COMMENT
Editor: Justin Burns
justin.burns@markallengroup.com
Outgoing editor: Andrew Allcock
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Art editor: Neil Young
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Publisher: Jon Benson
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Machinery (incorporating
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Print – ISSN 1753-0482
Online – ISSN 2049-3312
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Andrew Allcock, Editor
Hello UKCA; ‘bye from me
We near the end of the UK’s transition period for exiting the EU.
Come the New Year, the country enters different territory. It will have
freedom to deviate from EU rules. Whether it does or not is
something that will be revealed as time passes. I am sure we are in
for an interesting few months before things settle down.
One thing that does occur on 1 January 2021 is the introduction
of a new legislative regime for machinery safety, most particularly for Machinery’s
audience machine tools. For England, Scotland and Wales, the beginning of the New
Year marks the commencement of the application of the UKCA product safety
compliance/product marking regime. In those three countries (Great Britain), UKCA will,
in specific circumstances, replace the CE product safety compliance/product marking
regime but will become required for all new machine tools sold into GB markets from
1 January 2022.
CE marking remains for the EU (and Northern Ireland), so will also still be seen on
machines alongside UKCA. The underlying UKCA and CE requirements will be identical
as at 1 January 2021, but they may not stay so. Our feature on p10 explains in more
detail and both machine tool suppliers and users have something to learn.
Also as of next year – in fact as of Monday, 30 November 2020 – I will no longer be
your guide to the many fascinating technological and business developments that occur
in the production engineering sphere. Having joined Machinery in April 1985, after more
than 35 years of writing for the magazine and fully half that time as its editor, I am
retiring to spend more time with my camera, e-bike, country/coastal walks, books,
music, garden and, most importantly, my wife and family.
My career has been one that I could never have imagined as I commenced my fiveyear
engineering apprenticeship in September 1971. For those of you that I have had
direct dealings with, I thank you for your good company, hospitality and generosity, and,
of course, for sharing much interesting information with me. I have seen and written
about a great many fascinating things across the years and the memories of very many
people, journeys, places, events, incidents and topics will remain with me.
Your new guide will be Justin Burns, who will properly introduce himself to you in the
January edition of Machinery. That’s because although as you read this I may already
have either my comfy slippers or walking boots on, publishing schedules mean that this
December issue, completed during November, represents my very last Machinery
magazine in a run that has seen me involved in producing in excess of 650+ issues,
together with numerous supplements and a variety of projects.
Thanks everyone and goodbye. I wish you all good fortune and success. ■
www.machinery.co.uk
www.markallengroup.com
www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets | December 2020 7
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