THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

GROB opens sixth plant in India

With the opening of its sixth production plant in India, machine tool builder GROB is strengthening its presence in the local market. The€8m, 5000 sq m plant in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) is another important milestone in the GROB Group’s efforts to secure the growth of the company and thus the jobs of employees at all facilities.Core business at the factory will be the manufacture of machining centres and automation, employing 130 people at peak output.

GROB recognised the potential of this rapidly growing market early on after the opening of the Indian automotive market to foreign car manufacturers at the end of the 1990s. The company established its first sales and service branch on the South Asian subcontinent as part of the first delivery of a flexible production system in 2007.

More information www.grobgroup.com

New tooling partnership in Scotland

Aberdeen-based Waverley Cutting Tools, a provider of high-quality cutting tools and solutions, has entered a strategic partnership with Tooling Intelligence that will see the latter become Waverley’s preferred inventory management supplier across Scotland. Roger Kelman, director at Waverley Cutting Tools, says: “Tooling Intelligence is a truly independent solution that allows us to utilise the SupplyPro inventory management solution to its full potential. This enhances our offering and demonstrates our commitment and support to customers who will benefit considerably from integrating SupplyPro.”

More information www.toolingintelligence.co.uk

Skills awards winners announced

Industry leaders gathered earlier this month at the 10th annual Enginuity Skills Awards to celebrate the best in UK engineering and manufacturing talent. Run by Enginuity, a charity dedicated to closing skills gaps, the ceremony was hosted by Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and award-winning broadcaster Steph McGovern at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. Jamie Clarke, a maintenance apprentice at LISI Aerospace Rugby, not only picked up the Advanced Level Apprentice of the Year trophy but also the biggest prize of the evening, the Best of British Engineering Award.

More information www.enginuity.org/skills-awards-2024

More than 11,000 visit Grinding Hub 2024

Around 500 exhibitors and more than 11,100 visitors: that was the outcome of GrindingHub
2024 which concluded last month after four successful days.
“The trade fair has developed very well since its successful launch two years ago,” reports Dr
Markus Heering, managing director of show organiser, the VDW (German Machine Tool
Builders’ Association). “The strong figures and positive mood at GrindingHub speak for
themselves.”


Sebastian Schmid, vice president at co-operation partner Messe Stuttgart, adds: “Grinding is
one of the most important machining processes. We are delighted that we’ve been able to
offer the grinding technology community a platform here in Stuttgart for the second time.
This confirms that we are meeting an important industry need with this trade fair.”
In the visitor survey, 42% of respondents had travelled from abroad, from 75 countries. The
majority came from Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Turkey and France. One in 10 trade fair
visitors travelled to Stuttgart from Asia in order to experience the latest innovations in
grinding technology.


Compared with the premiere of GrindingHub in 2022, the quality of visitors improved once

again. Around 90% said that they were involved in company purchasing and procurement
decisions. Over 80% of decision-makers came to the trade fair with firm investment
intentions, with 42% planning to make investments in the next six months.
“This should encourage manufacturers for the rest of the year, especially in light of the
current economic situation,” says Heering. “We ultimately succeeded with the second
edition in establishing GrindingHub as the international meeting point for the grinding
technology industry. The heart of the industry beats in Stuttgart.” 
The next GrindingHub will be held in Stuttgart on 5-8 May 2026.
More information www.grindinghub.de

Get smart with large-diameter boring

Precision hole-making system manufacturer Big Kaiser is launching its new bridge tool that comes complete with a smart damper holder. Available in the UK from cutting tool manufacturer Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC), the product marks the advent of a new family of bridge tools.

The Big Kaiser bridge tool with smart damper features the CK connection for both rough and fine-boring operations. Notably, the new bridge tools incorporate the company’s patented smart damper that reduces vibration when machining large-diameter bores up to 320 mm.

Giampaolo Roccatello, chief sales and marketing officer for Europe at Big Kaiser, says: “Now, we can seamlessly merge multiple cutting-edge technologies. This system brings together the exceptional modularity of the CK connection, with the anti-chatter capabilities of our smart damper and our bridge tools. With the introduction of this new product family, we’re continuing to push the boundaries of innovation in solutions for large-diameter deep boring.”

The integrated smart damper enhances connection stability, leading to improved precision during boring operations. It creates a stiff system in comparison with using separate or modular components. Additionally, the tools offer the convenience of supporting coolant supply through a central hole. This design delivers cutting fluid directly to the cutting edge to prolong tool life and improve performance whilst simplifying the installation process.

Expected to serve a broad spectrum of industry sectors, the Big Kaiser bridge tools will prove valuable assets in applications within the energy, defence, aerospace and large-part manufacturing sectors.

More information www.itc-ltd.co.uk