BMW Group’s Hams Hall engine manufacturing plant, located in Warwickshire, has reached a major milestone. Officially opening and starting production in 2001, the plant is marking 20 successful years of manufacturing three and four-cylinder petrol engines. A committed workforce of more than 1000 people support day-to-day operations at the site, around a third of whom are also celebrating their own 20-year or more contribution to the plant.

As well as engine assembly, a high-tech machining hall is a core part of the Hams Hall site, producing key engine components such as crankshafts, cylinder blocks and cylinder heads. Large investment over the past decade has meant the plant is also able to produce these parts for other BMW Group engine plants, with annual production exceeding more than 1 million components.

For further information www.bmwgroup.com

UK private equity fund Elaghmore has acquired Formaplex, an integrated manufacturer and supplier of lightweight component solutions to the global automotive, motorsport, aerospace, medical and defence markets. Established nearly 20 years ago, and with revenues in excess of £60m, Formaplex operates from four manufacturing sites based along the south coast of England. The company employs over 500 employees and, following the acquisition, CEO Mike Bryant will continue to head-up the operation.

Andy Ducker, co-founder at Elaghmore, says: “We believe that Formaplex has significant potential for continued growth in all of the sectors it serves. More and more businesses are looking to replace traditional component materials with lightweight solutions that increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. We look forward to being part of this growth by providing Mike and the team with financial and operational support.”

For further information
www.formaplex.com

A recent rise in the volume of parts produced by Smethwick-based A&M EDM – one of the country’s largest specialist EDM companies – began to place a strain on the firm’s CMM provision. However, after evaluating solutions from three global metrology companies, the company has resolved its capacity issue by purchasing a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex V CMM with an XYZ capacity of 900 x 1000 x 800 mm.

A&M quality inspector Steve Foster says: “The Crysta-Apex V was launched only a short time ago, therefore it was the most up to date and advanced CNC CMM of the machines that we considered, and the most suitable for our needs. As A&M’s machining facility continues to develop, the fact that this new CMM can integrate with advanced factory arrangements and interact with other systems makes it future proof.”

In addition to being suitable for today’s demanding inspection tasks, Mitutoyo’s new-generation CMMs are designed for the smart factory of the future and the connected production environment.

It helped A&M’s decision to invest that one of its major aerospace customers has multiple Mitutoyo CMMs. The company’s staff reported that its CMMs were efficient and reliable, and that it had received excellent service from Mitutoyo.

“The Crysta-Apex V’s intuitive operating system and the training we received from Mitutoyo UK has enabled our staff to quickly get up to speed,” says Foster. “In fact, the speed and accuracy specification of our new CMM has removed the potential for delays in our inspection department and is now helping to ensure the quality of our output.”

For further information
www.mitutoyo.co.uk

Boeing has renewed its long-standing relationship with the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The tier-one partnership agreement will continue two decades of innovation and collaboration for another five years, extending Boeing’s access to the R&D capabilities of the AMRC.

“Renewing Boeing’s partnership with the AMRC demonstrates our commitment to Sheffield and showcases what we have created together over the past 20 years: jobs, innovation, inspiration and inward investment,” says Sir Martin Donnelly, president of Boeing Europe and managing director of Boeing in the UK and Ireland. “At its core, the agreement looks to the future and what more we can achieve through world-class researchers and industry working together.”

For further information www.amrc.co.uk

EOS, a technology supplier in the field of industrial 3D printing for metals and polymers, is further expanding its offer in the areas of training and knowledge transfer. Back in 2016, EOS founded the consulting unit Additive Minds, which supports companies in tapping the vast potential of industrial 3D printing. The digital training of the Additive Minds Academy now complements this provision, bundling together many years of experience from consulting and
technical training.

Through blended learning formats and online/remote training, the Additive Minds Academy is taking a step towards conserving resources and thus reducing not only travel times but also training costs. The Additive Minds Academy offer includes individual learning modules and comprehensive learning paths (in English) that prepare for various roles in additive manufacturing – from machine operator and application specialist, to production manager. Customers receive support for on-boarding new employees, as well as further training for existing staff members.

For further information https://is.gd/lexeyi