Four Northern Ireland manufacturing companies are preparing to transform their production operations and improve their output, after graduating from the latest Digital Catapult Smart Nano NI Accelerator Programme. Following the completion of the programme, it is hoped that by adopting new digital solutions these four companies will further accelerate smart manufacturing in Northern Ireland.

Fluid Power & Systems and Air-Tech, alongside Drives & Controls, will be taking place at the NEC on June 5th and 6th as part of Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2024. Readers of Plant & Works Engineering will find much of interest among the new technology and educational content both in these 2 events  and in the adjoined Smart Factory Expo, Maintec and Design Engineering Expo events. PWE takes a closer look at what visitors can expect.

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) traditionally support two charities during the year and for the first time, the President’s Charity has been chosen as the Children’s Hospital Charity, supporting Sheffield Children's Hospital to provide world-class care to children from all over the world.

Regular pump system maintenance is essential to prevent significant cost and reputational issues. Thomas Marks, General Manager at the Association for Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) looks at several issues that poor pump maintenance can lead to and outlines some of the key steps that can be taken to minimise the chance of them emerging.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 will open its doors again from 6-8 February. PWE takes a closer look at the forthcoming show.

A manufacturer of spice products says it is forecast to double productivity and sales to £2m and create new jobs after investing in data and systems technologies, with the support of Made Smarter.

Chris Johnson, Managing Director at bearing relubrication specialist SMB Bearings, explores how the remanufacturing process can yield economic and environmental benefits

Circular economics is going to be a key focus for global businesses in 2024, according to the President of ABB Electrification Service, Stuart Thompson.

Held on 14 November, the last Talking Industry of 2023 revisited one of its most popular topics of robotics and automation, chaired Andy Pye.

SICK has launched an Industry 4.0 on-premise data intelligence platform that enables manufacturing and logistics organisations to optimise their operating performance. SICK Field Analytics can be quickly and easily set up to provide meaningful, application-specific condition monitoring and process insights, independently of an organisation’s existing machinery and systems.

School pupils, university students and engineers travelled to London this week for the highly prestigious Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony to receive recognition for their work in creating a Prototype based on a school pupils engineering idea.

Businesses, industry, academia and communities in West Cumbria are reported to be well-placed to work together to maximise a wealth of opportunities.

Southern Manufacturing & Electronics 2024 will open its doors again from 6-8 February. PWE takes a closer look at the forthcoming show.

Rockwell Automation has announced that its automation technology sits at the heart of new machines that assemble the Royal British Legion’s new plastic-free poppy.

Greg Wainhouse, Industry Account Manager for Water Applications at Bürkert, explains the importance of reviewing input data for control valve specification

Amina Hamidi, Managing Director of ABB’s Instrumentation Business Line within the Measurement & Analytics Division, was named Industry Personality of the Year at this year’s Instrumentation Excellence Awards. The award was presented at a ceremony in London organised by Instrumentation Monthly publisher Datateam Business Media.

Advanced Engineering Exhibition is taking significant steps to make this year’s show more sustainable, which is taking place between November 1 to 2 at the NEC, Birmingham.

A pioneering programme helping North West manufacturers invest in industrial digital technology is forecast to create more than 1,550 new jobs and boost the region’s economy by £242m, new figures reveal.

New coil technology for solenoid valves can increase energy efficiency by up to 80%. Bürkert’s Kick and Drop valve coils save significant cost by reducing energy use and extending service life. The increased efficiency also optimises environmental sustainability. With a low maximum operating temperature, the coils enhance safety and remove the potential of electrical overheating. The 3-in-1 design, covering various voltage inputs, also streamlines inventory management.

An African agricultural business which helps the continent’s farmers increase crop yields is among the 13 cohort companies announced for this year’s University of Edinburgh AI Accelerator (AIA). The programme has selected a group of emerging companies from Scotland, the UK and other parts of the globe which are focused on using ‘AI (artificial intelligence) for good.’

By Matt Hale, International Sales & Marketing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers

With just a month to go until the doors open, UK Construction Week Birmingham will feature a dedicated focus to the sector on its very doorstep - the West Midlands.

RSK, a global leader in the delivery of sustainable solutions, says it will nearly quadruple its turnover from this year’s £1.2 billion to more than £5 billion in 2030, doubling its family of environmental and engineering businesses from 200 and 400.

