Sunday 6 July 08 - 15:45
 

Industry News

  • Industry Needs to Engage with Rapid Manufacturing

    01 Jul 2006

    Renault F1 will be co-presenting a manufacturing management paper with world leading aerospace company Boeing Phantom Works, entitled, 'Immediate Industry Needs to Fully Engage the Rapid Manufacturing Revolution', at TCT 2006, the UK's largest Rapid Product Development and Manufacturing Exhibition and Conference, being held 19th-20th September 2006, at the Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. 

  • Grant Services Increase Engineering Investment Despite Erratic Delivery

    01 Jul 2006

    Grants affect the way companies invest. As much as 50% of mechanical engineering SME investment in areas such as R&D, training, IT and machinery would not take place without grants according to the Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA) in a report on the industry's views and use of grants: 'Grants - Perception and Use of the UK Regime'. 

  • New Government Support Scheme Could Harm Export Performance

    01 Jul 2006

    In a recent survey, members of the Sponsors Alliance were unanimous that the current Support for Exhibitors and Seminars Abroad / Trade Access Promotion scheme could have a negative impact on the UK's export performance. 

  • Technology 2020 - The Future of the UK Aerospace Industry

    01 Jul 2006

    Ground breaking research was officially unveiled at Farnborough International Airshow (FIA2006) on 17th July 2006. It reviews industry trends and issues and their implication for technology, business development and investment. While the short-term situation is buoyant, the report suggests that steps need to be taken to try to stimulate the SME market, where the innovation spark is at its most intense, if the UK aerospace and defence (A&D) industry is to continue to be a key player on the global stage. 

  • Manufacturers Advised To 'Get Lean' Before Increasing Prices

    01 Jul 2006

    With overheads, raw materials and energy prices at a record high, now is the time for manufacturers to take advantage of the subsidised support available to help them become leaner and secure a profitable future. Knowledge-based manufacturing is the only way forward as manufacturers increasingly struggle to compete on price against overseas competitors who are operating in low wage economies, says Arthur Richardson, director, South West MAS. 

Machined Components

  • Large Bed Mill Increases Subcontract Capability of Machinery Manufacturer

    01 Jul 2006

    The installation of a large Nicholas Correa CNC bed mill has increased the large subcontract machining abilities of Kent based BMM Weston. The company is a major machinery manufacturer now offering a comprehensive subcontract service for large and small products including machining, fabrication, sheet metal, and powder coating, for components from a few grams to 15 tonnes. 

  • Fast-Hole EDM & Wire Turning Compliment Precision Line-up

    01 Jul 2006

    Merc Engineering has improved its core CNC milling and turning business by installing an Astec FastHole Driller which is faster and more powerful than existing machines. The company's EDM department comprising of spark erosion, wire erosion and fast-hole drilling has fast become an integral part of its range of services. Further, Merc is now keen to work with customers to make EDM 'Wire Turning' an ongoing success. 

  • Specialist High Quality Manual Machines Rebuilt For Larger Work Pieces

    01 Jul 2006

    Custom Crank & Engineering Co. Ltd is upgrading its specialist large capacity high quality machine tools to handle an increasing demand for larger crankshafts and associated components. 

  • Aerospace Machinist Invests £1m in Five Axis Milling

    01 Jul 2006

    Weston EU Limited, a tier one supplier principally to the aerospace sector, purchased three Germanbuilt Hermle machining centres during 2005 from UK agent, Geo Kingsbury, and ordered three more at the end of the year. Valued at nearly £1 million for the six machines, the latest installations will increase the number of 5-axis machining centres installed at Weston EU's manufacturing facility in Lancashire to 27. 

  • Productivity Gains Help Ongoing Cost Reduction

    01 Jul 2006

    A five year contract for the supply of titanium and aluminium brackets for the aerospace industry prompted Victoria Production Engineering Ltd to invest in a second Mori Seiki NV5000, fitted with a 4th axis and a pallet changer. The new machine is set up to run between 30 and 40 different repeat jobs in batch sizes of 10 to 50 and has enabled an increase in capacity towards VPE's planned growth targets. 

  • Further EDM Investment Helps Win New Contracts

    01 Jul 2006

    Coventry-based Hi-Tech EDM Services, a specialist EDM subcontractor has recently added a second AQ535L, a four-axis wire EDM with linear drive and automatic wire threading technology that can accommodate work-pieces weighing up to 680kg. This latest acquisition brings the total number of Sodick wire machines on site to eight. 

  • Aluminium Specialist Offers Five-Axis Service

    01 Jul 2006

    Hemlock Engineering, a Nottingham based company has just invested over £1m on new equipment to create a niche operation based upon the latest five-axis machining centre technology. 

