Young engineers march at Lord Mayor’s Show

Apprentices from the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre were among the thousands marching through the streets of London on 9 November for the Lord Mayor’s Show. They not only represented Sheffield’s manufacturing legacy, but also took the opportunity to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.

More than 30 apprentices and staff members from the AMRC Training Centre joined the three-mile long procession to mark the 400th anniversary of the Cutlers’ Hall as ‘the voice of manufacturing in Sheffield and South Yorkshire’. To date, the AMRC Training Centre has nurtured more than 2000 apprentices for a wide range of businesses.More information www.amrctraining.co.uk

Ifm and Schuler agree digital co-operation

To monitor and improve quality in press shops through digitalisation, Ifm and Schuler Group have struck a co-operation agreement. The aim is to offer customers more transparency and increase efficiency in sheet metal forming.

Sheet metal forming presses are among the most important machines in all industries in which the processing of sheet metal takes place. The Schuler Group has 180 years of experience in forming technology and is the world’s market leader. Using digital solutions such as Track & Trace, Visual Die Protection or DigiSim, the company offers numerous tools that support digitalisation in press shops. Ifm SmartStamp expands this offering with a software tool that detects tilting, eccentricity and the resulting tilting moment on forming presses within milliseconds.

“If the ram tilts too far, the press guides are subject to excessive strain and will incur damage in the long term,” explains Christoph Schneider, vice president of product management applications at Ifm.

The tool protects the press from excessive wear and damage and helps to improve availability. SmartStamp is integrated into the Moneo IIoT platform, and now also into the Metris platform from Andritz, Schuler’s parent company.

“Thanks to combination with the data from our cloud-based digital solutions, customers benefit from interoperability and, consequently, even higher transparency in the press shop,” emphasises Rohitashwa Pant, chief digital officer of the Schuler Group.

The co-operation agreement provides for collaboration in sales. It is immaterial which system customers use when they start to digitalise. They can expand their digitalisation solution with the other system at any time.

More information www.schulergroup.com

Strong demand for EMO 2025

The early-booking phase for next year’s EMO exhibition in Hanover ended in October, by which time more than 1100 exhibitors from 27 countries had registered. That is just over 10% more than at the same time in the run-up to EMO 2023. Companies from Germany already signed-up include Grob, Spinner, Index, DMG Mori, Horn and Hermle.

“Our attractive early-bird offer has clearly motivated companies to sign up, despite the challenging economic conditions,” says Dr Markus Heering, executive director of EMO organiser VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). A provisional list of exhibitors for EMO 2025 is available for viewing at the link below.More information www.bit.ly/3NSMWLi

Grob UK open house opens this week

Registration is now open to attend the Grob Machine Tools (UK) open house event on 13-14 November 2024 at its facility in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. This event will be an opportunity to see live demonstrations of the company’s latest machining and pallet handling automation solutions running alongside its industry 4.0 systems. The aim is to highlight Grob’s expertise in sectors that include aerospace, automotive and medical. Also in attendance will be 21 technical partners exhibiting technologies such as tooling, work holding, metrology, CADCAM and coolant.

More information www.bit.ly/4hvvWIA

United Grinding to buy GFMS

The United Grinding Group has signed an agreement with Georg Fischer AG to acquire its GF Machining Solutions (GFMS) division. Together, United Grinding and GFMS aim to become a global leader in precision machining. The transaction is valued between CHF630 and 650m (£560-578m) and is expected to close in Q1/Q2 2025 subject to regulatory approvals.

With roughly 2000 employees at more than 20 locations, United Grinding Group is a major manufacturer of grinding and other machine types with brands that include Mägerle, Blohm, Jung, Studer, Schaudt, Mikrosa, Walter and Ewag. Acquiring GFMS will add brands such as AgieCharmilles (EDM), Mikron (milling) and System 3R (automation) to the product family.

More information www.grinding.com