Time is running out to prepare and submit nominations for the 2023 AEMT Awards Programme. With the final entry date set as 5pm on Friday 8 September, the AEMT again looks forward to recognising and rewarding business and professional excellence across the electrical and mechanical repair sector.

Schneider Electric, has announced it has launched a Managed Security Services (MSS) offering to help customers in operational technology (OT) environments address the increased cyber risk associated with the demand for remote access and connectivity technologies.

RARUK Automation has announced a new partnership with Vention and says t The new deal will enable RARUK Automation to offer Vention’s high-quality, custom framework solutions for robots to UK customers.

ASG Tooling has announced a recent major contract award win with Airbus. The company says the contract, worth $2.4 million, solidifies its position as a trusted partner in the aerospace industry and highlights its expertise in providing innovative solutions for complex transport container requirements for both land and sea.

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), the voice of the UK’s engineering-based manufacturing sector, has appointed a new Acting President.

Applus UK is the newest member of EEMUA’s Associate Scheme. The company’s Tank Inspection Team falls within scope of the Associate status.

At its recent AGM, the Association for Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) announced the appointment of James Stevens as its new honorary President, taking over the position from outgoing President, Central Group Director Shaun Sutton.

Electromechanical repair specialist, Fletcher Moorland, has announced it has launched an initiative to support the younger generation entering engineering, design, and manufacturing careers.

The inaugural Talking Industry Live conference took place at the MTC on 25 April. Moving from its on-line format to a physical version, the event started with a keynote session dedicated to a case study in digital transformation, followed by three themed discussions. Chair Andy Pye takes a look back over the day.

Robotics, sustainability and productivity will all be highlighted in Future Lab at UKCW Birmingham this October - a showcase of technology, disruptors and change-makers who are at the leading edge of innovation in the industry.

Smart Machines & Factories’ and Talking Industry’s Aaron Blutstein talks to John Kraus, Chief Executive for Engineers Without Borders UK, to find out a bit more about the origins, philosophy and the role the organisation is playing to help reimagine engineering practice so that engineers can respond effectively to the complexity and uncertainty of pressing global challenges such as climate change

Special Report – Talking Industry Live Review

Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2023, produced in association with The Manufacturer, has become the biggest industrial sector event in the UK in just its second year, according to statistics released by event organisers The Nineteen Group. Over the course of the live shows on the 7th and 8th June, 10,355 manufacturers, designers, engineers and maintenance professionals attended the event at the NEC which had 342 exhibitors.

Serving as a reminder that air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths every year in the UK, Clean Air Day 2023 will take place on Thursday 15th June.

Held at ExCeL London in May, GEO Business showcased cutting-edge technologies, ground-breaking innovations, and an insightful education programme. With over 3950 total attendees, the packed-out event served as a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and exploration of emerging trends.

Opportunities for businesses in Cumbria to diversify into the space industry are being brought to the region in June. iSH, the Industrial Solutions Hub, is hosting Space Week across West Cumbria from June 26-30.

Three manufacturers have scooped awards for eco innovations developed as part of a groundbreaking R&D programme.

By Matt Hale, International Sales & Marketing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers

Donaldson, a leading manufacturer of filtration solutions, has announced it will be exhibiting its venting and industrial air expertise at The Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, between May 23rd – May 25th, 2023.

As part of its campaign to inspire the next generation of robotics engineers, automation expert FANUC UK has announced it will showcase a suite of education-themed initiatives at Automation UK in Coventry in June

Radwell International has announced it has launched a new UK field buying division headed by Andrew Duke and Daniel Jones.

Turck Banner spoke to PWE about four different applications in the production efficiency category; increasing yields in meat processing, increasing efficiency in assembly stations, Edge Guiding to reduce waste and picking solutions to eliminate errors and returns.

Chris Johnson, managing director of ceramic bearings specialist SMB Bearings, explains the specifications, capabilities and differences of full ceramic and hybrid bearings.

Digitalisation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) represents the next level of industrial automation. Consultant editor at DFA and chair Andy Pye summarises some of the discussions from the recent Talking Industry episode

Real time process control for food manufacture has come a significant step closer, thanks to pioneering research work at University College Dublin into viscosity measurement techniques for characterising the flow and mixability of highly non-Newtonian fluids.

ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation business has announced it is expanding its presence in Ireland with the opening of a new office in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Gary Wilde, Technical Services Officer at the British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) offers some basic information and guidance on purchasing, maintaining, and designing pump systems for optimum energy efficiency, CO2 reduction and capital expenditure payback time.