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News round-up Make UK three-point plan for recovery
Helen Blomqvist is to be Sandvik
Coromant’s new president,
succeeding Nadine Crauwels, who
becomes president of Sandvik
Machining Solutions. Blomqvist
joined Sandvik in 2003.
www.is.gd/heyihe
Sandvik has signed an agreement
to acquire US-based CGTech, a
global market leader in software for
numerical control (NC) simulation,
veri cation and optimisation. The
product offering includes Vericut,
a machining simulation and
optimisation software that is CAM,
machine tool manufacturer and
cutting tool neutral, and works stand
alone or in conjunction with all
major CAM suppliers.
www.is.gd/banaho
Hexagon AB has agreed to acquire
D.P. Technology Corp, a leading
developer and supplier of computeraided
manufacturing (CAM)
technology. It is known for its Esprit
package. www.is.gd/ihufuj
Cimatron and GibbsCAM software
businesses will now join SigmaTEK
sheet metalworking CADCAM
software within venture capital rm
Battery Ventures, having been
acquired from 3D Systems
Corporation. www.is.gd/fi sabi
Esprit CAM – CAM software for CNC
programming specialists – has
collaborated with Alma CAM to
develop an end-to-end programming
solution for robot additive direct
energy deposition (DED). This
solution allows Alma to use all Esprit
additive DED cycles, such as 3x, 4x,
and 5x, bringing the software to a
new level of support for additive
technology. www.is.gd/egamey
The world economy and the
worldwide market for machine
tools are in a deep recession, due to
the ongoing global spread of the
corona virus, but Christian Thönes,
chairman, executive board DMG Mori
AG, said: “DMG Mori is resilient and
future-proof. We succeeded in
optimising structures and costs
during the crisis. We have also
achieved a great deal in expanding
our future elds – especially
automation, digitisation and
sustainability. That makes us feel
positive. We are raising our forecast
for 2020 slightly.” www.is.gd/pisika
Italy-headquartered e-commerce
subcontractor Weerg has
followed up last year’s
installation of six
HP Jet Fusion
5210 3D
industrial
printers by
doubling the
number to 12.
www.is.gd/
xogure
Make UK is urging SMEs in
the West Midlands and
Worcestershire to make use of a
£12m skills fund, to help them
upskill staff and get on the road to
recovery after the impact of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
www.is.gd/yulico
The Manufacturing Technology
Centre has taken delivery of two
agile robotic ‘dogs’ as part of MTC
Liverpool’s Digital Manufacturing
Accelerator programme.
www.is.gd/akunur
Restrap, a Leeds company that
has manufactured cycle
luggage in the city for
over a decade, has
experienced such a
steep rise in
demand for its
products in the last
six months that it
has doubled both
staff numbers and the
size of its production
capacity to keep pace with a
270% increase in orders.
www.is.gd/nacoral
Brandauer has been selected to
be part of a new consortium led by
tech company Saietta, which has
won an Advanced Propulsion Centre
Britain’s manufacturers are calling
on the government to bring forward
a clear, long-term economic action
plan that provides business and
industry with a consistent strategy
to help them steer a path through
the long haul of the crisis.
The call was made by Make UK
in publishing its own three-point
action plan, which contains
proposals for the immediate
lockdown period, an exit strategy
and long-term economic and
industrial recovery.
While the announcement from
the Chancellor to extend the
furlough scheme is welcome, Make
UK believes its proposals will
enable companies to see a broader
policy horizon and help place the
UK on an equal footing with
international competitors.
Make UK has also offered to
lead the manufacturing sector,
working with government as it did
on the Ventilator Challenge, in
building robust national capacity
for mass regular testing of the UK
population. This would effectively
identify those areas that need
additional measures to deal with
Covid-19 outbreaks and avoid
future waves of highly damaging
national lockdowns.
Publishing its plan, ‘Prepare,
Implement, Lead’, Make UK
backed its view that the crisis has
many months to run into next year,
with data from a survey of almost
two hundred companies showing
over a third (36.8%) believe it will
take longer than 12 months to
return to normal trading, whilst over
a quarter (26.8%) believe it will
take between six and 12 months.
Just 26% of companies expect to
be at full operating capacity at the
start of 2021. (The survey of 198
rms was carried out between 12
and 19 October.)
An extension to the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) of £1m has
been made for another year. The extension had been due to expire on
31 December, but it will now run for capital investments in plant and
machinery assets until 1 January 2022. The rate would have fallen back
to £200,000 otherwise. Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman
said: “It is vital that we support business through the dif cult months
ahead. Extending the AIA £1m cap will give businesses the con dence
they need to invest into next year, helping them to grow whilst bene tting
the wider economy, too.” www.is.gd/aneyil
Make UK’s report calls
for robust national
testing capacity
3D-printers at Weerg
8 December 2020 | www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets
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