THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

£1bn for Sunderland gigafactory

The Government says working people will benefit from 1000 jobs at a new state-of-the-art gigafactory in Sunderland in a £1bn auto deal that will accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and boost growth. The new AESC gigafactory will manufacture batteries to power up to 100,000 EVs each year – a six-fold increase on the country’s current capacity.

In the landmark transaction, the National Wealth Fund and UK Export Finance will provide financial guarantees which unlock £680m in financing from banks including Standard Chartered, HSBC, SMBC Group, Societe Generale and BBVA. This will cover construction and operation of the new plant. The remaining £320m has been secured through private financing in addition to new equity provided by AESC.

More information www.gov.uk

College Invests in CNC Machines

Following its successful tender submission, MACH Machine Tools has fulfilled a contract to supply Gateshead College with four new CNC machine tools equipped with the DynaPath control. This latest machine tool investment is an integral part of a wider strategic modernisation and refurbishment programme, implemented by Gateshead College, to upgrade the machining capacity and capabilities of its engineering workshop.

The machines comprise a MACH MDS 900-4T toolroom mill, a MACH MDS 845-8T three-axis vertical machining centre, a MACH MDL 1600 flat-bed lathe with driven tooling and a recently-launched MACH MDS 202 slant-bed lathe. All four have been installed in a purpose-built, CNC-designated area within the revamped engineering workshop facility.More information www.machmt.co.uk

Toyota to build GR Corolla in UK

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) will begin production of the Toyota GR Corolla at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) from 2026. Preparations have been underway since 2024, when the team at TMUK and key suppliers were first informed about the project. Details related to the markets of sale, volumes and investment levels will be confirmed at a later date.

“We’re proud that TMUK, our first plant in Europe, has been selected as the first overseas Toyota plant to produce GR vehicles in securing this expansion project for TGR worldwide,” says Yoshihiro Nakata, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe. “We really appreciate the historical support and recognition of the UK and would like to continue to contribute to UK society as a ‘Best In Town’ company.” 

More information www.toyotauk.com

Horn Technology Days “complete success”

Cutting tool manufacturer Horn held its 9th biennial Technology Days open house at its Tübingen headquarters in Germany last month. Attended by around 3300 visitors from 33 countries, a total of 50 partner companies also took part in the event. Some 20 demonstration components were machined live on various machines using Horn tooling.

Visitors were able to expand their knowledge during six specialist presentations entitled ‘Mastering processes in theory and practice’, which were combined with the live machining demonstrations. Topics included machining aluminium with PCD tools, machining small bores, grooving, parting-off, form grooving and turn-milling. Those wanting more detail were able to take part in moderated demonstrations in three live production areas.

More information www.horn-group.com

Design and Engineering Showcase

Among the key focus exhibitions of Smart Manufacturing Week (4-5 June, Birmingham NEC) is the Design & Engineering Expo, dedicated to designers and engineering professionals from all tiers of the supply chain looking to reduce costs, streamline and optimise future strategy. Attendees can uncover the latest technologies, learn from those breaking engineering boundaries and connect with suppliers to gain a competitive edge.

The Design & Engineering Expo will gather cutting-edge technological advancements and educational thought leaders so that engineers from all disciplines can discuss and learn about issue-solving from peers. Visitors can discover information on essential subjects like software, connectivity, IOT, VR, AI, data-led design, CADCAM, prototyping, and more.

More information www.smartmanufacturingweek.com