The Mayor of the West Midlands praised Alucast’s commitment to investing in new technology and its people during a recent visit. Andy Street (pictured right) received a socially distanced tour of the aluminium casting specialist’s facility in Wednesbury to understand how the company is bouncing back from COVID-19 by targeting new opportunities in lightweighting – a major growth market with castings at its heart. The Mayor talked with staff to understand how it is supporting major OEMs in the automotive sector, as well as supplying parts to the hydraulics and chemical industries.

There was also time to find out more about the £2.2m investment in a new CNC machining shop that features six five-axis CNC machine tools. This advanced equipment will give Alucast the speed and precision necessary to meet the just-in-time delivery requirements of existing and future orders.

For further information www.alucast.co.uk

Keighley-based PFF has created 100 jobs and invested more than £2m in its custom-built machines for manufacturing PPE. The investment follows PFF’s appointment by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to manufacture 360 million disposable polythene aprons for frontline NHS staff and social-care workers. PFF began manufacturing aprons using existing machinery purchased from international suppliers, but has now collaborated with British machine manufacturer Hanbury-Autogil to design and commission two bespoke, faster machines. The firm is also investing in four folding machines.

For further information www.pff.uk.com

As Nissan marks the 10th anniversary of the Leaf, Nissan GB is also celebrating its 40,000th Leaf sale. The UK has been one of Nissan’s fastest growing electric-vehicle (EV) markets, responsible for over one in five Leaf sales in Europe. Nissan’s Sunderland plant has been producing the Leaf since April 2013. In recognition of its position in the growing used EV market, the Leaf has just been named ‘Used Electric Car of the Year’ in the Driving Electric Awards 2021.

For further information
www.nissan.co.uk/leaf

CNC Robotics, a system integrator specialising in the use of robots for machining, is one of 22 SMEs across the Liverpool City Region to receive part of the Metro Mayor’s £1.1m Future Innovation Fund. The Fund rewards businesses that have continued to innovate during the pandemic and so contribute to the area’s economic recovery.

The Future Innovation Fund will enable CNC Robotics to provide more systems to the manufacturing sector as it further expands its range. By developing an even more cost-effective product that is capable of machining a range of materials, CNC Robotics will be able to offer this solution to manufacturers across multiple industries. The company will also research whether other end effectors, including additive manufacturing printing heads, could be used to deliver a hybrid product that can both 3D print and machine.

For further information www.cncrobotics.co.uk

Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and the Hydrogen Accelerator, based at the University of St Andrews, have appointed Arcola Energy and a consortium of industry-leaders in hydrogen fuel-cell integration, rail engineering and functional safety to deliver Scotland’s first hydrogen-powered train. A key objective of the project is to create opportunities for the Scottish rail supply chain through skills development and industrialisation of the technology.

Arcola Energy will develop the technology platform for the train’s new powertrain from its planned Scottish base. The company will extend its existing A-Drive platform to meet rail safety and compliance requirements, thereby enabling the consortium to significantly reduce development time and cost. Arcola Energy anticipates the delivery of its complete hydrogen-powered solution within just 10 months.

For further information
www.arcolaenergy.com