SUBCONTRACTING NEWS

£2m investment at Alucast

A £2m investment drive is helping a UK aluminium foundry pass the £10m sales mark as it looks to make the most of new opportunities.Alucast, which has increased its workforce by 20% to more than 120 people at its base in Wednesbury, has commissioned six CNC machines, a HDTD low-pressure machine and boosted its ‘new core’ capabilities. It is the company’s largest investment drive in nearly a decade and reflects an increase in demand for Alucast’s casting expertise and machining capabilities. Headlining the recent funding boost is an 800-tonne LK high-pressure die-casting machine.

For further information www.alucast.co.uk

Sheffield Forgemasters acquires more space

Sheffield Forgemasters has acquired a10,000 sq ft two-storey office building close to Meadowhall that will house increasing staff numbers.Located at the junction of Brightside Lane and Weedon Street, the 1980s-built Riverside Court complex, will become a new base for project leaders and associated contractors working on the company’s new 13,000-tonne forging line and proposed machining facility.With Sheffield Forgemasters undertaking a multi-million-pound recapitalisation project, its workforce has almost doubled through the presence of around 500 on-site contractors.

For further information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com

Birmingham engineer gets royal recognition

A West Midlands engineer was recognised in the New Year’s Honours List.Rowan Crozier, CEO of metal pressing, stamping and tooling specialist Brandauer, received an MBE for services to manufacturing and enterprise.Crozierhelped steer the company through the pandemic and towards a record-breaking £9.3m year, sending millions of components to more than 26 countries every week.He is also an ambassador for developing the industry professionals of the future, revolutionising the firm’s apprenticeship scheme, and helping to launch the UK’s first Precision Toolmaking Academy in late 2022.

For further information www.brandauer.co.uk

Forth launches new division

An award-winning engineering solutions business is launching a new division at a specialist base to expand its capability and create new jobs across a northwest community.Forth has acquired a new facility in Barrow-in-Furness and is launching Forth Fabrications to support BAE Systems’ submarine division and other industries across the region.Cumbria-based Forth, which opened its first Barrow facility five years ago,also has bases in Flimby and Cleator Moor. The company operates in the nuclear, oil and gas, renewables, and other advanced manufacturing sectors.

For further information www.forth.uk.com

New waterjet to Sweden’s largest growth region

In 2022, the Swedish government estimated there was a total of 40,000 new jobs in the Norrbotten and Västerbotten region, a northern territory of Sweden. Norrsken Metall has been a well-known contract manufacturer in the region for many years. The company has experience of waterjet cutting since 2000 butits existing machine was worn out with recurring operational problems, so it was time to switch to a new and more reliable solution. Patrik Flodin and Niklas Fällman, owners of Norrsken Metall, got in touch with Christian Svensson, regional sales manager at Water Jet Sweden, a man with more than 25 years of experience in waterjet cutting machines.

“Together with the customer, we developed a machine solution that provides both increased capacity and better reliability,” says Svensson.

The Water Jet Sweden Grand model is a robust and powerful system for machining all types of materials, as well as for handling large or odd dimensions. Thanks to Water Jet Sweden’s patent, the machine offers the same high precision regardless of its size. The 3.2 x 7.7 m working area is divided into two working zones, allowing loading and unloading while the machine is running.

“There are many improvements,”reveals Svensson. “For instance, the systems for abrasive supply and sludge handling are extra powerful to handle cutting without interruption, and the machine is equipped with a more powerful pump for faster cutting.”

Thanks to its new investment, Norrsken Metall has both capacity and reliability to meet growing demand for waterjet cutting in the region. In fact, the company is already seeing growth, receiving several assignments from the new battery factory undergoing construction in the neighbourhood.

For further information www.waterjetsweden.com