UK NEWS

Manufacturing sector lags in AI adoption

Although interest in AI across UK businesses is at an all-time high in many commercial sectors, adoption remains slow-moving for traditional industries, including manufacturing. Research shows the most cited obstacle is identifying practical use cases (39%), followed by cost concerns (21%) and a lack of internal AI skills and expertise (16%). The Coders Guild – a provider of digital skills training, apprenticeships and software development bootcamps – has therefore worked with Skills England and the Department for Education to author the UK’s first Level 4 AI and Automation Apprenticeship Standard.

More information www.bit.ly/46l3nJJ

FourJaw signs 50 new manufacturers

FourJaw, a provider of production monitoring technology, signed almost 50 new customers in 2025 as manufacturers worldwide sought greater visibility into their factory operations. Despite a challenging economic environment, demand for production data remained strong as manufacturers sought insight to increase output, reduce waste and make better decisions. FourJaw’s new customers include SMEs and major multinationals in sectors such as motorsport, aerospace and defence.

The company’s plug-and-play technology gives manufacturers a real-time view of machine performance, utilisation and energy consumption across the shop floor. Customers typically achieve a 30% increase in capacity and a 10% rise in productivity within six months of installing FourJaw.

More information www.fourjaw.com

Scholarship to support women in engineering

Broadcaster, journalist and author Steph McGovern returned to her Teesside roots recently to launch a major scholarship programme aimed at increasing the number of women entering engineering. The new Steph McGovern Women in Engineering Scholarship will provide support for every first‑year, full‑time female engineering student at Teesside University, thanks to £44,000 of funding from Enginuity, the engineering skills charity. At a special event held in the university’s Digital Life building, the inaugural scholars learnt they would receive support from Steph herself during their studies. 

More information www.enginuity.org

Advanced inventory management on show at Southern

Inventory management specialist Tooling Intelligence demonstrated four control solutions at the Southern Manufacturing 2026 exhibition last week. The company’s stand featured live demonstrations of technologies designed to eliminate inventory waste, reduce downtime and deliver measurable cost savings for manufacturers.

With manufacturers facing mounting pressure to improve operational efficiency while controlling costs, Tooling Intelligence’s offering addresses the growing challenge of inventory control. The company’s comprehensive range of solutions – from weight-based vending to electronic access control – provides manufacturers with real-time visibility, automated replenishment and detailed usage tracking that transforms inventory from a cost centre into a competitive advantage.

Visitors to the stand could see the SmartBin weight-based inventory management solution in action. The system delivers absolute control over fasteners, cutting tools, spare parts and critical components through precision weight-sensing technology. Available in four fixed configurations accommodating between 30 and 64 distinct SKUs, SmartBin eliminates manual counting while providing real-time visibility of stock levels.

The system’s rapid transaction speeds and secure RFID badge access ensure authorised users can quickly access what they need, while automated order generation prevents stock-outs and reduces emergency purchasing. For manufacturers struggling with inventory shrinkage or inaccurate stock records, SmartBin’s continuous monitoring delivers immediate accountability and cost reductions.

Alongside the SmartBin was the SmartDrawer vending solution, which offers high-capacity storage from a compact footprint. SmartDrawer provides an entirely custom configuration of drawers and several locations to meet exact requirements. It dispenses everything from cutting tools and abrasives to calibrated instruments and PPE with individual item control. LED-guided product location and touchscreen operation deliver rapid transactions, while the system’s modular design allows manufacturers to scale capacity as requirements grow. The rapid refill feature enables fast restocking without repackaging, reducing administrative burden and maximising machine uptime.

More information www.toolingintelligence.co.uk

New right-angle heads suitable for automation

A new range of tool-holding heads designed to mill and drill components at right angles to the orientation of a machining centre spindle has been introduced by Swiss manufacturer Pibomulti, whose products are sold into the British and Irish markets exclusively by Gewefa UK. The next-generation CEP-NG heads can likewise be used in the B-axis spindle of a multi-tasking lathe, or in a live VDI turret station of a turn-mill centre.  

Built with high-quality, hardened and ground bevel gears and ABEC 9 angular contact bearings, CEP-NG heads are engineered to deliver reliability, performance, precision and longevity, even when tackling challenging applications in demanding sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical, defence and energy.

Compared with previous models, the new generation of heads is capable of transmitting higher rotational speeds at a 1:1 ratio, leading to greater productivity due to raised metal removal rate when roughing, or finer surfaces when taking finishing cuts. The CEP-NG 17 model, for instance, which clamps the cutter in an ER25 collet, can reach a maximum speed of 5000 rpm, optionally 6000 rpm, and has a maximum torque of 50 Nm. 

ER8 up to ER50/ISO40 tool clamping is available, the latter being capable of deploying a 36 mm diameter tool and transmitting 210 Nm of torque. A further benefit of the head redesign is that vibration is lower, especially when tool overhang is long, further promoting good surface finish as well as extending tool life. 

Pibomulti CEP-NG heads are also lighter in weight, reducing stress on the machine tool spindle bearings, as well as on the machine structure when the spindle head is accelerating or decelerating in the linear axes. The lightness similarly lessens the load on the magazine arm during automatic tool change and allows quicker exchange.

More information www.gewefa.co.uk