THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Apprentices meet Emma Wiggs Challenge

Design concepts to help people with disabilities, developed by apprentices at engineering training centre Oxfordshire Advanced Skills, were revealed at the final of the Emma Wiggs Challenge. Double Paralympic champion Emma Wiggs MBE, who launched the competition earlier this year, was one of the judges who assessed the entries, which aimed to show how design engineering can be used to improve life for people with disabilities.

The winning entry was a low-level pull cord assistance device (LLPCAD) designed by Owen Mayers, to tackle the critical safety issue of unreliable and inaccessible emergency pull cords in disabled toilets. Owen’s solution is a cost-effective device, designed for easy installation or retrofitting in most locations. The highly commended finalist was the Scooter Buddy, a cost-effective, portable product that is suitable for storagein a chair bag or rucksack, designed by the team of Ryan Budd, Matt Chambers and Ben Hibberd.
For further information www.bit.ly/468SpFD

NI businesses to benefit from £1m funding

A £1m investment from Innovate UK will enable Northern Ireland’s Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) to start supporting local businesses in the next few months.AMIC’s flagship building, which was granted planning permission in May, will be a 10,500 sq m ‘Factory of the Future’, set to open in 2026 at Global Point Newtownabbey.

The development is part of plans for a £100m investment in AMIC, a Belfast Region City Deal project delivered by Queen’s University in partnership with industry, Ulster University and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. The objective is to reinvigorate local industrial potentialand address the future technology and skills challenges faced by the region’s manufacturing sector.
For further information www.bit.ly/3JmSICZ

Unveiling Enhanced Anti-Fatigue Mats: First Mats Reimagines Industrial Matting

First Mats, one of the leading UK-based industrial and commercial floor matting retailers, is pleased to announce the enhancement of their popular Anti-Fatigue Mats range. First Mats has introduced improvements to the product selection process, making it simpler and more user-friendly for customers to find the right Anti-Fatigue Mat for their unique needs.

The revamped Anti-Fatigue Mats range, which has been a favourite among production operatives and managers for over five years, has undergone a transformation designed to make the unique features of each mat more visible. According to Marketing Director Richard O’Connor, “We’ve consolidated the range, and made the unique features of each product more visible, but the most significant change is a new rating system that makes it easy to compare the comfort, grip and durability of each mat at a glance.”

The new rating system is a key part of the enhancements, providing customers with a straightforward way to evaluate and compare products based on key features. In addition, First Mats has conducted extensive reviews on each product in the range. Detailed product information, specifications, and suggested applications are now more accessible, enabling customers to make informed decisions about the best mat for their needs.

 

 

In line with the company’s dedication to customer service, First Mats offers fast delivery on all Anti-Fatigue Mats, with many versions available for delivery within 2 to 3 working days.

 

About First Mats:
Based in Birmingham, First Mats is one of the UK’s leading commercial and industrial matting suppliers. Focusing on quality, functionality, and superior customer service, First Mats offers a wide range of products that have consistently earned top ratings from thousands of reviews across multiple trusted platforms.

The team at First Mats is committed to providing top-notch products backed by stellar customer service, and this commitment shines through in every improvement they make.

For more information, please visit www.firstmats.co.uk

MATEF: A new show with a big future

MATEF, a new manufacturing technologies exhibition covering tube processing, plasma cutting, profile bending, metal processing, presses, machine equipment, sub-industry materials, sawing machines, compressors, lathes, technical hardware, hand tools, conveyors and software, takes place in Istanbul this week (20-23 June). Held in collaboration with the Turkish Machine Manufacturers Association (MİB), the venue for the show is Tüyap Fair and Congress Centre.

Staged for the first time this year, MATEF aims at bringing together domestic manufacturers and foreign visitors to provide new export opportunities to exhibitors. According to data from the Machinery Exporters Association (MAİB), the Turkish machinery sector grew by 9.6% last year and reached an exports level of $25.3bn, breaking the all-time record. Visitors to the show will get the opportunity to meet with machinery industry leaders and discover the latest innovations.
For further information www.mateffair.com

Smart picking and vision AI on show

Machine tool builder Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen (SW) GmbH will be present several new solutions from its extensive manufacturing and automation portfolio in hall 5, booth 320 at Automatica in Munich (27-30 June 2023). Thanks to interactive exhibits, visitors can experience automation live: they will be able to test a newly developed optical recognition system, compete against an automated robot arm in a game of ‘buzz wire’ and have a personalised giveaway handed to them via smart picking.

These and other solutions from SW show how manufacturers can use flexible manufacturing modules, agile process chain connectivity and digital manufacturing control and production to meet challenges such as fluctuating quantities and shorter runtimes with reduced volumes.
For further information www.sw-machines.com