We are delighted to announce that Adam Ross has been shortlisted for Engineer of the Year by the IP&E Awards. Since joining Leybold in 2008 as Field Service Engineer in the UK, as part of a team of six, Adam has progressed to Technical Support for EMEA North & East. A large territory, of many customers and numerous applications. Adam is an outstanding example of innovation, resourcefulness and customer focus within the vacuum engineering profession, with his pragmatic approach to challenges. He is committed to bringing practical solutions to complex issues which bring real value to customers, having gained expertise on a range of Leybold products, from DRYVAC to SCREWLINE, as well as T5 qualifications for VACUBE and SOGEVAC. He is responsible for monitoring the product analysis and reporting system to ensure that warranty matters are dealt with effectively, reduce customer turn-around-time, creation of warranty reports and reporting into our business. He also supports the development of new products by making improvement proposals, providing input to our business on the development of new products, and participating in engineering projects which require specific technical support. “With Adam customer support is not just about ticking boxes, he listens to the customers challenges to understand what they are trying to achieve, then works with them to share his wealth of experience and knowledge to provide a suitable resolution. Always putting the customer first and looking at long term solutions rather than the short-term fix. Many of the solid relationships we have with customers now are based on interactions with Adam.” Paul Carroll, UK Service Manager Leybold The winners will be revealed at a free-to-attend online ceremony on 25 October 2023, and you can register for free to take part. Register to watch here https://events.streamgo.live/ipe-awards/register About IP&E Awards https://ipeawards.co.uk/2023/en/page/home

To stay competitive in die and mould making, efficient production with a high degree of process reliability is vital for Krämer+Grebe GmbH & Co. KG of Biedenkopf-Wallau, Germany. Tool suppliers are also judged by their application engineering. MAPAL has earned trust in this respect with its reamers and high-feed milling cutters. Over the course of its company history of over 100 years, Krämer+Grebe has reinvented itself time and again. The company was founded at the beginning of the 20th century together with a variety of specialised companies around the important ironworks in Germany’s upper Lahn River valley. The focus was on classic model assembly in the early years. As time passed, machine engineering became more and more important. The company built foundry machines and prospered by producing meat-processing machines. In the 1980s, Krämer+Grebe sold its machine engineering department to once again concentrate on its core competency, model assembly. Over time, this gave rise to today’s die and mould making, which is exclusively done for the automotive industry. Clients include large car manufacturers, suppliers and foundries. To also serve their international sites, Krämer+Grebe pursued the path of globalisation and established a presence abroad. From handicraft to industry Since Katrin Grebe, the great granddaughter of the company’s founder, took over the helm of the family business in 2000, the progress of change has accelerated – driven by new technical developments and market demands. The company has successfully transformed itself from a handicraft business to an industrial undertaking. The machinery is all state of the art. The 16 machining centres are predominantly from DMG and Hermle. On top of this, there is a deep-drilling tool, two lathes, three discharge machines and 3D printing. The production staff have a manufacturing space of 11,000 square metres at their disposal.

Integrating innovative technologies from Asia into Central Europe while maintaining cost efficiency was a major challenge. Möve turned to additive manufacturing (AM) early on to produce the connecting elements between the frame segments more efficiently. After a thorough evaluation of potential partners, it became clear that close collaboration with experts was necessary to combine design, performance, and cost-effectiveness in a single solution. The Eplus3D team optimized the cost structure for producing these fasteners and ensured the concept was scalable to series production. This approach, combined with the use of innovative titanium tubes, accelerated the project by at least four months. The result: a new, distinctive e-bike frame that retained the planned monocoque design. This project impressively demonstrates the potential of metal 3D printing for the bicycle industry. The close collaboration and expertise of all involved enabled a redesign of the parts manufacturing process, improving the quality and durability of the final product—and thus also the user experience. Futher information:https://www.eplus3d.com/metal-additive-manufacturing-faster-innovation-for-the-bicycle-industry.html

