Editor's comment for August 2024

Making my way down the A303 recently – once referred to as the ‘Highway to the Sun’ – with the diverting sight of Stonehenge over my right shoulder, I contemplated it’s probably a good thing the traffic usually grinds to a halt here given the amount of rubbernecking that takes place as first-time passers gawp at the – let’s be honest – rather underwhelming ancient monument. I was also struck that it’s not often I travel this route to visit a redoubtable facet of UK manufacturing.

Indeed, this was the first time that I was on my way to XYZ Machine Tool’s headquarters in Burlescombe, Devon. The company is currently celebrating 40 years in business and had chosen this landmark as a good opportunity to welcome visitors to see its latest machines and see how it operates. 

A new £12m training facility has opened in Glasgow. The Applied Shipbuilding Academy at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard measures 5,500m2 and is designed to develop the entire workforce, from new starters to senior leaders.

Our Subcontractor Sourcing Guide (SSG) does what it says on the tin. Since we launched the publication in print and digital formats around five years ago, it has proven to be an invaluable resource, helping companies find the right manufacturing partner to transform conceptual designs into real products or simply provide additional manufacturing capacity. 

Bowers Group has announced the promotion of Jordan Gould to UK & Ireland sales manager. In this new role, Mr Gould will lead the UK & Ireland external sales team, succeeding Ryan Kingswell, who has advanced to director of sales, marketing, and service.

Universal Robots, the Danish collaborative robot (cobot) company, has reached a new milestone, announcing that it has now launched over 500 products through its UR+ ecosystem.

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), has added another internationally recognised accreditation to its name, having attained ISO 17025 for its mechanical testing laboratory.

A precision fabricator and specialist in electromechanical assembly is on course for its best-ever 12 months to mark its 25th anniversary.

Wardjet explains how to unclog the abrasive in a mini-hopper on its S-Series waterjet cutting system.

Rugby-based subcontractor Technoset, which specialises in ultra-high precision turned and milled parts, shares its shopfloor equipment, including its two Citizen M32 sliding head lathes.

The HyproJET X6 from Ceratizit is based on an improved and patented design which makes is possible to increase cutting performance, leading and lifetime.

With the fully electric VaskiPUNCH, you can better meet your customer’s growing need to operate in line with sustainable development goals. It consumes significantly less electricity than hydraulic machinery.