News » UK News Business rebounds for UK manufacturers, but problems not over
Output and orders have both rebounded for UK manufacturers during the first quarter of 2023 as domestic and global markets have improved, easing fears of a significant recession for the sector this year, according to a survey published by the manufacturers’ association Make UK and the accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
Schneider’s Yeeles goes from automation to secure power
Schneider Electric has appointed Mark Yeeles– currently vice-president of its Industrial Automation business in the UK and Ireland – to be the new vice-president of its Secure Power division in the UK&I, succeeding Marc Garner, who is now leading the Secure Power Division in Europe. A new VP for Industrial Automation in the UK and Ireland has not yet been announced.
£370m plan to build a better Britain through science and tech
The British prime minister Rishi Sunak has announced plans, backed by more than £370m of new government funding, to boost infrastructure, investment and skills in technologies ranging from quantum and supercomputing to AI (artificial intelligence). The aim is to ensure the UK’s place as a global science and technology superpower by 2030.
Hub will connect UK’s PEMD community and promote skills
A new digital platform aimed at connecting the UK’s PEMD (power electronics, machines and drives) community and closing the skills gap in the sector will be launched later this month at a conference in Birmingham.
Programme will fast-track SME leaders for digital transformation
The Made Smarter digital adoption scheme has launched a fast-track leadership programme to help SME manufacturers to accelerate their digital transformation. In three months, the programme – called Leading Digital Transformation – aims to turn participants into digitally-informed leaders with bespoke digitalisation strategies.
Invertek to invest £6.3m in a new r&d centre for drives
The Welsh drives-maker Invertek is planning to invest £6.3m in a new innovation centre at its global headquarters in Welshpool, Powys.
Ex Ford boss Hoare succeeds Hickman as CEO of the MTC
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has appointed the former chair of Ford of Britain, Dr Graham Hoare, to succeed Dr Clive Hickman as its CEO, when he retires as chairman on 31 March. From April, Hickman will become chair of the MTC board.
Campaign reveals the high costs of compressed air leaks
The UK compressed air and fluid power specialist Thorite has launched a campaign to raise awareness about unseen energy inefficiencies in compressed air systems that can lead to high costs. The Behind Closed Doors campaign urges users to monitor what is happening in their compressor houses, where leaks that go unnoticed or are ignored can inflate energy bills.
How to grow from £7m to £70m using digital technologies
The keynote address at the inaugural Talking Industry Live event taking place in April will be presented jointly by Dr Megan Ronayne, head of industrial technologies and manufacturing at Innovate UK KTN, and Mike Hague-Morgan, executive director of Autocraft Solutions Group. Together they will explore how Autocraft – a leading OEM for the manufacture, remanufacture and assembly of internal combustion engines and electric vehicle batteries – transitioned from being a traditional manufacturer using hand tools and paper-based systems, to a high-technology company with world-class quality, repeatability and digital traceability.
Smart workbench shows technologies for future factories
A next-generation smart workbench designed to showcase and experiment with the latest production technologies has been installed at the AMRC Cymru centre, near Chester, UK. The workbench, which has been developed by the machine vision and industrial automation specialist Industrial Vision Systems (IVS) in collaboration with the centre, combines technologies including 3D and 2D machine vision, a seven-axis cobot, a mixed reality headset, smart tools, intelligent projection, pick-to-light and automation – all in a single cell.
£950,000 project aims to slash new product costs
The UK’s High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult is launching a £950,000 project to cut development costs and times to market for new products, by using techniques such as computer modelling and simulated testing rather than relying solely on the destructive physical stress-testing that has long been the standard practice in manufacturing.
Fluid power specialist expands into automation sector
The UK compressed air and fluid power specialist Thorite has expanded into the industrial automation sector with launch of a dedicated electronic automation team at the recent Southern Manufacturing & Electronics show, where it demonstrated new automation products and technologies, including electric pick-and-place grippers.
UK AI-based waste-sorting robot start-up wins $17m of funding
A UK start-up that has developed an AI-based robotic system for sorting rubbish more accurately and twice as fast as rival systems, has won $17m of financing from a Californian venture capital company, DCVC. The latest funding for London-based Recycleye is in addition to $5m it raised in 2021 and $2.6m it has secured from European and UK government innovation funding. The new funds will be used to scale the technology and further improve its accuracy.
Hima buys UK’s Sella Controls and plans to expand the business
The German safety-related automation specialist, the Hima Group, has acquired the UK systems integrator Sella Controls with effect from 1 February 2023. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Government launches £6m automation funding competition
Innovate UK has launched a competition offering a total of up to £6m in funding for late-stage robotics and automation innovation projects in the UK aimed at boosting productivity, sustainability and resilience in manufacturing processes. The funding will cover up to half of the costs of successful projects costing between £200,000 and £4m, lasting 9–15 months, and starting between October 2023 and December 2024.
