A Midlands supplier of commercial vehicle engineering and industrial hardware is reshoring component production from China with the help of experts from the Manufacturing Technology Centre.

Bloxwich-based Albert Jagger Engineering, which has been producing metal components for more than 70 years, has already reshored the production of almost 250,000 fastening components and in the process has, in some cases, reduced costs by up to 50%. The MTC worked with Albert Jagger to produce a new factory layout, introduce new CNC machines and automation, and re-train staff using VR and AR.

For further information www.the-mtc.org

Sheffield Forgemasters is manufacturing key components for a novel new device used by the renewable energy sector.

The company will supply GE’s Power Conversion Business with central components for rotating stabilisers – large turbine-like devices that work to stabilise electricity fluctuations on the electrical grid. An initial delivery will comprise a main rotator shaft and hub for a rotating stabiliser located in Moray, Scotland.
Kunal Popat, senior sales manager, says: “The challenge of forging these large components and then conducting a delicate heat-shrink fit to bond the hub to the main shaft of the rotating stabiliser is significant, and our research, design and technology team had considerable input into the design of both the components and the subsequent route to manufacture.”

For further information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com

Dorset LEP is investing £1.5m of the Government’s Local Growth Fund towards the construction of a new Defence Innovation Centre at Dorset Innovation Park, the county’s enterprise zone.

The investment will be enhanced by £3.1m from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and £1.1m from Dorset Council. Scheduled to be operational by spring 2021, the new Defence Innovation Centre will provide 1100 sq m of office space and 450 sq m of workshop space for MOD innovation, as well as associated conference and collaboration space. The hub aims to create 90 new jobs and achieve a direct GVA of £4m in its first 10 years.

For further information www.dorsetlep.co.uk

TM Robotics has launched a new robotics consultation service to advise metalworking manufacturers on how automation can aid recovery and growth.

The free consultations will be held virtually using a video conferencing service and hosted by one of the company’s robotic automation experts. Alternatively, consultations can be arranged by appointment.

Nigel Smith, president and CEO at TM Robotics, says “Our global distributor network spans six continents and, within it, we boast unrivalled expertise in industrial robot installations. The launch of the robotics consultation service will provide manufacturers in the metalworking sector with practical advice on which automation tools can prove most effective for them, based on an assessment of their specific situation.”

For further information www.tmrobotics.com

The UK machine tool business of 600 Group Plc, Colchester Machine Tools Solutions, has secured a £1.2m new-term loan with a three-year bullet repayment under the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS).

This loan will help provide headroom in funding the business through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul Dupee, executive chairman, states: “These are unprecedented times. We have taken decisive action to ensure our workforce and technical competencies remain intact through this period of uncertainty so that the group can react quickly as markets improve.”
For further information www.600group.com