UK NEWS

Outstanding apprentice

A Black Country toolmaker that is a ‘fantastic ambassador’ for vocational learning has been crowned ‘Outstanding Apprentice of the Year’. Accura Engineering’s Ethan Austin beat off the challenge of over 100 peers to secure the title at the In-Comm Training Awards in Birmingham earlier this month. More than 420 people from 50 companies heard how Ethan had shown exceptional commitment to both technical and professional development, and is the youngest apprentice at the company to be trusted in customer-facing roles. Judges also commented on his track record in supporting improvement projects.

More information www.in-comm.co.uk

Trumpf UK director retires

After over 30 years of service, Gerry Jones, sales director at Trumpf UK, retired earlier this month. The company says his impact has been exceptional, from nurturing enduring customer partnerships to driving major global projects within the business, his leadership has been a cornerstone of success. His calm and approachable leadership has left a lasting mark on Trumpf UK and beyond. Looking ahead, Trumpf UK has named John Roche as head of sales for machine tools and Tom Chaffer as head of sales for laser technology, both reporting directly to managing director Lee Moakes.

More information www.trumpf.com

Hexagon Launches Future Skills Challenge

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has teamed up with Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing to launch ‘Telemetry Tested: The Hexagon x Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing Future Skills Challenge’, an interactive quiz that fuses esports performance with real-world engineering instincts. Hexagon wants to highlight the shared skills between sim racers and next-gen manufacturing engineers. In both environments, success hinges on the ability to interpret vast datasets, make fast decisions and collaborate across disciplines, whether on the virtual track or in the race to bring sustainable, high-performance products to market.  

More information www.bit.ly/46Rdlnd

UK’s most automated 3D print facility

Midlands 3D has opened what it believes to be the most automated polymer 3D print production facility operating in the UK. Earlier this month, the company threw open the doors of its new HQ at an industry open day, showing how it has more than quadrupled its floor space and taken the opportunity to upgrade its fleet of HP MultiJet Fusion (MJF) Printers, adding a proprietary automation system to each.

The automation system enables machines to change their ‘build unit’ automatically once a build is complete, enabling another build to begin within minutes. Utilising these technologies enables the machines to run continuously, dramatically increasing overall efficiency, lowering operating costs and lead times for large print runs.

More information www.midlands3d.com

Biggest Finals Day Yet for TDI Challenge

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) held its biggest finals day yet for the Technology, Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge 2025. This year’s event has grown larger than ever, featuring over 20 finalists presenting their innovative projects to an esteemed panel of nine judges.

This year’s TDI Challenge was, once again, hosted by Yamazaki Mazak in Worcester and sponsored by the Gene Haas Foundation, Vision West Nottinghamshire College and Imagineering. Participants (students aged 14-19) were invited to submit a design and a 2-minute demonstration video. The Key Stage 4 winner was Nia Wood for her ‘Signal Cycle’ project, while Pacha Pritchard was named Key Stage 5 winner for his project ‘Time & Tide’.

More information www.thetdichallenge.co.uk