The Manufacturing Barometer, the largest survey of SME manufacturers in England, shows that the sector is bouncing back from the worst effects of COVID-19 with a degree of increased optimism around turnover, profits, jobs and investment.

Conducted by SWMAS (South West Manufacturing Advisory Service) and the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), the report reveals that 40% of those questioned are expecting future sales to increase, which is a massive improvement on the 9% who were predicting this outcome in the previous survey (in April).
For further information www.swmas.co.uk

Electrix International, a Bishop Auckland based manufacturer and stockist of stainless steel electrical enclosures and cable management systems, is exploiting the benefits of a new Trumpf TruMark Station 5000 laser-marking system.

The new machine has replaced a previous foil sticker to provide a fast, permanent way of marking and identifying products without compromising requirements for hygiene or corrosion resistance.
Stewart Beer, manufacturing manager at Electrix, says: “We tested a number of laser markers, but the TruMark Station 5000 stood out, not just for its performance in terms of speed and marking colour/tone, but for its user-friendly interface. This latter point became a decisive factor in the purchase.
We found a number of machines with a good laser head, but they lacked ease of use.”
For further information www.uk.trumpf.com

The Engineering Technologies Group (ETG) has signed a multi-million-pound contract with the Pexion Group to consolidate the technology management and advancement of its multiple manufacturing businesses. In the first stage of the agreement, Pexion Group companies will take delivery of six machine tools with significantly more planned in future phases of the long-term contract.

Pexion owns subcontracting businesses that include Drurys Engineering, Claro Precision, Paragon Precision, Oxton Engineering and Rictor Engineering. In the contract’s initial phase, ETG will deliver a new Quaser three-axis machining centre and a twin-spindle, twin-turret Nakamura-Tome WY150
multi-axis turning centre to Drurys Engineering. Also receiving a Nakamura-Tome WY150, as well as a three-axis Quaser MV184 machining centre and a five-axis Quaser will be Oxton Engineering. Completing the first stage of installations will be a Nakamura NTRX300L large-bed turning centre destined for Claro Precision.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com

Ametek Land, a specialist in temperature measurement and combustion and emission monitoring, is celebrating a major milestone in its history – the 50th anniversary of the company’s UKAS-accredited infrared temperature calibration laboratory in the UK.

In 1970, the laboratory in Sheffield was the first in the UK to be accredited by the then British Calibration Service (BCS), now the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), for the issue of calibration certificates for non-contact thermometry.
For further information www.ametek-land.com

Dave Smith has been appointed as senior sales manager at Eclipse Magnetics.

Smith’s responsibilities will include supporting the internal and external sales teams, and building new and supporting existing distributor channels and partners across all product groups, both in the UK and export markets. His role at Eclipse Magnetics will mean involvement across the industrial, catalogue, foreign-body removal and filtration areas of the business. Smith has over 20 years of sales experience both in the UK and overseas.
For further information www.eclipsemagnetics.com