UK NEWS

Gresham Brings Metal Furniture Production in-House

One of the UK’s largest independent workspace furniture designers and manufacturers, Gresham Office Furniture operates from a 200,000 sq ft factory on a 14-acre site in Bolton. In early 2025, the company installed three machines from BLM Group UK, including an electric press brake. 

The investment has enabled Gresham to bring all metal furniture component manufacture in-house, having previously outsourced around two-thirds of production. 

“The BLM acquisitions were part of a £7m investment last year that also included a new enterprise resource planning system and a Homag line for processing wood-based panels,” explains operations manager David Openshaw. “Insourcing all of our metal component manufacture has been a major benefit, as Brexit, swiftly followed by Covid and then war in Ukraine, all played into lengthening lead times from our subcontractors.” 

He continues: “We pride ourselves on quick deliveries to customers in 10 to 15 days from receipt of order, so we wanted total control over the supply of all office furniture components. Our latest investments have delivered exactly that.” 

The BLM STR Verde 2.6 m/100 T press brake features LED-guided tool positioning, with lights along the upper beam indicating precisely where punches and dies should be placed. The system also guides operators during sequential bending operations, reducing set-up times and errors. 

An infrared laser measures bend angles in real time, automatically compensating for spring-back and material variation. Optimised parameters can then be saved for future production. 

The press brake’s integrated EsaBend 3D software also accepts STEP files generated from Gresham’s Autodesk Inventor CADCAM system. EsaBend identifies available tooling, applies crowning and spring-back adjustments, and generates the G-code, helping ensure the first component is right-first-time. 

More information www.blmgroup.com 

New Bridgnorth Aluminium GM Targets Business Growth

One of Bridgnorth’s largest employers has appointed a new general manager to lead the next stage of its expansion. Ilias Avgerinos is already looking to build on a transformational two years that has seen the business return to 24/7 production and capitalise on new investments in the cast house and finishing lines. The experienced industrialist, who has held several senior roles at parent company Viohalco Group, believes there are significant opportunities for growth in North America and new territories, while also feeling the domestic market offers plenty of untapped potential. 

More information www.bridgnorthaluminium.co.uk  

Join the Automation in Action UK Roadshow this Month

Manufacturing teams are under pressure to improve productivity, maintain quality and do more with fewer resources. Join Universal Robots and its technology partners on 29 September (09:30-14:30) at Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, Surrey, to see how industrial collaborative robots are helping manufacturers solve real production challenges. Visitors will experience live automation demonstrations, including industrial collaborative robots in action across machine tending, packaging, food handling and screwdriving applications. Leading partners will include Schunk, Piab, OnRobot, Sick and RobotIQ. 

More information www.tinyurl.com/527ah2sk 

70 Apprentices and Graduates to Join British Steel

Some 70 new apprentices and graduates will join British Steel this month as the company continues to build the next generation of steelmakers. In Scunthorpe, 36 electrical, mechanical and structural apprentices will launch their careers, joined by 17 apprentices in similar roles for British Steel’s Northern mills in Teesside and Skinningrove, and one at the company’s R&D centre in Sheffield. 

At the same time, 16 graduates will join British Steel, the first to do so since 2022 following this year’s relaunch of the company’s graduate recruitment programme. British Steel, which was nationalised by the UK Government in July, received more than 1000 applications when the roles were advertised earlier this year. The successful candidates have come through a robust vetting process including a series of assessment centres. 

More information www.britishsteel.co.uk

Made Smarter Expands Team With Four Wew Specialists

Made Smarter is bolstering its northwest team with four new specialists as SME manufacturers accelerate investment in technology and skills. Mike Richards-Brown and Tabs Khojani will help firms find practical ways to digitalise their operations, while Jane Duffy and Mike Connolly will help businesses develop the leadership needed to deliver change. Together they bring decades of experience from some of the region’s leading manufacturing, technology and business support organisations. Launched in 2019, Made Smarter North West has engaged with 2500 manufacturers and provided £8.3m in funding. 

More information http://madesmarter.uk