In today’s high-precision industries, where accuracy and efficiency are paramount, the stakes have never been higher. Sectors such as aerospace, automotive and energy face significant challenges in measuring large components with sub-millimetre tolerances. Even the smallest deviations can result in costly errors. As these industries push the boundaries of innovation, the need for advanced metrology solutions that meet these rigorous standards is more pressing than ever. At Hexagon, our legacy of pioneering innovation has consistently redefined industry standards and transformed operational efficiency. Hexagon are thrilled to introduce a breakthrough that reinforces our commitment to precision and excellence: the Leica Absolute Tracker ATS800. Building on the success of its predecessor, the ATS600—the world’s first direct scanning laser tracker—the ATS800 takes accuracy and productivity to new heights. Specifically designed for large-scale manufacturing and demanding measurement workflows, the ATS800 sets a new industry benchmark. It enables precise measurement of large components from considerable distances, empowering industries to achieve unprecedented levels of accuracy and efficiency more easily than ever before. With the ATS800, we continue to empower our customers to meet the evolving challenges of their industries, ensuring they stay at the forefront of technological advancements. This innovation not only enhances our robust portfolio of metrology devices but also reaffirms our leadership in driving the future of precision measurement.

Airtech Advanced Materials Ltd. (the UK division of Airtech Advanced Materials Group) and Aero Consultants Ltd. are excited to announce their strategic partnership.

In a transformative move for the UK water industry, Binnies – a leading water engineering services provider – has announced an exclusive partnership with Williams Grand Prix Technologies, the engineering consultancy of the Atlassian Williams Racing Formula 1 Team, and artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer, JuliaHub. Together, they are introducing scientific machine learning (SciML) to the UK water sector for the first time. This pioneering collaboration brings cutting-edge AI from the motorsport, aviation and aerospace sectors to help water companies shift from reactive to predictive asset health to prevent failures – using largely the data they already have. It directly supports the direction set out in the recently released Cunliffe Review, which calls for water companies to get ahead of the failure curve by proactively assessing asset condition, even when data quality is limited. "At Williams Grand Prix Technologies, we live by the same principles that fuel Formula 1– speed, precision, and relentless innovation. Scientific machine learning empowers us to predict complex system behaviours even from imperfect data, giving us the foresight that’s critical in high-stakes engineering. We’re thrilled to bring this capability to the UK water sector with Binnies and JuliaHub, transforming how asset health is monitored and helping the industry shift from reactive fixes to proactive resilience." Selin Tur, Managing Director & Chief Technology Officer, Williams Grand Prix Technologies  Together, Binnies, Williams Grand Prix Technologies and JuliaHub are reshaping how the UK water industry approaches asset health. By combining high-performance AI from motorsport, precision engineering and deep sector expertise, they are introducing SciML for the first time. It’s a step change, enabling water companies to predict failures, optimise performance and invest with confidence, even with limited data. It’s a smarter, faster path to asset health.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is unavoidable. And it's being discussed so much right now, particularly with the rise of generative AI solutions, that you may even be tired of hearing about it. But AI continues to quietly revolutionise business processes and tools away from the headline news of Chat GPT's and Google AI Overviews. The real, transformative work is happening beyond the spotlight. Check out our article on how AS can really transform your business in a practical way.

The need for clean air and optimised airflow is vital in most industries. Despite this, the development of the air filtration industry has stagnated - until now. By combining digital solutions with traditional air filtration, industries can now seamlessly connect to their filtration products by a computer or smart phone, to ensure that everything works properly. Magnus Edmén, Nederman Head of Sales in EMEA, believes that this will lead to a significantly better working environment as well as reduced costs. Read more by visiting the website.

Airtech, a family-owned leader in composites manufacturing for over 50 years, stands as the world’s largest privately-owned manufacturer of vacuum bagging and composite tooling materials. Serving diverse industries such as aerospace, automotive, and wind energy, Airtech has consistently pushed the boundaries of advanced materials, becoming a recognised leader in sustainable innovation. In June 2024, Airtech won the prestigious TCT Award in the Automotive & Rail Application category for their groundbreaking “Closed-Loop Motorsport Tooling” project. In partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Airtech transformed old carbon-fibre moulds from the 2022 Pikes Peak race into new, high-quality 3D printed moulds using their recycled Dahltram® C-250CF material. This project not only played a pivotal role in Brumos Racing Car’s world record at the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb but also demonstrated the transformative potential of circular lifecycle manufacturing by saving over 300lbs of material from landfills and reducing the demand for new polymer production. Reinforcing their position as industry leaders, Airtech’s expertise extends beyond this project to include innovations in vacuum bagging films, composite tooling materials, large-scale 3D printing, and advanced sustainable resins like Dahltram® T-100GF and Dahltram® I-350CF. These advancements ensure Airtech remains at the forefront of industry evolution and sustainability. Visitors to the Advanced Engineering show can witness these cutting-edge solutions firsthand, including the award-winning mould tool from the “Closed-Loop Motorsport Tooling” project, at stand U160. Join Airtech to discover how they are shaping the future of sustainable composites manufacturing.

