automotive, construction and energy sectors with high levels of performance and accuracy. Like all Wenzel machinery, the CMM has been engineered from granite to eliminate heat sensitivity and increase precision within its environment. The low cost of ownership and the competitive price-performance ratio of the CMM were further motivating factors behind the purchase of the 18-tonne machine by the Austrian technology specialist.
Wenzel’s LH 3D CMM is the latest in bridge-style technology. The machine’s long-term mechanical accuracy and ergonomic design, along with sensor choices to suit a range of applications, means it is suited to situations which require high throughput.
For further information www.wenzel-group.com

Abrasive waterjet machine specialist Omax Corporation plans to join forces with Hypertherm, a US-based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software.

The move follows the signing of a definitive merger agreement that establishes Omax as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hypertherm. Upon the closing of the transaction, expected on or around 9 April, Omax’s direct-drive pumps, software and applications technologies
will combine with Hypertherm’s complementary portfolio of intensifier-based pumps and abrasive recycling systems to form a significant waterjet technology offering.
For further information www.omax.com

Fredrik Vejgården has been appointed by Seco Tools as the company’s new president and CEO. Since 2015, Vejgården has been vice president – strategy and business development at Sandvik Machining Solutions (SMS), where he has been driving the development of the SMS strategy and building the foundation for a new digital division.

Prior to this role, Vejgården worked at Luvata for 10 years, where he held different executive positions responsible for business operations in the UK, Americas and China. Vejgården also has a background as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co, with a focus on operational topics such as lean manufacturing and procurement.
For further information www.secotools.com

The UK’s best and brightest young skilled apprentices and students have been selected to represent all four nations in Team UK at the ‘Skills Olympics’ in Kazan, Russia (22-27 August).

More than 30 young professionals from sectors such as engineering, construction, and digital and IT, have cleared the highest hurdle in a two-year challenge to be the best in the world. These skilled young people have already triumphed in regional and national competitions and had one more momentous obstacle to overcome at team selection events the length and breadth of the UK. The results were revealed at Loughborough University.
For further information www.worldskillsuk.org

A specialist in software and solutions for the sheet metal and fabrication industries, Lantek, reached a turnover of €19.25m in the 2018 fiscal year, a 10% increase in comparison with the previous period.

The company’s customer base also continued to grow, with 1,886 new clients bringing its total client portfolio to 21,884 in over 100 countries on five continents. In Lantek’s home country of Spain, the number of customers was around 2,000, while turnover was €2.72m. The markets that progressed best last year were Germany, with 32% growth, followed by China at +30.7% and the US with 11.3% growth.
For further information www.lanteksms.com