April saw a further acceleration in the UK manufacturing sector’s rate of expansion. Growth of output and new orders were both among the best seen over the past seven years, leading to a solid increase in employment. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 60.9 in April, up from 58.9 in March and above the earlier flash estimate of 60.7. The latest reading is the highest since July 1994’s record high (61.0).
Manufacturing production increased for the 11th successive month in April. Underpinning the latest robust expansion of production was a similarly marked improvement in new business intake, while two-thirds (66%) of companies predict that output will be even higher in a year’s time. In fact, the overall degree of confidence currently stands at its highest level in seven years.

For further information www.markiteconomics.com

Soraluce will to showcase its portal and gantry milling machines live from the company’s factory in Spain at 09:00 UK time on 18 May. This 30-minute virtual event, delivered in English by David Gonzalez, commercial director at Soraluce, and Iñaki Iglesias, senior applications technician, is open to all who register. TW Ward CNC Machinery is the partner and exclusive supplier of Soraluce machine tools in the UK and Ireland.

The event will include practical examples showing the multi-tasking functionality of the machines, which are suitable for milling, turning and grinding. More specifically, attendees will have the opportunity to witness a comprehensive tour of a machine for a major customer from the rail sector. Delegates will be able to ask questions by participating in a live chat.

Register at
https://is.gd/rinusu

In 2015, Wesbart decided to carry out a full review of all products and manufacturing processes, which involved looking at every aspect of manufacturing to help improve productivity and reduce costs.

One of the main processes which required investment was folding. All aluminium and stainless steel parts were folded at Wesbart using a manual system with an operator. Due to an increase in orders it was necessary to use subcontractors to meet demand.

“Our production runs can range from 150 parts to more than 5000,” says sales executive David Patey. “We carried out some testing of various automation options and found the parts would need to be fed into the cell on a conveyor system. As a result, we contacted a locally based robot integration company [ICS Robotics and Automation] to work with Bystronic and develop a suitable system. We chose to use Kuka robots and the Bystronic Xpert 40 press brake due to their small footprint.”
ICS designed a bespoke space-saving set up using three Kuka robots, one operating each press brake with another feeding components from the conveyors. A camera system was included to identify the parts and confirm their correct placement on the conveyor.

The system arrived in January 2021 and has already shown a great deal of potential. According to Wesbart, the Bystronic press brakes are incredibly quick and reliable, while the user interface is very easy to operate, which helps expedite robot programming for the company’s components.

“With the investment made in the bending cell we hope to remain a market leader based on the quality, price and lead time of our products,” concludes Patey. “We also hope it will allow us to enter new markets.”

For further information
www.bystronic.co.uk

Blazehill Capital has launched as a new alternative lender that provides credit and working capital funding to mid-market manufacturers requiring additional financial support which they cannot get from traditional providers. The company typically provides secured lending ranging from £5m to £30m per transaction, delivering fast and flexible credit solutions to companies with non-standard lending requirements that are often complex and time critical. Blazehill’s ambition is to build a lending book of over £1bn in five years.

The team focuses on supporting management teams through tough trading periods, providing them with the necessary capital and financial breathing space to deliver on a turnaround plan. Blazehill Capital has the backing of a number of high-profile investors, including major financial institution WAFRA Capital Partners, the global credit investment firm with $5.1bn in assets under management and specialisms in asset-based finance.

For further information www.blazehill.com

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) in Silverstone will be the first business to officially adopt Renishaw’s new manufacturing connectivity and data platform, Renishaw Central, across its complete additive and subtractive manufacturing operations. Ongoing collaboration between the two companies has evolved from Renishaw initially supplying the DMC with additive manufacturing (AM) equipment, followed by several of its metrology solutions, to the implementation of this digital platform.

Driving the future of AM by realising a fully connected process chain, the DMC is leveraging actionable data to deliver a step-change in manufacturing capability. Renishaw Central will play a crucial role in this ambition and enable the DMC to embrace Industry 4.0 practices and principles. Not only will Renishaw Central provide end-to-end manufacturing data capture, it will allow DMC engineers to further refine part design and processes by effectively implementing capabilities that include predictive analytics and AI.

For further information
www.digitalmanufacturingcentre.co.uk