Business, academic and political leaders in the West Midlands have teamed up in a bid to bring the Government’s new Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) to Birmingham. The new agency will help to cement the UK’s position as a global scientific superpower, while shaping the country’s efforts to build back better through innovation.

Regional leaders, including the Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, and Dr Clive Hickman, chief executive of the Manufacturing Technology Centre, alongside academic leaders, are calling for the agency to be headquartered at Old Curzon Street Station in Birmingham. Old Curzon Street Station, now the hub of HS2 in the city, was once home to the historic Lunar Society of Birmingham, which helped shape Britain’s scientific, political and social agenda throughout the 18th century.

For further information
www.the-mtc.org

Erodex has a new Sodick AG60L spark erosion machine from Sodi-Tech EDM at its state-of-the-art machining centre in Halesowen. The machine brings vital extra capacity to the facility, which Erodex operates as an R&D manufacturing centre in support of its customers, around 75% of whom serve the aerospace and IGT (industrial gas turbine) sectors.

While Erodex already had a Sodick AQ35L, the company identified a clear need for a second die-sink EDM machine, as head of strategic capabilities Chris Grice explains: “In line with our growth over the past five years we’ve witnessed a requirement for more technical support among our customer base. At Erodex, we can see there’s real added value in providing customers with outsourced expertise.”

The company can of course simply manufacture electrodes to customer drawings, but thanks to its experience in the aerospace and IGT sectors, Erodex has deep knowledge of what customers are trying to achieve with regard to component geometry. As a result, design and production advice from the company is today a pivotal part of its offer and provides important market differentiation.

Erodex refers to its turnkey cost-per-part programme as ‘Application Assist’, an offer that is now even more efficient thanks to the arrival of the Sodick AG60L, which features linear drive technology and a direct link between the drive and control to ensure fast servo response and optimal spark gaps.

“Even though our customer base uses a variety of EDM machines, when it came to extending our capacity we chose another Sodick because of its reliable motion control,” explains Grice. “We get really good repeatability, which is vital in our line of work, particularly when we have multiple parts loaded in a fixture.”

For further information
www.sodi-techedm.co.uk

Precision components manufactured in Telford are increasingly finding their way into the next generation of electric cars and vehicles involved in space exploration. Advanced Chemical Etching (ACE) has bounced back from Covid-19 disruption to post a 17% sales rise on pre-pandemic turnover and is now targeting £10m in sales by 2024.

Chris Ball, executive director at ACE, says: “The sectors that are really tapping into our etching capability and the exacting precision this provides include electrical vehicles, fuel cell technologies, medical components and space vehicles. Yes, a small SME in Telford is helping international customers with quick delivery of etched parts for many new energy applications.”

For further information https://ace-uk.net/

Organisations may be unwittingly paying the price for poor health and safety practices in the workplace, a new report suggests. While accidents that cause injuries, absences, compensation claims and fines are known to be costly, employers are not always aware that a poor safety culture can also impact staff morale, productivity, turnover and, ultimately, their bottom line.

Seton, a health and safety solutions provider, has published a new report highlighting the benefits of prioritising employee safety, with insights from experts in personal injury law and HR. Across the UK, almost 700,000 people suffered a non-fatal workplace injury in 2019/20, while 142 were killed in 2020/21 (according to HSE statistics). These numbers are clearly devastating for workers and their families, but it also comes at a cost of £5.6bn per year to individuals, employers and the government – or around £1.7m per fatal injury and £8800 per non-fatal injury. However, according to Seton, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

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

Manufacturers of sheet metal components, forgings, fasteners and cold-rolled sections can get vital support to help them cope with soaring energy costs according to a sector trade body. The Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) has received notification from the Environment Agency that the Climate Change Agreement (CCA) scheme has reopened to new entrants, but firms only have until 31 March to stake their claim.

Thousands of businesses – already struggling with supply chain disruption and the aftermath of the pandemic – could be eligible for a discount of up to 100% of the tax they will be paying on their gas and electricity bills. Bosses at the CBM made the rallying call in a bid to raise awareness among companies that did not know the change of rules could help them benefit from the discount on the Climate Change Levy while the replacement scheme is under consultation.

For further information www.thecbm.co.uk