Advanced Manufacturing Centre Opens

The UK’s first-ever Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing has officially opened at West Nottinghamshire College, marking a major leap forward for the region’s engineering and manufacturing sector. It comes after the college was awarded a £500,000 grant from the US-based Gene Haas Foundation through its pioneering partnership with the global engineering powerhouse.

The landmark investment has funded a comprehensive remodelling of the college’s engineering centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield. This redesign has seen the arrival of a new suite of advanced machinery and tools – purchased through other funding sources – including a CNC machining centre with ABB robot, CNC lathes, milling machines, CNC mini mills and a CNC lathe with FANUC robot.

More information www.wnc.ac.uk

LK Metrology expands into industrial CT

Best known as a manufacturer and global supplier of CMMs and more recently laser scanning sensors, LK Metrology, based in Castle Donington, has acquired ProCon X-Ray GmbH, a specialist German manufacturer of computed tomography (CT) systems. Through the acquisition, LK Metrology can offer its customers an even wider range of products for inspection and measurement from a single source, from traditional CMMs, portable measuring arms and laser scanners to high-resolution X-ray and CT equipment. The companies will work closely together in the ongoing development of industrial CT solutions.

More information www.lkmetrology.com

Martin Precision enhances measurement capabilities

Martin Precision Ltd, a supplier of precision-engineered components and assemblies for the aerospace and defence sectors, has strengthened its quality control processes with the integration of advanced metrology solutions from Bowers Group.

Supplying industry giants such as Rolls-Royce, Incora, Siemens, Farsound and Leonardo, Martin Precision invested in a suite of metrology tools, including Sylvac Scan 25T and Sylvac Scan F60T optical measuring machines, a Baty R14 profile projector and Bowers XT3 Holematic bore gauges, which have been a trusted solution in its operations for over a decade.

Alan Muir, quality manager at Martin Precision, says: “The Scan machines have proven to be reliable, user-friendly and highly accurate for the tolerances and sizes we work with. They have significantly improved our inspection efficiency, making them a valuable addition to our operations.”

The Sylvac Scan 25T and F60T optical measuring machine play a crucial role in final inspection, ensuring batch consistency and compliance with strict industry standards. Meanwhile, Bowers XT3 Holematic bore gauges are used throughout production and inspection testing to verify the internal dimensions of key components such as bolts, unions and small fasteners.

To enhance efficiency further, Martin Precision uses pre-programmed measurement routines at the final inspection stage, allowing for seamless batch processing and accurate digital recordkeeping. These records are vital for securing First Article Inspection Report (FAIR) approval and maintaining the company’s stringent quality assurance standards.

With the daily use of Sylvac Scan machines, Martin Precision has experienced significant improvements in accuracy, reliability and inspection speed. The company has successfully reduced inspection times, allowing for a more efficient workflow.

More information www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Robot Idea Comes to Life

Winners of the WorldSkills UK’s ‘Designathon’ took their innovative concept from idea to reality during a hands-on experience at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) Training in Coventry recently. The Designathon, part of WorldSkills UK’s competition-based learning programme, challenged students to tackle real-world engineering problems with creative, practical solutions. The winning team from New College Lanarkshire in Scotland impressed judges with its robotic grabber design, a precision tool for automated picking and placing that shows strong potential for real-world application.

More information www.worldskillsuk.org/learning-lab

Automation Centre Opens

Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global specialist in digitising and automating frontline workflows, has launched the Industrial Automation Centre of Excellence in collaboration with Clearview, a Zebra industrial automation distributor. Located in Oxfordshire, the centre will offer relevant services, training advisory, and practical demonstrations for manufacturing specialists across the EMEA region. The centre will support end users, machine builders and systems integrators looking for machine vision, 3D and AI solutions to secure greater asset visibility and support intelligently automated operations.

More information www.clearview-imaging.com/coe