UK NEWS

Automated Cell Produces Medical Parts From Tough Materials

Subcontract machining firm Kirkstall Precision has strengthened its capabilities for the medical sector with two Japanese-built Brother Speedio M200Xd1-5AX five-axis machining centres, automated by a Tezmaksan workpiece loading, unloading and storage system. UK agent Whitehouse Machine Tools installed the cell in two phases.

For seven years, Kirkstall has focused primarily on medical components. It also produces surgical instruments and implants for the veterinary sector. The company is achieving 15-20% year-on-year growth. The first Speedio was installed in stand-alone mode in mid-2025. It was selected for accuracy, versatility and compactness.

“Accuracy in the medical sector is a given,” says managing director Adam Thornton. “Everything has to be completely correct, so we inspect and report all dimensional tolerances. Opting for a top-quality machine tool like the Brother Speedio was an obvious decision for us.”

Approved to ISO 13485, Kirkstall mainly produces low-volume orthopaedic components from challenging materials including stainless steel, hardened stainless steel, titanium and tough alloys. The M200Xd1-5AX is suited to these applications, while its rotary torque table combines five-axis prismatic machining with turning on a single platform. Compared with larger production centres, the Brother reduces cycle times by 20%.

The first machine proved so successful that Kirkstall installed a second in April 2026 and automated both with a Tezmaksan CubeBOX Blues DR. The system incorporates a six-axis robot and five-level drawer storage, enabling lights-out production and increasing output by up to 50%.

RoboCAM software allows operators to convert 2D CAD drawings into robot instructions without specialist programming knowledge, while operators can load fresh material and unload finished parts as the robot tends both machines.

“Whitehouse Machine Tools has been a collaborative partner throughout,” concludes Thornton. “Investing in top-quality brands like the Brother cell really adds to our strategy.”

More information www.wmtcnc.com

Closing The Circularity Loop With Carbide Recycling

In the face of ever-increasing carbide prices, Walter GB Ltd is urging UK manufacturers to take advantage of its fully managed carbide recycling service. The recycling scheme transforms spent tooling into valuable raw materials while delivering measurable cost and sustainability benefits for customers. The Walter Recycling Service is built on the principle of true circularity. Upon the return of a worn cutter, 100% of the material is reintroduced into the production cycle to manufacture new tools, creating a closed-loop system that conserves finite raw materials, reduces carbon emissions and cuts administrative burden.

More information www.walter-tools.com/en-gb

Circulus Helps Pioneer Gigital Passport Technology

A Glasgow-based circular economy business has helped demonstrate how a new technology could make it easier for products to be repaired, reused and recycled. A six‑month trial led by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), in partnership with Glasgow-based Circulus, successfully tested the use of digital product passports (DPPs) within a real-world remanufacturing environment.

During the trial, NMIS worked closely with Circulus to map how information moves through the company’s operations and identify how product data could be captured and shared more effectively. To test the approach without affecting day-to-day operations, a replica of Circulus’s HIVE business management system was created, allowing the technology to be trialled in an environment that closely mirrored live operations.More information www.nmis.scot

PM Visits Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Factory in Derby

Alstom, a global specialist in smart and sustainable mobility, recently hosted Prime Minister Andy Burnham at its Litchurch Lane Works factory in Derby, where he announced the launch of new technical education routes. The PM met around 100 apprentices and graduates in Alstom’s National Training Academy, providing the backdrop for changes to the UK’s education system.

Litchurch Lane has built trains for 150 years. Without it, the UK would be the only G7 economy unable to design, engineer, build and test trains for its national railway network. Alstom’s £720m annual spend with almost 1300 British suppliers shows how rail procurement can be a core driver of reindustrialising Britain, supporting skills, jobs and economic growth across the country.

More information www.alstom.com

E-Motorbike Maker Gears Up Exports With UKEF Backing

A West Midlands electric motorbike specialist has secured a £3m trade finance facility, backed by UK Export Finance (UKEF), to export to new and growing markets around the world, supporting British supply chains and helping to cut emissions. Coventry-based Maeving has received the trade financing from HSBC UK to invest in production capacity and meet growing demand from the US, Germany and France

With the support of multi-million-pound trade financing guaranteed by UKEF, the business is set to create 13 new jobs as part of its local expansion plans. The company, which makes over 70% of its electric motorbike components in the UK, will also look to expand into further European markets in the future.

More information www.maeving.com