Belgrave & Powell Ltd, a specialist engineering services group, working in conjunction with Realta Consulting and Strala Investments, has acquired the business and assets – including all IP and goodwill – from Rochdale-based Trufab Ltd. All 29 employee jobs have been retained, and the new business will continue the 30 years of trading from incorporation in 1990. Operating from the same 68,000 sq ft facility, the business will now trade under the name Trufab Technologies Ltd. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Trufab is a supplier of stainless steel fabrication components to the food, pharmaceutical and machine-building industries. Paul Ward, a partner in Belgrave & Powell, will lead the company as part of Belgrave & Powell’s Machine Technology Group. He says: “Trufab will form a key part of our UK manufacturing growth plans in stainless steel fabrication for specialist applications and we look forward to growing this business into adjacent sectors within our complementary customer base.”

For further information www.belgrave-powell.com

LK Metrology, a UK CMM manufacturer is reporting strong ongoing business performance three years after becoming a fully independent company again following its change of ownership in 2018. In 2021, LK Metrology, which has its headquarters in Derbyshire will celebrate its 58th year of trading.

The new proprietor, Angelo Muscarella, who also runs Italian firm ASF Metrology, is keen to share the progress that LK has made: “We’re delighted to find ourselves entering our fourth year of operation in April 2021 with a healthy order book. Revenue met budget in the last financial year and we even made a profit, despite incredibly difficult trading conditions due to the pandemic. Machine service and upgrade activities actually performed ahead of budget every month since July 2020.”

For further information www.lkmetrology.com

Barton Cold-Form, an expert in cold-forging technology since the 1932 and part of the UK manufacturing division of Optimas Solutions – has completed machinery and technology upgrades totalling over $3.6m. Operating from a 55,000 sq ft facility in Droitwich, the investment is allowing the manufacturer to substantially increase capability, capacity and solidify its market position in the production of highly engineered, bespoke fastening solutions.

The company’s capacity list has been bolstered with the addition of Nedschroef NH518L and NH515 five-die cold formers, a Smart NG W40 SEMS thread roller and a Smart NP 24-DD pointing machine. Notably, the Nedschroef cold-heading machines enable Barton to produce fasteners with an increased range of dimensions (6-175 mm length, 2-18 mm diameter) and in even greater volumes, yielding upwards of 7000 fasteners per hour.

For further information www.optimas.com

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has selected Comau UK to develop and deploy a semi-automated battery module and battery pack assembly line for the publicly-funded ‘open-access’ battery production development facility in Coventry. One of the unique elements of the project was the requirement for agile flexibility, which will allow UKBIC to manufacture a wide range of modules and packs, and support various customer requirements without the need for major process changes.

Comau UK provided all of the necessary technology and know-how to manage the entire battery module and pack manufacturing process, from cylindrical cell preparation and pouch cell stacking, to battery pack assembly. In addition to helping ensure the safety and reliability of the manufactured batteries through the use of smart cameras, thermal imaging and end-of-line leak test technologies, the solution offers built-in scalability.

For further information
www.comau.com

The Manufacturing Technology Centre, based in Coventry, is leading a Europe-wide project to increase the use of laser texturing in manufacturing processes. A group of 11 research organisations and companies will participate in Project Shark.

Laser texturing can change the texture or topography of a component to achieve specific functionality, such as low friction or low adhesion. According to the MTC, the process can result in lower production costs, faster product development and up to a 50% improvement in product performance, depending on the design of the surface texture. The EU’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for research and innovation is supporting the initiative.

For further information www.sharkproject.eu