  • Machinist Cuts Cycle Times by Two-Thirds

    01 Jul 2006

    Proving that investment costs for high technology machine tools are not prohibitive to small subcontract machining companies, 12-employee D&S Engineering Ltd has just installed a DMC60T twin pallet universal five-axis machining centre from DMG UK on the basis that it will provide rapid payback. 

  • HSM Tooling Ordered To Supply Defence Contract

    01 Jul 2006

    Since developing its aerospace work and diversifying into the production of diesel engine parts JJ Churchill, of Nuneaton, has won major defence projects which have required high speed machining (HSM) of aluminium. When the company commissioned Matsuura to provide machine tools for a five year defence contract, the latter immediately specified ITC Tooling of Tamworth to provide the tooling for the project. 

  • AS 9100 Achieved

    01 Jul 2006

    APT Leicester, a leading supplier of high precision turned components and intricate prismatic parts, has achieved AS 9100 - the first single international quality management standard specifically for the aerospace industry. 

  • Components Supplied as Assemblies and Kit Forms From Customer Cells

    01 Jul 2006

    Growth in the supply of machined components as subassemblies, and in kit form, has exceeded demand at Bryken, Merseyside. The roll out of a 925m 2extension last year expanded the area available for assembly work, and provided better capability for Bryken's Kanban operations. The company is in the process of setting up dedicated customer cells to accommodate multiple component types for delivery to schedule. 

  • Farnborough Exhibitor Wins Japanese Work

    01 Jul 2006

    Exhibiting at Farnborough for the third time, precision engineering manufacturer and subcontractor, Birmingham-based Burcas Ltd, has been ramping up its aerospace work including winning business from a Japanese Aerospace company, for the provision of machining for landing gear parts. 

  • New Site is Home to £1m CNC Turning Plant

    01 Jul 2006

    To keep pace with growing demand from the oil exploration industry, LWD Precision Engineering has launched a new production facility in Elland Road, a stone's throw from the Leeds United FC stadium. With almost £1m of state of the art CNC turning plant, the company specialises in machining high tech nickel alloy components. 

Marine Engineering

  • Trials Show Benefits of Recycled Glass Grit For Cleaning Steel

    01 Jul 2006

    Full scale tests at Dunston Ship Repairs in Hull have confirmed the advantages of using 100% recycled glass as a new grit blast medium for cleaning steel and preparing metal for painting. The groundbreaking trials are part of a wider series of trials commissioned and funded by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and managed by the Shipbuilders & Ship repairers Association (SSA). 

  • Metallurgical Services Offered Worldwide

    01 Jul 2006

    A year after the management buyout at Atlantic Engineering, the company is continuing to provide specialist engineering services to the marine industry in manufacture, refurbishment and metallurgical laboratory services. The metallurgists at Atlantic have also developed expertise in other industries such as aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, and power generation, and have built up an extensive portfolio of customers in the UK and abroad. 

  • £1.5m Invested in Focus on Added Value, Pays off

    01 Jul 2006

    In the past three years Barker Collins Engineering has undergone changes that have increased turnover from £0.75m to £2.2m with a full order book. £1.5m has been invested in new plant, and the company has narrowed its focus from general engineering to high precision complex fabricated and machined components for a wide range of industries including marine engines, ships' couplings and gear boxes up to 5t in weight. 

  • £1.5m Invested to Focus on Added Value, Pays off

    01 Jul 2006

    Cooney Marine International Ltd is set to grow by up to 20% per year over the next five years thanks to a new government backed High Growth Company Support Programme. 

Small & Micro Parts

  • Ultra-Fine Nickel Parts Fabricated Using PEF

    01 Jul 2006

    A high-precision nickel foil which forms the core of a specialised process assurance tool has been manufactured by Tecan. It uses advanced Photo-Electro Forming (PEF) technology and enables quick, easy and regular checking of the resolution performance of scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) systems, used in the microelectronics industry and potentially in other ultrasound applications such as medical. 

  • Unique Fishing Line Produced with World's Smallest Drilled Hole

    01 Jul 2006

    Experts at Cardiff University are helping to bring Formula One motor sport technology to the world of fly fishing. Scientists in the University's Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) announced that it had used electro-discharge machining (EDM) to drill what it believes to be the world's smallest hole. The team worked with Brecon company BVG Airflo to produce Ridge Line - a fishing line, which enables anglers to cast further with greater control and accuracy. 

  • Ultrafast Laser System Enables Micro and Nanotechnology

    01 Jul 2006

    An Oxford Lasers ultrafast laser micromachining system will be employed in the MicroBridge Project at the Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) in Cardiff. The supply of key enabling technology will create the most advanced micro technology and nanotechnology manufacturing centre in the UK. 

Stevens Rowsell is a specialist precision sheet metal engineering company in East Sussex