THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

WMG provides £450m boost

WMG at the University of Warwick says it has boosted the West Midlands economy by £450m: for every £1 invested into WMG’s SME programmes, around £22 returns to the local economy. In 20 years, WMG has delivered manufacturing expertise to 15,000 SMEs in the Midlands. It has also supported the creation of more than 13,000 jobs, 350 new businesses and 355 internships. Dr Mark Swift, director of SME Engagement at WMG, says: “Our work over the past 20 years has shown that targeted high-value support can help manufacturers accelerate growth, improve productivity and create jobs.”

For further information www.bit.ly/4d7HWOb

Deal signed for largest UK robots

Aerospace automation specialist Loop Technology has signed a deal with FANUC UK for
seven new robots – including the largest industrial robot ever ordered in the UK, the FANUC
M-2000iA/1700L. Three FANUC M-2000iA/1700L six-axis robots will be delivered to the
University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) for its new
innovation facility in South Yorkshire.
Part of Project Compass (Composites at Speed and Scale), the Loop/AMRC deal also
encompasses two further FANUC M-2000iA robots: a 1200L and a 900L model. As part of a
separate project, another 1700L model, along with an additional 900L unit, have been
ordered by Loop Technology to form part of a high-rate composite preforming cell for a
North American aerospace client.
For further information www.fanuc.eu

£10m heavy engineering plant

Subcontract manufacturer, WEC Group, is constructing a state-of-the-art 60,000 sq ft heavy
machining and fabrication facility in Blackburn. The development marks a significant
milestone in the group’s ongoing expansion strategy and is set to become one of the largest
subcontract machining plants in Europe, serving sectors such as nuclear, defence, offshore
and general engineering.


The facility will feature six large CNC machining centres capable of handling components up
to 20 m in length and 5 m in diameter. This will significantly expand WEC Group’s existing
capabilities, which include a trio of large Correa and an Asquith Butler travelling column
milling machines. The new plant is expected to create 60 new jobs, including 10 additional
machining apprentices.
For further information www.wec-group.com

Materialise and Renishaw in partnership

Renishaw and Materialise, a global specialist in 3D printing software and services, are entering into a partnership that will increase efficiency and productivity for manufacturers using Renishaw’s additive manufacturing (AM) systems. Through the partnership, Renishaw system users will benefit from Materialise’s next-generation build processor software tailored to the RenAM 500 series of metal AM systems.

Customers will also have access to Magics, Materialise’s data and build preparation software. This will enable users of Renishaw’s AM systems to build a seamless workflow (from design to 3D printed part), control and customise their 3D printing process, reduce production time, and increase the efficiency of their AM operations.

For further information www.renishaw.com

ETG to run Mastercam masterclass in May

The Engineering Technology Group (ETG) will be hosting a Mastercam 2024 workshop event on 30 May. As part of its ‘Decade of Innovation’ workshop series and its commitment to customer service and support, ETG will provide a comprehensive one-day event for manufacturers adopting, or interested in adopting, Mastercam CAM software. ETG software experts Brendan O’Callaghan, Ciaran Fletchmore and Stephen Noke will introduce the one-day event, with a guest speaker from Mastercam. It will take place at ETG Ireland’s headquarters in Newbridge, County Kildare, commencing at 09:30.

For further information www.bit.ly/3PZ8U0A