UK NEWS

CMZ UK Tech Centre Site to Span 4 Acres

Spain-headquartered lathe builder CMZ has taken a decisive step in its growth strategy with the recent acquisition of a site spanning over 4 acres (16,000 m²) on which it will build its new UK technology centre. Located in Coventry, the company’s future UK headquarters will open its doors within 1-2 years, marking a milestone in its international expansion.

The tech centre will feature sales offices, a showroom with CMZ lathes and an applications engineering area dedicated to providing direct support to UK customers. CMZ’s existing UK sales and aftersales team will expand and relocate to the Coventry facility, which will be located adjacent to the A45 and within the West Midlands Investment Zone. The development marks a turning point in the 15-year history of CMZ’s UK subsidiary.More information www.cmz.com

Renishaw and British Cycling prepare for Olympics

British Cycling and Renishaw have renewed their long-standing partnership for a third consecutive Olympic and Paralympic cycle. As preparations get underway for Los Angeles 2028, the two organisations will work closely on a new wave of technical developments with a focus on aerodynamics, mechanical optimisation and strength-to-weight engineering for elite track cycling. In preparation, the first year of this partnership will centre around R&D, with Renishaw’s engineers exploring how advanced manufacturing – including metal additive manufacturing – can deliver performance gains.

More information www.renishaw.com

EIA Rebrand Better Reflects Market Needs

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) says that the Engineering Industries Association (EIA) is changing its name to Engineering Supply Chain UK (ESCUK). The update better reflects current market needs and the core activities of members. ESCUK represents technology users within advanced manufacturing and, alongside offering a member discount at the MACH show, is looking to create a database for UK supply chain companies.

As part of the MTA cluster, which also includes Additive Manufacturing UK (AMUK) and the MACH exhibition, ESCUK aims to showcase its members’ capacity, capability, products and services within the UK supply chain. Changes in trends over the past five years, specifically around reshoring and sovereign manufacturing, has seen an increase in UK-based demand and the rebranded association will better reflect the offering of its members.

More information www.escuk.org

Space facility lift-off

A new 45,000 ft²space manufacturing facility that is expected to create 2000 jobs has opened in Hardwicke, Gloucester, marking a milestone for the UK’s space industry capabilities. The Advanced Composites Manufacturing Enterprise, led by iCOMAT, a spin-out company from the University of Bristol, received £4.8m of funding from the UK Space Agency’s Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund to establish the facility. The opening event welcomed representatives from the UK Space Agency, European Space Agency and international space sector leaders such as Orbex, Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space.

More information https://icomat.co.uk/

LUR opens in Trafford

Lucchini Unipart Rail (LUR) has opened its new state-of-the-art 63,000 ft²wheelset repair facility in Trafford Park, Manchester, marking a major milestone in its £7.5m investment to expand its industrial footprint in the UK.Located just a short distance from LUR’s 118,000 ft² facility for wheel and axle machining and wheelset overhaul, the expanded footprint reflects a strategic move to optimise services and meet growing customer demand.As part of the investment, the facility has been refurbished to accommodate new equipment and processes that facilitate monthly wheelset capacity up to 800 units per month.

More information www.lur.co.uk