The latest Contract Manufacturing Index shows that 2021 was a volatile year for the subcontract market with large dips in May and September but strong peaks in August and November. Overall though, the result was good, with the market 10% higher on average than the previous year. The final quarter showed the traditional year-end slump, compounded by supply chain issues, but nevertheless, with a CMI of 110 it was only down 6% on the previous quarter and 64% up on the same period in the previous year. Across 2021, the strongest market sector was industrial machinery.

For further information
www.qimtek.co.uk

Ceratizit UK & Ireland has plans for significant growth in its technical sales and application sales teams in 2022, commencing with two new appointments. Brackley-based Neville Frisby joins the company as a technical sales engineer working across an area covering in part the northern home counties, including ‘F1 valley’. Buckinghamshire-based Drew Pettifar is joining Ceratizit in the role of applications sales engineer serving the East of England, where he will bring his wide-ranging knowledge of production engineering to sectors such as defence, motorsport and prototype manufacturing.

For further information www.ceratizit.com

A UK manufacturer of industrial vacuum cleaners has relocated production to Filtermist International’s headquarters in Telford. Kerstar, which sells its Type H and ATEX-rated models, was purchased by the oil mist and filtration specialist in 2019 and, following an extensive lean manufacturing project, has taken the decision to centralise operations in Shropshire in a bid to deliver increased customer efficiencies. The company has also appointed a dedicated product manager to help it maximise the brand refresh and make the most of opportunities with its network of approved resellers and distributors.

For further information www.kerstar.com

NiTEC UK of Chesterfield (a division of CBE+) has embraced virtual reality (VR) to design the layout of its new electroless nickel plating facility, part of a complex manufacturing portfolio, thanks to digital support from engineers at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). Chris Brown, technical director at CBE+ group, says: “The AMRC supported us to create and navigate around a new space using VR. It’s a useful way to do it – as you can imagine, if you had to start pouring concrete in the ground and building the new layout in order to test it, the whole thing would be cost prohibitive.”

For further information
www.amrc.co.uk

The UK-based Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has underlined its net zero credentials by supporting Australian giant Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) in its goal to produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030. Huw Sullivan, hydrogen leader at the MTC, says: “Supporting the delivery of net zero, including green hydrogen, is core to our vision for future manufacturing and creating clean growth jobs. Through our Liverpool, Midlands and southeast UK facilities we are engaging to support the next generation of green manufacturing technologies and stimulate investment in the UK supply chain.”

For further information www.the-mtc.org