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

Airbus sites to undergo decarbonisation

Siemens and Airbus are strengthening their long-standing partnership with a new strategic contract to work towards the decarbonisation of Airbus’ major industrial sites in the UK and US. The initiative is a key milestone in Airbus’ programme to minimise the company’s operational environmental footprint through targeted reductions in CO2 emissions and energy consumption.As part of the framework agreement, Siemens will deploy its scalable and proven decarbonisation solutions, tailored to the selected sites, to support Airbus in reaching the target of 80 kt CO2e abated annually from 2030.

More information www.siemens.com

Weather Forecasts aid Sustainable Manufacturing

In a significant step towards sustainable manufacturing, University of Sheffield AMRC engineers have found a way of using weather forecasts to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing processes. Tace Morgan, sustainability theme lead at the AMRC, says: “While using renewable energy offers lower carbon intensity, its availability varies, making it an inconsistent source. Our research addresses this by leveraging the predictable link between carbon intensity and weather patterns. It allows us to schedule energy-intensive tasks for greener times, lowering environmental impact without hindering productivity.”

More information www.amrc.co.uk

£100m UK Investment Announced by JCB

Construction equipment manufacturer JCB is marking its 80th birthday with news of a £100minvestment in modern manufacturing facilities at its global headquarters in the UK.The project at the company’s plant in Rocester, Staffordshire, will see the installation of a fully automated powder paint plant costing £60m, as well as full modernisation of the shop floor with new machining centres, friction welders and cylinder boring machines.Company chairman Lord Bamford says: “It makes perfect sense to invest heavily in our British factories and the £100m we’re investing now will put us at the forefront of our industry.”

More information www.jcb.com

AOE Engineering opts for Optimag lifting magnets

A bespoke production equipment manufacturer has recently driven workplace safety and efficiency improvements by specifying Eclipse Magnetics’ Optimag P pneumatically activated lifting magnets into a new custom-built crane and gripper system.

Berkshire-based AOE Engineering is an expert in automated lifting and handling systems for a variety of industries. The company was recently approached by a leading lintel manufacturer to design and build a new crane, along with gripping and stacking system, for handling steel composite lintels weighing up to 90kg.

In order to safeguard employees, the client needed a system which replaced the manual handling process with an automated mechanical system. Additionally, due to restricted access, the customer required a lifting mechanism that only required single-face access to the lintels.

After consulting the Eclipse Magnetics technical team, Optimag P emerged as the outstanding choice for lift capability, efficiency and safety requirements. Incorporating a total of six 100mm diameter Optimag P magnets, the solution is delivering tangible results. Manual handling has been eliminated and theprocess now only requires a single operator instead of two. Notably, Optimag P only necessitates single-face access to the lintels, thereby overcoming the issue of restricted access.

David Ogden, operations director at AOE Engineering, says: “Specifying Optimag P has made a huge difference to this application, allowing us to provide our client with a safer, more efficient solution. As well as a high-quality product, we received a high-quality service in our consultations with the Eclipse Magnetics technical support team.”

More information www.eclipsemagnetics.com