The Hamilton branch of metal-bending expert Barnshaws has delivered 11 rolled steel cylinders to form two deaerator vessels destined for the Johan Sverdrup oilfield in the North Sea.

Work had to be carried out within three weeks, meeting transport arrangements and ensuring the deaeration vessels could be installed on the offshore platform as quickly as possible. Barnshaws rolled 35 tonnes of steel plate at 16 mm thickness to a diameter of 3.8 m, producing the 11 finished cylinders. Offshore platforms are hazardous working environments where safety and space efficiency are of the utmost importance, so the rolled cylinders had to adhere to stringent quality levels.
For further information www.barnshaws.com

Manufacturers serving the aerospace industry now have a new opportunity to learn best practice in productivity and competitiveness improvement, thanks to increased government support for the Sharing in Growth (SiG) programme.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has awarded SiG a £6m contract to help the UK companies compete more successfully in the global aerospace market.
Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi says: “SiG continues to deliver excellent results – boosting productivity, creating quality jobs and helping UK companies take a leading role in the global aerospace market. This is an important programme for the UK’s world-leading aerospace sector, securing more than £4bn in contracts and contributing to our export strength. That’s why we’ve extended our support for the programme by £6m.”
For further information www.sig-uk.org

Zoro UK, a supplier of fasteners, fixings, tools and equipment for industry, is celebrating the sale of its 7 millionth fastener since it commenced sales in December 2017.

Chris Matenaers, marketing director of Zoro, says: “We value being a reliable part of a supply chain, supplying fasteners to UK industry. Our next-day delivery and quality brands ensure we help to keep the manufacturing production chain moving without unnecessary downtime. In fact, after introducing our new order subscription service, we are expecting to sell over 8 million fasteners this year. The service will cut the time spent re-ordering, reduce human error and ensure smooth production.”
For further information www.zoro.co.uk

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