UK NEWS

Subcontract market ends year on a high

The latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) shows that the UK market for subcontract manufacturing ended 2023 on a strong note, with the market up 106% compared to the previous three months. Overall, the market concluded 7.5% higher than at the end of 2022. Fabrication was the strongest area, up 160% on the previous quarter and 12% on the previous year. Growth in machining was less strong but still significant, up 51% on the previous quarter and 2.4% on 2022.

Sourcing specialist Qimtek produces the CMI, a reflection of the total purchasing budget for outsourced manufacturing of companies looking to place business in any given month. The CMI represents a sample of over 4000 companies that could be placing business, which together have a purchasing budget of more than £3.4bn, and a supplier base of over 7000 companies with a verified turnover in excess of £25bn.

For further information www.qimtek.co.uk

Automation UK show doubling in size for 2024

The first-ever Automation UK show in June 2023 proved to be a huge success, providing an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their latest innovations in automation and robotics. Buoyed by this success, the show will return on 18-19 June 2024 at the CBS Arena in Coventry. The show’s organiser, the British Automation & Robot Association (BARA), is responding to increased levels of interest and participation by doubling the exhibition space.

Automation UK will once again be co-located alongside Machine Vision Conference (MVC), giving visitors an opportunity to learn about the latest vision technologies.

For further information www.automation-uk.co.uk

World-first environmental standard claim

A UK manufacturer, fabricator and installer of access products – Teesside based Lionweld Kennedy – has secured an Environmental Product Declaration, making it the only grating manufacturer in the world to carry this accreditation.The Environmental Product Declaration is a transparent declaration communicating a product’s materials, and how it impacts the environment across its lifecycle. It also recognises those companies continually seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. The company says the accreditation reassures customers wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and use more sustainable products.

For further information www.lk-uk.com

£2m investment at Alucast

A £2m investment drive is helping a UK aluminium foundry pass the £10m sales mark as it looks to make the most of new opportunities.Alucast, which has increased its workforce by 20% to more than 120 people at its base in Wednesbury, has commissioned six CNC machines, a HDTD low-pressure machine and boosted its ‘new core’ capabilities. It is the company’s largest investment drive in nearly a decade and reflects an increase in demand for Alucast’s casting expertise and machining capabilities. Headlining the recent funding boost is an 800-tonne LK high-pressure die-casting machine.

For further information www.alucast.co.uk

Machine Vision Conference reached 8th edition 

Machine Vision Conference 2024 is shaping up to be another successful event. Now in its 8th year, the Machine Vision Conference (MVC) takes place at the CBS Arena in Coventry on 18-19 June, featuring a range of state-of-the-art solutions from leading companies. The core purpose of MVC is to promote the use of image processing technology, educate visitors about innovative new processes and assist businesses in finding new technologies that can help them to improve processes and reduce operating costs.

This annual event is content-packed with networking opportunities, live demonstrations and knowledge-sharing, making it suitable for existing machine vision users and engineers, as well as educating those new to machine vision technology.

MVC 2024 will be one of the best two-day conference and exhibition yet, with visitors expected to immerse themselves in the latest developments and innovations. In addition, the seminar programme, featuring some of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts, will make it hard for visitors to decide which thought-provoking presentations to attend.

The conference has a reputation for attracting an array of businesses, the top five visitor company types in 2023 were OEM, vision solutions provider, end user, machine vision manufacturer and distributor, and academic. Last year, some of the visitors included: Airbus, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes AMG F1, Mitsubishi Electric, Nissan, Panasonic, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Sony andTata Technologies.

MVC is once again co-located alongside Automation UK, organised by the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA), providing visitors to MVC 2024 the added benefit of being to discover the latest in automation and robotics, all under one roof.

For further information www.machinevisionconference.co.uk