A total of nine orders to the value of £2m were placed at Citizen Machinery UK’s first open house at its new Midlands turning centre of excellence in Brierley Hill.

The company reports that the order total is likely to double in the immediate aftermath of the event. Attendance over the three days exceeded 300, a record number. Visitors looking to upgrade their sliding- and fixed-head CNC turning capacity were welcomed from OEMs and subcontractors throughout the UK and Ireland, as well as from mainland Europe.
A quartet of new products were launched, all of which benefit from Citizen’s patented LFV chip-breaking software: the L32-X, L32-XII and D25-VIII Cincom sliding-head bar automatics on which the software is optional; and the Miyano BNA-42GTY, the first Citizen fixed-head lathe to have the addition of LFV in the operating system of the Mitsubishi control. A further 11 machines were on display cutting metal.
For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Kasto Maschinenbau, which has its UK subsidiary in Milton Keynes, is this year celebrating 175 years of trading.

With headquarters in Achern, Baden-Württemberg, the firm has evolved from a one-man business into a globally successful company that remains in the hands of the founding family. With the assistance of numerous subsidiaries around the globe, Kasto has sold more than 140,000 bandsaws, circular saws and hacksaws, as well as 2200 storage systems for long stock such as bar and tube, and for sheet metal.
Among the oldest family owned and run companies in Europe, Kasto is using this anniversary year as an opportunity to offer an in-depth look into its history. Marking the occasion, the company is launching a contest to find the oldest Kasto saw still in use. Machines built in or before 1980 may be entered, and customers are invited to e-mail details, including a photo of the saw and of the nameplate, to 175@kasto.com. Every entry will be rewarded and the winner
will be announced later in the year.
For further information www.kasto.com

SME manufacturers across England have been awarded an £11.8m business support boost.

The Manufacturing Growth Programme, which is funded by ERDF and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions, has been extended until September 2021 and will help a further 2400 companies to tackle growth barriers, with the potential of creating 2500 new jobs. Going forward, support can be used for an array of projects, such as continuous improvement, change, environment and sustainability, leadership and management, marketing, people and skills, productivity and capacity, quality and strategy.
For further information www.manufacturingrowthprogramme.co.uk

Industrial air filtration and extraction specialist Filtermist has launched a £100,000 investment in upskilling all of its staff across the group.

Filtermist, along with sister companies Multi-Fan Systems, Dustcheck and DCS Group, has committed to giving every employee a minimum of 50 hours’ training every year, which could amount to 12,000 hours per annum in total.
Filtermist’s initiative will include job-specific courses, personal development opportunities and access to the recently launched competency workshops that cover continuous improvement, positive approach and teamwork, time management, protecting people and the environment, professionalism and quality, and customer experience. Staff will also be able to tap into masterclass sessions that will be delivered by senior management and external experts/trainers.
For further information www.filtermist.co.uk

At a cost of more than £1m, Assembly Techniques Ltd (ATL) in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, is opening a two-story facility featuring a Class ISO8 cleanroom for component washing and drying.

At the heart of the new operation is a Pro 550 six-stage, ultrasonic, aqueous cleaning line from Turbex, which has taken over from an older aqueous washing system and will assist ATL in attaining ISO 13485 medical accreditation by the end of October 2019. Ultimately, the move will enable ATL to supply parts to the medical sector.
ATL director Nigel Downing says: “All of our metallic and high-end plastic components are supplied by external contract machinists, and a large percentage of those require degreasing and the removal of cutting fluid residue before assembly. The Turbex line is so efficient that nearly all components, including non-critical parts, can be processed using a range of semi-automatic washing cycles.”
For further information www.turbex.co.uk