The construction of a £5m raw materials warehouse with 4000 pallet spaces is underway at the Staffordshire headquarters of Fuchs Lubricants.

Building the warehouse is the latest step in a £10m investment programme at Fuchs UK, which has also seen the introduction of new machinery and a multi-line pallet-loading robot arm. Construction work began in August and the framework structure and roof have now been completed; the external cladding is also underway.
For further information www.fuchs.com/uk

Potential engineers can now take a vocational route all the way to degree level thanks to a newly formed partnership between In-Comm Training and the University of Wolverhampton.

HNC Higher Apprenticeships have been launched in the West Midlands this month and have already attracted 20 people who are looking for a more practical route to gaining the highest possible competences and qualifications.
According to In Comm, the HNC element of the programme is an intensive year-long course, which can be funded by the Apprenticeship Levy and features 12 technical modules, with the learning being delivered at In-Comm’s technical academy in Aldridge and the university’s dedicated engineering campus. In regard to the competence element of the programme, this will run alongside, with the learner producing a portfolio of evidence complementing the knowledge undertaken in the HNC. Course elements include engineering and manufacture, design, research, business improvement techniques, and new product development.
For further information www.in-comm.co.uk

A grinding machine rebuilding and upgrading service is now being offered by Jones & Shipman Hardinge, including machines produced by sister companies in the Hardinge Group – Kellenberger, Hauser, Voumard, Tschudin and Usach.

“The service is designed to maximise the lifespan of a machine which, while perfectly sound in structure and capability, could benefit from upgrading,” explains Jones & Shipman Hardinge UK managing director Mike Duignan. “If you take a universal Kellenberger Varia for example, a refurbishment and upgrade to include the latest Fanuc 0i control with the new Kellenberger menu-based programming software, could be as much as 25% cheaper than buying a new machine.”
Furthermore, through the company’s UK and European headquarters, Jones & Shipman Hardinge has the facility to supply a loan machine for some Kellenberger products, so that production is not interrupted.
For further information www.jonesshipman.com

Schunk, a specialist in gripping, work-holding and automation solutions, will be a technology partner at no fewer than four open house events this October.

On 8-10 October, the company will attend the Star GB open house, which will be followed by Seco Tools’ ‘Inspiration Through Innovation‘ event on 9-10 October and the DMG Mori open house on 15-18 October. At these events, Schunk will be discussing innovations such as the Vero-S quick-change pallet system, Tendo hydraulic tool holder, PGN-plus gripper, Magnos magnetic clamping technology and Rota-S manual lathe chuck. Schunk will also attend the open house of automation specialist FANUC on 29-31 October.
For further information https://schunk.com/gb_en

JJ Churchill has increased six-fold the space for its Tool Room Division. The company can now design and produce – from first principles – some of the aerospace industry’s most complex fixtures in a new, purpose-built facility.

Fixtures are a major bottleneck in the production of many aerospace components. Unlike most other companies in the sector, JJ Churchill has invested heavily in this capability to gain more control and guarantee quality. Company designers and machinists produce fixtures to within 20 µm.
For further information www.jjchurchill.com