UK NEWS

Growth fund

Clay Cross based N&R Needham has been awarded £52,425 from the University of Derby (via its Invest to Grow fund) to invest in new machinery that will broaden its measuring capacity and allow the company to take on work that it could not have inspected previously.

Joe Needham, N&R Needham

The initial funding has already been used to purchase and install a CNC CMM. Since then, N&R Needham received further Invest to Grow funding that has been used to purchase and install a CNC turning centre, and provide training for current employees.
For further information
www.derby.ac.uk/business-services

£15m pledge for engineering education

Universities Minister Jo Johnson has announced funding of up to £15m to support the establishment of a new higher education provider specialising in high-quality engineering courses.

The New Model in Technology & Engineering (NMiTE) aims to become the first new ‘greenfield’ university in the UK for 30 years, addressing the growing need for engineering talent in sectors such as advanced manufacturing. NMiTE is taking a radical approach to training the next generation of engineers, including having a 50:50 gender balance target, 6-12 month integrated work placements, and recruiting graduates from non-traditional backgrounds.
For further information www.gov.uk

Successful open house for Mills CNC

Mills CNC, the exclusive distributor of Doosan machine tools in the UK and Ireland, has reported that its open house last month saw over 200 visitors attending the two-day event.

Taking place at the company’s technology campus in Leamington, Mills used the open house to show manufacturers a number of new Doosan machines, many of which were making their UK debuts at the event.
“As well as generating significant machine tool sales during the two-day event, the number of serious and genuine sales leads and enquiries taken at the open house was also particularly encouraging, especially as a high percentage of these came from new customers [OEMS through to precision subcontractors] visiting our facility for the very first time,” says managing director Kevin Gilbert.
For further information www.millscnc.co.uk

Robo-Trex makes light work of lights-out milling

The availability of automation aids, such as the Lang Robo-Trex system from Thame Workholding, are allowing forward-thinking businesses to operate milling machines unmanned for extended periods. One such company is Hertford-based subcontractor Qualiturn Products, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, with only daytime staffing.

The recently installed Lang Robo-Trex robot system at Qualiturn (the first in the UK) feeds a Doosan DNM500 machining centre from two trollies. Each trolley serves as a mobile storage medium for multiple vices that hold workpieces ready to be loaded into the machine. Depending on the part sizes involved, the trollies are able to store up to 42 loaded vices. The Lang Robo-Trex system uses an articulated robot with a handling gripper that is capable of loading and unloading workpieces of up to 12 kg.
“Having previously enjoyed the benefits of other Lang workholding systems supplied by Thame Workholding, we already had great confidence in the quality the products,” says managing director Nick Groom. “After viewing a video of the Lang Robo-Trex automation system in action and recognising the lights-out advantages it would deliver, we calculated our anticipated ROI and decided that the system would be more cost effective than purchasing another CNC machine tool. In fact, the success of the Robo-Trex, which has released the latent productive potential of the machine tool it serves, means that we already have plans to install a second system.”
For further information www.thame-eng.com

More engines

UK engine manufacturing surpassed 2 million in Q3 for the first time since records began. In total, engine production climbed 3.9% in September with more than 248,463 units made for home and export markets. Domestic demand, which comprises around half of output, was up 11.1% compared with September last year.

Picture Credit: Spencer Griffiths

More than 2 million new British engines have been manufactured in the year to date, an increase of 5% on 2016. “It’s pleasing to see production exceed the 2 million mark already, but future success depends on strong demand at home and abroad,” says SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
For further information www.smmt.co.uk