LK Metrology, a British manufacturer and exporter of CMMs, has appointed Steve Shickell as sales and marketing director.

With nearly 30 years’ experience, Shickell started his career in the manufacturing industry, first with British Aerospace as a tool-room machinist, then at BAE Systems, Chester, as a metrology engineer, and afterwards at Airbus UK, Broughton, where he was tool-room team leader. Since then, Shickell has worked for many metrology equipment suppliers, delivering inspection solutions designed to increase productivity through quality control.
For further information www.lkmetrology.com

Sheffield Forgemasters has welcomed its latest intake of 15 apprentices, who are training for important positions across the business.

The latest recruitment of apprentices provides jobs across the company in roles ranging from machinists to associate project managers, as the company futureproofs the business with a younger workforce and new skills sets. This years’ intake will provide fully paid, four-year apprenticeships to the applicants, who were recruited from across South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire.
For further information www.sheffieldforgemasters.com

Composites and advanced materials company Bindatex has doubled its capacity by investing in a new slitting line.

The latest line will increase the company’s capacity to 30 tonnes per year, and create five new jobs in the process. Bindatex’s new line can cut UD, prepreg and composite materials to widths of just 3.175 mm. The Manchester-based business says it is the only firm of its type in the UK that can undertake slitting to widths as narrow as 1 mm. Narrow widths are said to pose a challenge for many composite cutting companies. Bindatex customers include thermoplastic and thermoset manufacturers
around the globe.
Managing director Chris Lever says: “We can meet orders of all sizes as our nimble operations can quickly change to address the varying needs of customers. Our close working relationship with clients builds trust and understanding of their business requirements, which we constantly strive to support.”
For further information https://bindatex.com/

Experts from Sharing in Growth (SiG) have selected Independent Forgings & Alloys (IFA), a rapidly growing Sheffield forging firm, to join its business transformation programme.

IFA, which operates from a 250,000 sq ft facility, now plans to increase its annual sales turnover from £23m in 2018, to almost £42m by 2024. Last year, the company received an £8.5m capital investment from BGF and will now work with SiG to focus on leadership, culture and operational capability.
IFA CEO Andy McGuinness says: “Our growth plans mean we must secure higher volume, long-term agreements in aerospace. This is an extremely price-sensitive market, so we require significant investment in capital equipment, and we need SiG’s specialist expertise to help raise our competitiveness. Otherwise, those long-term contracts will go to multi-national competitors with greater resources and financial backing.”
For further information www.sig-uk.org

Fuchs, a specialist in cutting fluids and coolants, has signalled its commitment to climate protection by making plans for complete CO2 neutrality as early as next year.

The company, which has its UK headquarters in Stoke, will be CO2 neutral globally by 1 January 2020, from energy consumption in production, to consumables in administration. In order to achieve this outcome in just two months’ time, Fuchs will offset any CO2 emissions which have not yet been avoided, with compensation measures. The company will therefore invest in high-quality climate protection projects aimed primarily at promoting renewable energies.
For further information www.fuchs.com