The MTC has appointed Vicki Sanderson as HR director, who is looking to use her role to inspire more women into the engineering profession.

Sanderson officially started the role – a newly-created position with a seat on the MTC board – on 8 January, having held similar positions at Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, and Domino Printing Sciences. “I hope that in my role I can play an active part in bringing more female engineers to the MTC,” she says. “I’ll also be looking at ways to outreach, increase diversity and promote STEM, which I am passionate about.”
For further information www.the-mtc.org

ICS Robotics and Automation, a UK robotic welding and automation specialist, has been acquired by global robotic automation company AWL Group.

The management team at ICS says that the company will continue to operate as an independent entity under its own name, but with customers benefitting from advanced joining and laser-welding technologies, and the global supply network that AWL offers. ICS has been providing robotic welding and automation solutions throughout the UK and Ireland since 1989, supporting industries such as automotive, yellow goods, medical and general manufacturing.
For further information www.ics-robotics.co.uk

The AMRC, along with the Twin-Control Consortium, is staging a virtual machining and optimisation workshop on 1 March at its Knowledge Transfer Centre near Rotherham.

The aims of the event are: to share recent developments on virtual machining and optimisation; discuss how industry is currently using it and where the gaps are; and demonstrate the latest developments on a machine tool at the Factory of the Future workshop. Keynote speakers will share their experiences of virtual machining technology for process optimisation. The event will also include a social lunch for discussion and networking.
To register email g.cigala@amrc.co.uk

Bristol-based Vigilance Group, the specialist engineering holding company that incorporates under its corporate banner – Machine Tool Sales Online, Mach Machine Tools and Vigilance Engineering Safety Products – celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017.

As well as being a landmark year for the group, 2017 also marked a significant milestone for managing director, Dave Andrew (pictured), who celebrated 30 years in the machine-tool industry last November.
Despite such a long and illustrious past, the Vigilance Group and its founder have their sights very much focused on the future, and have implemented a number of plans and initiatives designed to ensure the group’s long-term growth and prosperity. These include the recent launch of two new websites for two of the companies under the Vigilance Group umbrella – Machine Tool Sales Online and Mach Machine Tools – and, from spring 2018, a significant expansion in the type and range of machines offered by Mach Machine Tools.
For further information www.machmt.co.uk

HMS Industrial Networks has released a publication entitled ‘Secure Remote Access for Industrial Machines for Dummies’.

The book describes how eWON products from HMS work and how they allow readers to learn the business benefits of remote access. The book also helps readers to see how they can ensure secure machine access via the internet and cloud, and understand how to diagnose and solve problems remotely.
The target audience for the book are automation engineers or field technicians working for machine builders or OEMs. With a strong understanding of the machines that engineers and technicians build or support, they are not necessarily as comfortable with new technologies such as cloud computing, remote access and information security. The book addresses these topics and is written primarily in non-technical language.
For further information www.ewon.biz