Manufacturing growth and jobs in Manchester

A new Investment Zone for Greater Manchester, announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement, is expected to create 32,000 jobs and leverage £1.1bn of private sector investment.The Investment Zone will provide £160m in public funding over 10 years to support initiatives and interventions agreed between Greater Manchester and the Government, which will include new research and innovation, sector-focussed skills programmes, local infrastructure enhancements and targeted business support.Greater Manchester’s Investment Zone will focus on the advanced materials and manufacturing sectors.
For further information www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

£38m funding to upgrade UKBIC

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has secured a further £38m in funding to upgrade the facility’s scale-up capabilities, thus supporting innovation projects for high-tech developers and users of battery technologies. This new funding, announced as part of the Autumn Statement, is principally for UKBIC’s flexible scale-up line, and builds upon the £36m already committed by Faraday Battery Challenge in May. Preparatory work on construction of thefacility is already underway.

The new funding will enhance Coventry-based UKBICs’ offering to customers and enable activities that include: the installation of additional electrode production equipment as part of UKBIC’s new flexible scale-up line; the installation of a flexible 800 sq m clean and dry industrialisation space for new manufacturing process demonstration; and the development of advanced digital manufacturing capability to transform how data is analysed during the upscaling of products and processes at UKBIC.
For further information www.ukbic.co.uk

Construction of EMIoT gets underway

Derby College Group (DCG) reports thatground has been broken for the upcoming East Midlands Institute of Technology (EMIoT) at the Roundhouse Campus, marking a significant milestone in the development of cutting-edge education and training facilities in the region. The facilityis poised to become a beacon of excellence, with collaboration between academia and industry in addressing the growing demand for skilled professionals in technology-related fields.

A partnership between Derby College Group, the University of Derby, Loughborough College and Loughborough University, the EMIoT aims to deliver a world-class, research-orientated, employer-led learning facilities, founded on clean growth and digital delivery. It is working closely with global employers, including Rolls-Royce, Uniper, Toyota, National Grid ESO, Alstom, Fujitsu and Bloc Digital to ensure programmes deliver a workforce with future-ready skills.
For further information www.derby-college.ac.uk

IMI Truflo Marine invests in MecWash system

The addition of the MecWash MWX300aqueous cleaning system has made a dramatic impact at IMI Truflo Marine, increasing cleaning productivity by over six times while reducing the operational manpower required. IMI Truflo Marine noted a significant improvement in both efficiencies and the standard of cleaning, helping the business to meet global demand. This historic naval valve manufacturer makes flow control solutions, with over 120,000 valves in service on 24 of the world’s naval fleets.

The precision cleaning and sophisticated drying processes offered by the MWX300 ensures components produced by IMI Truflo Marine are free of contaminants, preserving the critical tolerances necessary. The company’s parts have very tight tolerances, and even small amounts of dirt or contamination can prevent them from functioning properly.

Kurtis Smith, continuous improvement engineer at IMI Truflo Marine, says: “Truflo needed a machine that could provide a consistent and high-quality finish on valves in sensitive materials used in marine systems. It was important for the business that the new system could improve productivity with less manpower required in the parts washing process.

“Since the installation in 2022, the MWX300 has delivered impressive cleaning results, especially considering its size,” he continues.“The cleaning process has always been challenging due to the sensitivity of the parts and the mirror finish required. Previously, we could only clean three valve kits in a 30-minute cycle; using the MWX300 we are cleaning 12 kits within 18 minutes, with a smooth and polished finish.”

The previous cleaning method at IMI Truflo Marine was manual and required the blow drying of parts with air guns after washing. Now, the company simply loads baskets of parts into the MWX300 and presses start.
For further information www.mecwash.com

Guyson and Inventec Performance Chemicals join forces

Guyson International, a manufacturer of industrial cleaning equipment, and Inventec Performance Chemicals, a provider of speciality chemicals and cleaning solutions, are entering a strategic partnership aimed at delivering cutting-edge precision cleaning solutions to a global customer base.The partnership will provide UK customers with state-of-the-art cleaning processes and services that meet stringent industry requirements.

Inventec Performance Chemicals specialises in developing cleaning solutions tailored to specific industrial needs. The company’s dedication to research and innovation supports an extensive portfolio of high-performance cleaning chemicals and solvents designed to tackle challenging cleaning tasks with precision and sustainability.

By combining their strengths, Guyson International and Inventec Performance Chemicals aim to disrupt the precision cleaning landscapewith their new range of environmentally friendly chemicals and solvents, thus offering a comprehensive solution to customers seeking innovative and efficient cleaning processes.

Both companies are excited about the opportunity to leverage their knowledge, capabilities, and resources to address the evolving needs of industries that demand pristine cleanliness, product quality and sustainability. Together, Guyson International and Inventec Performance Chemicals will provide technical support and tailored solutions to customers, ensuring that they achieve the optimal cleaning results.

“We are delighted to partner with Inventec Performance Chemicals, who are truly setting the standard through their new sustainable solvents,” says Mark Viner, managing director of Guyson International’s Blast and Wash Division. “Our shared commitment to innovation and excellence will enable us to offer our customers the best in precision cleaning equipment and cleaning chemicals.This partnership marks the beginning of a promising era in precision cleaning solutions.”
For further information www.guyson.co.uk