A £1m+ project to develop ‘smart’ composite leading edges for aircraft wings with embedded heaters to protect the wings against ice build-up (while reducing weight and boosting efficiency compared with existing systems), has concluded successfully after crucial wind tunnel tests. The EU-funded ELWIPS programme brought together researchers from the University of Sheffield’s AMRC and aerospace companies Meggitt and AeroTex.
ELWIPS is a programme managed by aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The AMRC designed and built a composite wing structure which incorporates electric heating technology and power control systems developed by Meggitt subsidiaries in the UK and France, while specialists in icing prevention and prediction, AeroTex, determined the sizing, zoning, power rating and control strategy for the heaters.
For further information www.amrc.co.uk

Submissions for the 2017 edition of the Technology Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge, the MTA’s flagship schools competition for young engineers, are now invited. There are four prize categories to be judged, two in each age group, which are 14-16 and 17-19. Each age category has two prizes on offer for individual and group projects. The winner in each category will receive an individual prize (which include iPads, GoPro cameras, Mini-rig speakers and drones) as well as a £1000 voucher for their school to spend on design and technology equipment. All entries must be received by 12 May.
For further information
www.mta.org.uk/tdi

A selection of British companies are poised to reap the benefits of a European-wide initiative on robotic technology after securing one of 25 ‘golden tickets’. Automata Technologies, Hexagon Metrology, Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) and Russell Finex are the latest UK beneficiaries from the second and final round of the ROBOTT-NET voucher programme.
In all, 64 vouchers have been given out via the programme, entitling each recipient to receive highly-specialised consultancy from a broad field of the brightest robotics experts around Europe, with the aim of bringing their ideas to fruition.
A total of 166 companies spread across 12 European countries applied for a voucher from the European robotic technology transfer network, which is a collaboration between the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, Danish Technological Institute (DTI) from Denmark, Fraunhofer IPA in Germany and Tecnalia from Spain. From the set of the 64 winning vouchers, eight companies will be selected for further assistance and funding towards a pilot project.
Jeremy Hadall, chief technologist in robotics and automation at the MTC, says: “With the announcement of the final 25 vouchers in the ROBOTT-NET program, the MTC is now working with a number of UK companies to develop their robot technologies and applications to allow them to grow their competitive position.”
One of the important aims of ROBOTT-NET is to strengthen the technology transfer between the participating research and technology organisations and the European manufacturing industry. To realise this technology transfer, all partners in ROBOTT-NET will run general courses for industry management as a complementary activity to voucher and pilot work systems.
The MTC will be holding a ROBOTT-NET course on 24-25 April.
For further information
www.the-mtc.org

Workholding specialist Hyfore has unveiled a new brand this week as part of a three-year plan to hit £10m in annual sales. Hyfore, which employs 36 people at its facility in Coventry, is launching a new corporate identity, an extensive marketing campaign and an online shop to supply up to 100,000 products. The plans will also involve the initial recruitment of three people and ensure the company builds on a successful 12 months that has seen it grow by 15%.
“The reason behind the new brand is to reflect our modern approach to manufacturing and create a sleek identity that covers both our traditional activity and the launch of the Hyfore online shop, which we believe could generate up to £1m of sales in its first year,” explains Gary Dickenson, who runs Hyfore with Darren Underhill. “This is an integral part of our growth plans and will help us achieve our vision of hitting £5m turnover in 2017 and then accelerate sales to £10m by 2020.”
For further information www.hyfore.shop

Over 180 people from companies across the UK and Ireland attended Amada UK’s three-day exhibition at its technical centre in Kidderminster. This end-of-financial-year event brought many old and new companies to view the latest developments in machine and tooling technology. Orders included 10 press brakes, three HG ATC press brakes with automatic tool changers, and six fibre-laser profiling machines with various automation options.
“It was great to see this number of people here, all of whom have a really positive outlook for the future,” says managing director Alan Parrott. “Our new technology opens up huge opportunities for customers to expand their businesses and, with the after-sales support we offer, they are very comfortable in taking that next investment step with Amada.”
For further information www.amada.co.uk