With the continuing expansion of business and increasing demand from customers for large repairs and major machine refurbishments, MPPS (Midland Power Press Services) has acquired additional manufacturing space just 100 m from its existing site.

The new manufacturing area at 34 High Street, Princess End, Tipton, has 350 sq m of working floor space plus extensive offices. This additional manufacturing area gives MPPS significantly more space for dis-assembly, examination, repair and rebuild of components and machine sub-assemblies.
This transfer of the fitting work to the new unit enables Unit 2, High Street, to become a dedicated machining facility with space available for additional machine tools.
“The continuing demand for machine repairs and major refurbishments has provided the confidence to invest in additional manufacturing space that will enable MPPS to continue providing a ‘best in class’ service to existing and new customers,” says managing director Bob Crow. “We are continually being asked to offer innovative solutions where customers wish to retain existing production equipment, and the additional manufacturing capacity will enable MPPS to respond rapidly to meet the needs of our customers.”
This is another step in the firm’s continuing expansion, building on its reputation for the installation, maintenance and repair of mechanical power presses and hydraulic presses.
In other news, the company has announced that it is now accredited to the Safe Contractor membership scheme. The external audit process and certification demonstrates that MPPS operates under recognised health and safety standards.
For further information www.mpps.co.uk

Pressmark Pressings has joined the manufacturing and engineering membership group, Made in the Midlands (MIM).

The company, which provides high-volume components for automotive manufacturers, is looking to boost sales and share best practice by working closer with the collective group of 400+ firms, which includes the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, ZF, GKN, Dennis Eagle, Moog Aircraft Group and the Liberty Group.
The decision to take membership is part of an ambitious growth strategy that will see the businesses work towards £10m of annual sales, a 33% increase since the current management team completed
an MBI just over 12 months ago.
“Like many other fellow members, we have joined Made in the Midlands to win new business, collaborate, raise our profile and source Midlands-based suppliers,” explains John Nollett, chief executive of Pressmark Pressings. “We join an industry network of ‘movers and makers’ which is proactively bringing together the region’s engineering talent to challenge the status quo that UK manufacturing is on the retreat. It is quite the opposite, with the last 12 months seeing a further resurgence in domestic output and increasing interest in our ability to design, add value and innovate.
“The Midlands is the heartbeat of UK industry and we should do everything we can to attract trade and investment to the area, as we look to provide sustainable growth and new jobs,” he adds.
On its current site in Atherstone, the firm has 26 large bed presses, ranging from 150 to 1200 tonnes, allowing for the manufacture of different size products in both standard metals and exotic alloys.
For further information www.pressmark.co.uk

Atkin Automation, a UK designer and manufacturer of press-feed and coil equipment, has won a six-figure contract with a major UK supplier of construction fastenings.

The company designed and manufactured an Atkin twin-strip press-feed line, which will effectively double the customer’s production capacity for one of its main products. Atkin says that the new line enables two strips of steel instead of one to be processed simultaneously, while also allowing multiple coils to be loaded on to one mandrel to further improve efficiency by reducing changeover times.
Geoff Barker, sales manager for Atkin, says: “This project is a great example of our complete service from design to commissioning of a twin-strip press-feed line. We have over 70 years’ of history within our business of producing machines like this and the new line will bring major benefits in terms of increased efficiency and productivity for the customer.”
The company, originally WT Atkin, specialises in coil-processing equipment and has a long history of serving both UK and international markets, ranging from automotive and white goods to building products.
Atkin Automation is part of Group Rhodes, a manufacturer of capital equipment for the clay-working, metal-forming and materials-handling industries. Within Group Rhodes there are a number of businesses which provide original equipment manufacture and aftermarket services for different sectors, including Rhodes Interform, Hallamshire Engineering Services and Craven Fawcett.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk