Husco International, a manufacturer of hydraulic and electrohydraulic controls, has installed another MecWash Midi component cleaning system following the success of previous installations.

The company commissioned its first MecWash Midi for use at the company’s European headquarters in Runcorn, in 2000. Since then, Husco has installed a further six cleaning systems. Another two machines will be delivered this year, totaling nine MecWash machines altogether. MecWash also has five component cleaning systems in Husco’s US manufacturing plants and one at its factory in China.
For further information www.mecwash.co.uk

To encourage female secondary school students to pursue a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, Renishaw is hosting an International Women in Engineering Day event at its New Mills headquarters.

On Saturday 23 June, students aged from 11 to 18, with their parents/guardians, are invited to visit Renishaw to learn more about the opportunities open to females in this field.
During the event, attendees will meet Renishaw’s female apprentices and graduates to hear about their experiences, and learn about the different paths into engineering. The group will then rotate around workshops, including a hands-on engineering session building LED torches. Visitors will be invited on a tour of the Renishaw Innovation Centre and to take part in a speed networking session. There will also be a CV writing workshop to help the students with their applications to further education or apprenticeships.
For further information www.renishaw.com/educationoutreach

A metrology expert has joined Blum-Novotest as its new UK technical sales manager with the aim of doubling sales to £1m over the next 12 months.

Gary Bates, who started his career as one of the last indentured apprentices at Rolls-Royce, will be responsible for growing the firm’s market share. “Blum-Novotest had its best ever year in the UK in 2017 and it’s my job to build on this significantly, almost doubling sales to £1m per annum,” says Bates. “This is just the tip of the iceberg; we’ve got the technology, the service and the backing of our German parent.”
For further information www.blum-novotest.com

A new report has revealed that small and medium-sized manufacturers are planning to take on more staff in a bid to boost productivity and sales.

The latest National Manufacturing Barometer, conducted by SWMAS (part of Exelin Group) in partnership with Economic Growth Solutions, questioned almost 300 manufacturing SME leaders on the current economic picture, with 53% of them expressing their intention to hire more employees over the next six months. This is 5% up on the last quarter and the highest figure reported for over two years.
In other positive news, the quarterly survey reported that 60% of manufacturers saw an increase in sales, with 68% expecting orders to rise between now and the end of the year.
Investment aspirations – while slightly down on the last report – are still healthy, with just under half (48%) planning to spend on new machinery and premises.
For further information www.swmas.co.uk/barometer