Following the acquisition of Hardinge Inc by Privet Fund Management LLC during the summer of 2018, a restructuring of the group has resulted in a number of changes at the headquarters of the UK Jones & Shipman Hardinge operations.

The company has relocated from its long-established Leicester headquarters and factory to a new administration, distribution and demonstration facility on the Europark at Clifton Dunsmore, just outside Rugby.
Furthermore, the group’s sister grinding companies – Kellenberger, Hauser, Voumard, Tschudin and Usach – now include the Hardinge identity and are represented under the new Hardinge global umbrella website as distinct brands. There will be no change to the relationship between the UK company and the Okamoto brand, which Jones & Shipman Hardinge represents and supports exclusively in the UK and France.
For further information www.jonesshipman.com

Metalex 2019, which will spans 64,000 sq ft of exhibition space at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Thailand, is set to take place on 20-23 November 2019.

In 2018, the largest machine tool and metalworking technologies show in Southeast Asia attracted 99,998 visitors.
To support participation at the 2019 event, DIT is sponsoring the show with grants of £2500. Therefore, a stand in the fully furnished Great Britain branded pavilion measuring 9 sq m will now cost £2965; a 6 sq m stand £2326; and a 12 sq m stand £6884. UK SME companies looking to grow their exports outside the EU and up to six countries within the EU should qualify for the funding, including experienced exporters. The cut-off
date for applications is 26 July.
For further information https://is.gd/ugunib

The Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) has been named as the UK spoke in a northwest Europe project designed to transform the machining sector, helping 1300 SMEs to stimulate turnover and employment through the uptake of Industry 4.0 technologies.

A three-year project funded by Interreg, ‘Machining 4.0’ has received an investment of €4.25m. The project will help boost growth for SMEs within the machining sector, which despite an annual turnover of €24bn, has suffered due to a lack of innovation and increased competition from low-wage countries over the past five years.
Within the UK, the only partner is AFRC, with the other nine participants based in countries across northwest Europe, including lead partner Sirris, headquartered in Belgium, and a further eight across France, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland. Some 1000 of the 1300 SMEs targeted will receive knowledge on innovative manufacturing technologies. In addition, around 250 will be encouraged to experiment with new technologies and collaborate with research and development partners, while a further 50 will receive intensive business support.
For further information www.strath.ac.uk/research

Mazak has made important changes to its leadership structure. President Tomohisa Yamazaki is now the company’s chairman, while vice president Takashi Yamazaki has been named the new president.

The transition, which took effect on 24 June to coincide with the company’s 100th anniversary, is the result of a long-planned leadership evolution designed to position the company for continued growth. Takashi Yamazaki’s key objectives will be to reinforce Mazak’s position in the increasingly globalised manufacturing market, and the promotion of new technologies and products.
For further information www.mazakeu.co.uk

Over 50% of engineering firms in the UK have taken on an apprentice in the past two years, a new survey by the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) and Close Brothers Asset Finance has found.

The survey looked across a range of sectors, including food and drink, retail, recruitment and services, discovering that construction was the only other industry employing apprentices at a similar rate to engineering firms.
One of the most interesting points to emerge from the survey was that the biggest barrier to employing an apprentice was not the Apprenticeship Levy, but the lack of suitable candidates, and as well as problems with training providers. Steve Gee, CEO of Close Brothers Asset Finance’s Industrial Equipment Division, says: “Over the past four years Close Brothers Asset Finance, working in partnership with the MTA and the University of Sheffield’s AMRC Training Centre, have funded the training of 60 apprentices. It is very encouraging to see the results of this survey and we’re proud of the part we have played.”
For further information www.mta.org.uk