UK NEWS

Automation Centre Opens

Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global specialist in digitising and automating frontline workflows, has launched the Industrial Automation Centre of Excellence in collaboration with Clearview, a Zebra industrial automation distributor. Located in Oxfordshire, the centre will offer relevant services, training advisory, and practical demonstrations for manufacturing specialists across the EMEA region. The centre will support end users, machine builders and systems integrators looking for machine vision, 3D and AI solutions to secure greater asset visibility and support intelligently automated operations.

More information www.clearview-imaging.com/coe

Enginuity Skills Awards winners take a bow

The best of British engineering and manufacturing grasped glory at the Enginuity Skills Awards 2025 in a glittering ceremony hosted at the Park Plaza London Riverbank in London. Mohammed Mahmood, from Stoke, was deemed by the judging panel of industry luminaries, to be the Best of British Engineering – the winner of winners, having picked up the Best T Level student category earlier in the evening. Arriving in England with limited English and no industry experience, Mahmood pursued a T Level in Building Services Engineering to gain technical knowledge and practical skills.

More information https://enginuity.org/

YMT named UK dealer for ROBODRILL

Industrial automation specialist FANUC UK has named YMT as its official UK partner for the ROBODRILL range of compact CNC machining centres. Serving customers across the Midlands and south of England, YMT’s offering now encompasses the full range of ROBODRILL machining centres, noted for their accuracy, speed and precision when automating tasks such as drilling, milling, cutting and polishing.

The two companies have forged a close relationship over a number of years, primarily as a result of YMT incorporating FANUC industrial robots into its CNC metal-cutting solutions. This next step reflects a natural evolution in their partnership, enabling more precision machining companies to take advantage of the benefits offered by the FANUC ROBODRILL.

More information www.fanuc.eu/uk

Arden Group reaches 60

The Arden Group, which was first launched by two brothers in the cellar of their family home, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Brothers Frank and Philip Poynter first set up a die-making workshop with just one saw and a workbench in the 10 sq ft cellar of their mother’s semi-detached house in Bredbury, Stockport, in 1964. Today, the Arden Group comprises three specialist divisions: Arden Dies, Arden Engraving and Arden Software. Arden Dies says it has become the UK’s largest die-maker, manufacturing specialist dies and tooling for packaging and cartons.

More information https://ardendies.com/

Smart Industry Solutions Zone at MACH

MACH 2026, the UK’s largest manufacturing and engineering exhibition, is unveiling the Smart Industry Solutions Zone in collaboration with MTC Events. The new area will be dedicated to showcasing the latest advancements, products and technologies set to inspire, connect, and unify the manufacturing industry. Over 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the show.

Richard Watkins, director of events and customer experience at MTC Events, says: “We’re delighted to join forces with the MTA in convening the manufacturing community for MACH. By bringing our expertise in events management to the show, we can create a better environment for visitors and exhibitors to engage with each other and enhance the value available from attending the exhibition.”

More information www.machexhibition.com