THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

UK’s most automated 3D print facility

Midlands 3D has opened what it believes to be the most automated polymer 3D print production facility operating in the UK. Earlier this month, the company threw open the doors of its new HQ at an industry open day, showing how it has more than quadrupled its floor space and taken the opportunity to upgrade its fleet of HP MultiJet Fusion (MJF) Printers, adding a proprietary automation system to each.

The automation system enables machines to change their ‘build unit’ automatically once a build is complete, enabling another build to begin within minutes. Utilising these technologies enables the machines to run continuously, dramatically increasing overall efficiency, lowering operating costs and lead times for large print runs.

More information www.midlands3d.com

QA industry highlights in a nutshell

A new event format, ‘QA Expert Days’, will kick off a new event rhythm for Control, the international trade fair for quality assurance, in 2026. In future, the trade fair will take place in odd-numbered years – next time on 27-30 April 2027. In even-numbered years, the industry will gather for the two-day QA Expert Days. The debut of the two-day congress event, which presents specialist knowledge and industry innovations in a compact format, will take place on 20-21 May 2026. This exclusive meeting of experts will be a high-calibre and concentrated meeting among sector decision-makers.

More information www.bit.ly/44FRXzZ

Advanced Manufacturing Centre Opens

The UK’s first-ever Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing has officially opened at West Nottinghamshire College, marking a major leap forward for the region’s engineering and manufacturing sector. It comes after the college was awarded a £500,000 grant from the US-based Gene Haas Foundation through its pioneering partnership with the global engineering powerhouse.

The landmark investment has funded a comprehensive remodelling of the college’s engineering centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield. This redesign has seen the arrival of a new suite of advanced machinery and tools – purchased through other funding sources – including a CNC machining centre with ABB robot, CNC lathes, milling machines, CNC mini mills and a CNC lathe with FANUC robot.

More information www.wnc.ac.uk

Thales and Hexagon Formalise Partnership

Thales and Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division have signed a strategic five-year framework agreement, formalising Hexagon’s role as a key technology partner to support Thales’ operational performance and quality assurance across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. 

The agreement appoints Hexagon as Thales’ strategic supplier of metrology equipment, software, services and maintenance for all of the company’s divisions within the EMEA region. The agreement was signed in person during the Paris Air Show 2025 by Didier Perrigault, global expenses procurement director at Thales, and Stephen Chadwick, president EMEA at Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division.

More information www.hexagon.com

Smart Industry Solutions Zone at MACH

MACH 2026, the UK’s largest manufacturing and engineering exhibition, is unveiling the Smart Industry Solutions Zone in collaboration with MTC Events. The new area will be dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements, products and technologies set to inspire, connect, and unify the manufacturing industry. Over 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the show.

Richard Watkins, director of events and customer experience at MTC Events, says: “We’re delighted to join forces with the MTA in convening the manufacturing community for MACH. By bringing our expertise in events management to the show, we can create a better environment for visitors and exhibitors to engage with each other and enhance the value available from attending the exhibition.”

More information www.machexhibition.com