The degree of customisation that Citizen Machinery is being asked to engineer into the machines and equipment it supplies has now reached such a high level that the company has decided to centralise this side of the business by setting up a dedicated centre, CMSolutions, at its Bushey headquarters in Hertfordshire. CMSolutions operates independently from the applications department to project-manage complex, high-level installations, from initial consultation, through design, configuration, assembly and prove-out, to delivery, acceptance and training.

For further information www.citizenmachinery.co.uk

Stratasys subsidiary MakerBot, a specialist in 3D printing, has supplied automotive and lifestyle product design and engineering firm, Callum, with a Method X 3D printer. The machine will produce functional prototypes, tooling and production parts across a number of luxury vehicles and lifestyle brands, including the limited edition Aston Martin Callum Vanquish 25 by R-Reforged.

Adam Donfrancesco, technical director at Warwick-based Callum, says: “Having put the 3D printer through its paces, the level of part accuracy and diversity of engineering-grade materials available is second-to-none versus other industrial desktop printers we’ve tested. Not only does this technology enable us to enhance our prototyping capabilities for true functional testing, but we can now optimise the production of tools and end-use parts where 3D printing previously fell short in terms of strength, surface finish and dimensional accuracy.”

For further information www.makerbot.com

BGF – a UK-based capital investor – has invested a further £4m in Midlands-headquartered automotive components manufacturer, Sertec Group, as the business looks ahead to European growth. In 2020, Sertec secured significant new contract wins in the electric vehicle (EV) and lightweight technology markets, using its engineering expertise and technology know-how. The company has also recently completed a world-class battery component assembly line in Coleshill. Sertec Group has six manufacturing sites in the Midlands, plus other facilities in Hungary, Germany and China.

For further information
www.sertec.co.uk

A new project at the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM), based at the MTC in Coventry, aims to transform the use of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing in highly regulated industries. Currently the adoption of AM in sectors such as aerospace is hindered somewhat by the lack of standards for part quality, reliability, traceability and process repeatability. The Daedalus project, funded by UK Research and Innovation, will help make the UK become the go-to place for forward-thinking manufacturing by enabling AM in highly regulated industries such as aerospace, space, oil and gas, and medical.

For further information http://ncam.the-mtc.org/

The board of the High-Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVM Catapult) has named Katherine Bennett, senior vice president at Airbus UK, as the successor to Dick Elsy when he retires later in 2021. The announcement follows a formal recruitment process led by the chair of the HVM Catapult, Allan Cook. Bennett was awarded a CBE in January 2019 for services to the aerospace and aviation sector, while in July 2018 she founded the UK’s Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter, which is committed to building a fair and balanced industry for women in the sector.

For further information www.hvm.catapult.org.uk