THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

William Mitchell seals Ford Q1 Award

A critical automotive supplier has secured one of the industry’s leading awards for quality and performance. William Mitchell, which is part of the Rical Group, has been recognised with the Ford Q1 award, marking the 20th year it has been supplying fine-blanked components to the carmaker’s plants in the UK, Germany, South Africa, Argentina, India, Turkey and the US.

The certification was presented to the management team and staff at the Black Country firm’s factory in Smethwick last week. It is only given to companies who demonstrate excellence beyond the ISO/TS standard in five key areas: capable systems, continuous improvement, on-time delivery and quality, superior manufacturing processes, and customer satisfaction.

For more information www.ricalgroup.com

ModuleWorks buys Celeritive Technologies

ModuleWorks, a specialist in tool-path generation and simulation technology for digital manufacturing, has acquired Celeritive Technologies, the developer of VoluMill CAM software. Both Celeritive and ModuleWorks have been strategic partners to many global manufacturing organisations for many years. The companies expect that the acquisition will enable more technology to become available to both sets of customers in the near future.

“This strategic acquisition aligns perfectly with our vision of being at the forefront of our industry,” says Dr Yavuz Murtezaoglu, founder and managing director of ModuleWorks. “We are enthusiastic about the opportunities that this integration presents and are committed to a seamless transition that maximises the benefits for our partners, employees and stakeholders.”

For more information www.moduleworks.com

Hurco takes £2m orders at MACH

While the total number of visitors to the Hurco stand at MACH this year was down on two years previously, the quality of enquiries for new machines and the volume of business concluded more than made up for the lower attendance. Managing director David Waghorn says: “Although we welcomed fewer people onto our stand this time, it was clear that those who did visit had been planning and budgeting carefully. The result was a much more successful show than two years ago.”

He adds: “Machine tool technology increases in value year on year, which means people tend to consider investments ever more carefully, so it can be as much two years later that an enquiry results in a sale.”However, based on orders in excess of £2m at the show, plus more than 200 quotations, Hurco will certainly be returning in 2026.” For further information www.hurco.co.uk

Refurb service for Addison tube benders

Unison Ltd, a UK manufacturer of tube bending machines and the inventor of all-electric tube manipulation, is introducing a ‘refurbish and re-control’ service specifically for Addison tube bending machines.The service will provide owners of Addison tube benders with a cost-effective, quality-assured means of upgrading their older machines with the latest operating technologies.

It involves the use of Unison’s latest servo-drive platform, new control and drive chassis plates, a replacement machine controller, an updated safety PLC, and a new Windows 11 PC running the latest version of Unison’s Unibend CNC. A comprehensive warranty covers all replacement parts, while the service also includes a full machine inspection and condition report.

For further information www.unisonltd.com

£3.25m investment drive at Brandauer

One of Birmingham’s most respected manufacturers has completed a £3.25m investment drive to celebrate a King’s Award for Enterprise achievement.Brandauer, which employs 64 people, has commissioned its fifth high-speed Yamada press that will help it deliver quick-changeover subcontract stamping capabilities. The installation follows the purchase of a state-of-the-art laser micro-cutting machine, a purchase that was made possible by a 40% grant from the ‘Aerospace Up’ programme, giving the business this technology for the first time.Brandauer is promising to deliver up to £6m of sales over the next two years.

For further information www.brandauer.co.uk