Vargus Tooling UK, a manufacturer and supplier of threading, grooving, turning and hand deburring tools, has expanded its team with the appointment of two new employees. For the first time, Vargus UK will be offering extensive service and support for manufacturers in Ireland with the appointment of Barry Pender. Pender brings a wealth of experience to a position that will see him become the new technical sales engineer for Scotland and Ireland.

At the Telford head office, Vargus has created a new position with the appointment of Rhianna Harris as its new customer relationship specialist.

For further information
www.vargusuk.co.uk

LISI Aerospace (BAI UK) and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) have jointly secured £975,000 in funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to unlock productivity gains, new markets and reduce waste in the fastener industry through the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies. The pilot production line for high-precision aerospace fasteners, at BAI UK’s Rugby facility, will help define the ‘smart factory’ by pioneering the use of machine learning, data analytics, indirect fault detection and other cutting-edge digital technologies.

For further information
www.amrc.co.uk

Reeco is doubling the size of its premises in Newtown, Wales, from 5500 sq ft to more than 11,000 sq ft. The enlarged space will enable the company to have dedicated factory areas for assembly and metalwork, cutting and welding, as well as a dedicated training centre. Reeco is a supplier of turnkey solutions based on collaborative robots (cobots) for many different sectors, including automotive, food and beverage, and logistics. Customers include Ford, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell and Unilever. Omron recently selected Reeco as its first ‘Omron Solutions Partner’.

For further information
www.reeco.co.uk

Pump and motor manufacturer Hayward Tyler is working with the Nuclear AMRC on the development of a new coolant pump for small modular reactors (SMRs), while simultaneously helping the UK supply chain prepare for the production of critical components needed by the global SMR market. The government-funded project will focus on developing a class-leading reactor coolant pump, and strengthening the UK supply chain to provide long-term growth opportunities for the production of nuclear parts.

Nuclear AMRC engineers will work with Hayward Tyler on design-for-manufacture, to make sure that components and assemblies offer optimal performance and can benefit from efficient production to the quality standards demanded by nuclear customers. The project is funded by the Driving the Electric Revolution programme of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

For further information www.namrc.co.uk

RARUK Automation has supplied Plymouth-based Oakmount Control Systems with a new FlexiBowl parts feeder and Shibaura THP700 SCARA robot. The two automated systems are now working in unison at a customer of Oakmount, where they are feeding, picking and placing a medical product into individual plastic packaging trays. Previously performed by a human operative, the end user is not only enjoying a faster, more repeatable process, but has redeployed its labour resource to a more value-added task.

The THP700 SCARA robot offers a 700 mm reach and a maximum payload of 10 kg.

For further information www.rarukautomation.com