Thursday 4 December 08 - 01:20
 

Casting & Forging

  • Gear Supplier Grows By Moving into Castings

    01 Jan 2005

    Three times voted the UK's most innovative gear company, Mini Gears is continually developing its UK manufacturing base for medium volume requirements of gears and racks, and has recently built a UK warehouse to stock higher volumes of price sensitive, cast and forged parts sourced in China that can then be called off in smaller batches. 

  • Investment Casting Firm is at Two Shows at Once

    01 Jan 2005

    On 16 and 17th February 2005, PI Castings, along with its sister company MIM (Metal Injection Mouldings) will be exhibiting at two separate, coinciding exhibitions: 

  • Modern Foundry Invests £100k to Add More Value

    01 Jan 2005

    Investment casting specialist, Polycast Ltd has recently invested £100,000 in new shelling equipment and robotic drying systems that will improve quality and throughput at its long established foundry based at Warsash, near Southampton. The Foundry merges modern casting technology with rapid-prototype expertise, machining, heattreatments, electro-polishing, anodising, hand-polishing and assembly. The company also successfully offers long-term 'cost out' added value services to its blue chip clients using associate foundries in China. 

  • Castings Foundry Wins 'Best of British' Award

    01 Jan 2005

    MRT Castings of Andover exemplifies what is best in the UK foundry industry, according to judges of the Cast Metals Federation's (CMF) 2004 Company Achievement Award. "MRT won the 'Best of British' award due to its positive approach to business, its investment programme in people and equipment and its successful focus on short run and smaller project work, " said John Parker, chief executive of the CMF, which represents the UK cast metal industry. 

Heavy Engineering

  • Heavy Press Braking Capacity Increased With Specialist Skills Training

    01 Jan 2005

    Angle Ring has recently taken on and qualified more operatives for its range of heavy press-braking machinery. Paul Middleton commented: "The machines are a tremendous asset to our section and plate bending capacity, but skilled operators for these sizes of machine are difficult to come by, we are proud to have some of the best operators working for us, and continue to develop internal staff to allow us to cover the increased demand we have seen recently." 

  • Large, Deep Hole Boring Capacity Widened to 200mm Drill Diameter

    01 Jan 2005

    Last month Engineering Capacity reported that TBT UK Ltd, Birmingham, had taken delivery of (probably) the largest subcontract deep hole drilling machine (DHD) available for subcontract work in Europe. This month an additional large deep hole boring machine was delivered, which extends TBT UK's capabilities to: 0.9mm minimum drill diameter; 200mm maximum drill diameter; 5m maximum drill depth; and 25t maximum work piece weight. 

Industry News

  • CBI Sees Growing Pressure to Off-Shore

    01 Jan 2005

    The results of a MORI survey, undertaken in October for the CBI, indicate that companies are under growing pressure to relocate parts of their business overseas. The CBI argues that the benefits of offshoring outweigh the drawbacks, saying the process will increase productivity, profitability and economic growth. 

  • Looking Forward to a Year of Physics, R&D and Innovation

    01 Jan 2005

    Medical Manufacturers Look To Suppliers for Innovation The UK medical device market alone is worth an estimated ?5.8 billion. New research by the organisers of the Medical Device Technology Exhibition & Conference (MDT), suggests medical device manufacturers will spend significantly more in almost every supply area during 2005. 

  • SMEs without Budgets Do Innovation and R&D

    01 Jan 2005

    Innovation must become a way of life for all manufacturers says Arthur Richardson of the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service. Modern manufacturing relies on knowledge, innovation and technology to compete in the global market. But when the rule of thumb for large companies is to spend 5% of revenue on R&D, how can small businesses compete with no R&D budget at all? 

  • BTMA to Forge New Links and to Face Up to China

    01 Jan 2005

    Roger Innes, the new president of the BTMA (the UK Trade Association for Precision Turned Parts and Machined Component Manufactures) stated that he would continue the good work of his predecessor Fred Moser. The BTMA is keen to forge closer links with other UK manufacturers' associations and to support members supplying technologically advanced components abroad, even to China. 

Sheet Metal Working

  • HMC Upgrade Follows Promise of Nacelle Work

    01 Jan 2005

    A £250,000 investment in a horizontal machining centre (HMC) at the Freshwater works of Patrick Engineering, on the Isle of Wight, follows an agreement reached with their main customer, GKN Aerostructures in East Cowes, guaranteeing engine nacelle component production for four turbo-prop aircraft programmes until 2008. 

  • Contractor's 4kW Laser is Advanced and Affordable to Boost Competitiveness

    01 Jan 2005

    Early this month, Toolmasters based in Deal, Kent took delivery of a Prima 4kW Platino laser cutting machine to improve production efficiency and competitiveness. 

  • Systems Implementation Leads to Steady Growth and Capacity Upgrade

    01 Jan 2005

    Last year, Alternative Precision Sheet Metal Ltd (APSM), Swansea, began to reap the benefits of a three year project to put effective computerised management systems in place. The resulting efficiencies and good planning have lead to steady growth, prompting the need for increased production capacity. 

  • CMMs in Position to Write Inspection Programmes

    01 Jan 2005

    The addition of two co-ordinate measurement machines (CMMs) at facilities in Nottingham and Derby, of East Midlands calibration experts, EMICS, position the company for new business in the aero industry. Representing a total investment of some £100,000, the two machines will enable EMICS to write inspection programmes for aerospace industry components, amongst others. 

  • £0.5m Investment Follows 'Sussex Manufacturer of the Year' Award Finalist

    01 Jan 2005

    This month, Brighton Sheet Metal takes delivery of a laser cutting machine, a 3m brake press, a new lorry and computer management system, which are all part of a £0.5m programme of continual improvement. 

  • Press Tool Firm Relocates and Adds Capacity

    01 Jan 2005

    The purchase by Brierley Ltd of two Hurco VMX64 vertical machining centres during 2004 has increased the press tool maker's milling capacity by two thirds in terms of throughput, and by 25% per in terms of the length of tool it can manufacture or repair. 

  • Environmentally Friendly Process Developed for Titanium Anodising

    01 Jan 2005

    At its dedicated £1m in-house electro-plating facility, Weymouth based metal finishing specialist, Tecan has developed an environmentally friendly process for the anodising of titanium parts - a process believed to be unique in the UK. 

  • Competitiveness Improvement Award Won

    01 Jan 2005

    TRIG Engineering, plastics machining specialist and part of the Ensinger UK group of companies, has been presented with a Competitiveness Improvement Award by the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) in conjunction with the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). 

  • A380 Supplier Chosen for Last Minute Addition

    01 Jan 2005

    Following the unveiling this month of the A380, Airbus supplier PI Castings has been chosen to manufacture some additional cast aluminium boxes for the aircraft that will house electronic equipment to improve communications between the pilot and ground staff. 

  • Praise of Airbus Success Inspires Confidence for British Firms and Workers

    01 Jan 2005

    "The British contribution to Airbus consolidates our reputation as makers of some of the world's finest, smartest aircraft and it represents the skills and talents of companies across the UK", said Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt at the unveiling of the new Airbus A380 in France this month. 

Southern Manufacturing

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