SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

Fabricator Achieves 40% Revenue Growth

Tadweld, a provider of metal fabrication and engineering solutions based in Tadcaster, is reporting a landmark year of growth and achievement despite the steel industry facing significant challenges. The company has achieved a 40% increase in revenue and welcomed its 50th team member – two significant milestones that underscore Tadweld’s continued industry momentum. The business has invested over £500,000 in capital equipment in the past 12 months, including two state-of-the-art laser welding machines, as well as new Amada presses and guillotines.

More information www.tadweld.co.uk

Subcontract Market Up 61% in Q2

The UK subcontract manufacturing market leapt ahead in the second quarter of 2025 as large buyers returned to the market with new projects. The signs are that there are more to come. The latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) shows that the subcontract market was up 61% on Q1 20205, which was itself 50% up on Q4 2024.

Commenting on the figures, Qimtek owner Karl Wigart says: “It’s good to see the market up on the previous quarter; it finally seems to be getting up some momentum and shrugging off potential adverse factors. We’re hearing that there are more projects to come, but buyers are not sure when that will be. Hopefully this growth will continue in the next quarter.”

More information www.qimtek.co.uk

Multi-million expansion at Doncasters

Precision castings specialist Doncasters has commissioned a new fully automated shell line at its Groton facility in Connecticut, USA, a key advancement in the company’s long-term manufacturing strategy. The $13m capital investment expands the Groton site’s operational footprint by 17,000 ft² and introduces next-generation automation and environmental control systems. Equipped with three high-precision six-axis robots and the IC-Crystal Shell Management System for process management, the new line significantly enhances production capacity, part quality and operational reliability.

More information www.doncasters.com

UK’s most automated 3D print facility

Midlands 3D has opened what it believes to be the most automated polymer 3D print production facility operating in the UK. Earlier this month, the company threw open the doors of its new HQ at an industry open day, showing how it has more than quadrupled its floor space and taken the opportunity to upgrade its fleet of HP MultiJet Fusion (MJF) Printers, adding a proprietary automation system to each.

The automation system enables machines to change their ‘build unit’ automatically once a build is complete, enabling another build to begin within minutes. Utilising these technologies enables the machines to run continuously, dramatically increasing overall efficiency, lowering operating costs and lead times for large print runs.

More information www.midlands3d.com

EMAG VL lathes in the Penn production chain

The increasing complexity of requirements in metal processing and international cost pressure pose particular challenges for manufacturing companies in high-wage countries. Austrian company Penn GmbH has established itself as an internationally active metal processor through a high level of vertical integration and consistent automation. Vertical turning machines from EMAG’s VL series, which have been in use at Penn for over a decade and have now grown to 43 spindles, play a key role in the production chain.

A milestone in the company’s history was the investment in a Hatebur forging plant at the Stratzdorf site in 2007, which produces rotationally symmetrical forgings at a rate of up to 70 components per minute. This corresponds to an annual volume of up to 10 million forged parts.

Such a high production volume requires equally efficient machining technology. This is where the machines from EMAG come into play, as managing director Gernot Penn explains: “The majority of our forged parts are then machined in-house. We use our connected EMAG VL manufacturing systems for this, which run practically around the clock.”

The EMAG machine portfolio has been systematically expanded over the years and

now includes over 30 EMAG VL 2 machines for machining small to medium-sized rotationally symmetrical workpieces, VL 2 DUO line machines with TrackMotion system for automated link-up, VL 3 DUO machines for larger workpieces, and VL 5i systems for machining complex geometries.

Penn plans to merge all three Austrian sites at the Stratzdorf location by 2028, which will mean a significant rationalization boost. EMAG machines will play an important role in this, as their compact design enables high productivity per unit area.

More information www.emag.com