Alaris Linwave’s advanced Chip and Wire capability provides customers with an advanced RF solution when a packaged device is not available or will not provide the required performance. In the RF and Microwave design world, a significant portion of a module’s functionality is delivered by Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs). These semiconductor devices can perform a wide array of functions, including microwave amplification, attenuation, mixing, oscillation, and high-speed switching. Traditionally fabricated using Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), and more recently Gallium Nitride (GaN), most MMICs are housed in plastic or ceramic packages, facilitating ease of handling, testing, and soldering onto PCBs during the assembly process. However, in certain scenarios, particularly at higher frequencies, packaged components may be unsuitable or unavailable. In such cases, MMICs are supplied as bare die or in wafer form. These die often offer superior RF performance, such as improved gain flatness and linearity, compared to their packaged counterparts. In some instances, suppliers provide components exclusively in die form. Processing MMICs in die or wafer form presents significantly greater complexity than working with packaged parts. Die are often extremely small (less than 1 mm in length), necessitating the use of microscopes for precise handling and placement on PCBs or carrier circuits. Their delicate nature requires specialized tools and expert handling. Moreover, the bonding pads along the edges of the die are exceptionally small (typically <0.1 mm), and attaching the bond wires—responsible for carrying power and signal—demands highly sophisticated equipment and the skill of experienced operators. Typical Chip and Wire implementation showing MMIC die and bond wires Alaris Linwave have the capability to handle all aspects of MMIC die processing. MMICs are received as individual die, or in wafer form which can then be sawn into individual dice.

Alaris Linwave’s advanced System in Package capability (SiP) provides customers with complex RF solutions in small, robust, and easily handled packages. RF designs are implemented in a multi-chip module using various bare die from MMIC vendors plus passive surface mount components designed for wire bonding. The die are attached to the package ground paddle using conductive epoxy or eutectic attach methods. Interconnect between components is achieved by custom thin film alumina circuits and/or gold bond wires. Bond wires are also used to connect the system to the I/O, supply and control. The standard package available from Linwave is plastic QFN (Quad-Flat No-leads), the package size being optimized for the application. Future developments envisage custom ceramic packages for Space applications. A number of standard or customer-defined solutions are available, including low noise amplifiers (LNA), limiters, limiter + LNA, zero-bias detectors, and switched filter banks. New designs, including beamforming elements for electronically steerable phased array antennas, are in development. Alaris Linwave provides the full design, manufacture, and test cycle, from initial customer specification to final packaged part. The RF circuits are designed and simulated by an experienced design team using industry standard tools. A Class 10000 clean room is available to implement the sophisticated manufacturing techniques required to handle the delicate die parts, including epoxy and eutectic die attach, semi-auto or manual bonding using gold wedge, ball and ribbon bonders, dry nitrogen backfill, and hermetic sealing of the package using laser welding where required. RF testing is carried out to the customer requirements. Spectrum, Vector, Scalar, Power, Noise Figure, Phase Noise and Modulation measurements up to 50GHz are available. Die probe, bond pull testing, and full environmental testing are performed as required.

Alderman Tooling is one of the UK’s leading metalwork manufacturers with more than 50 years’ experience in metal fabrication. Operating from their purpose built factory in Plymouth, the company provides metal fabrication services for clients in a wide range of sectors including automotive, retail, transport and furniture. As metalwork engineers, Alderman Tooling own and operate a vast suite of energy intensive machinery, accounting for a significant proportion of their operating costs. A fluctuating energy market which resulted in a large spike in electricity prices (10p/unit to 30p/unit) caused huge concern and led the company to explore ways to secure their future energy supply and reduce their reliance on the National Grid. After conducting a thorough energy audit and concluding that solar PV would deliver the highest carbon reductions for the costs involved, Alderman Tooling approached Solarsense to design, install and maintain an additional solar PV system for their factory in Plymouth. Following a detailed technical review, site survey and feasibility study, the design engineers at Solarsense specified 410W solar PV modules due to their high efficiency and power output. This allowed Alderman Tooling to maximise their on-site energy generation from the available roof space and significantly reduce their reliance on buying electricity from the National Grid. By opting for SolarEdge optimisers and online monitoring, Alderman Tooling can measure the performance of their solar PV system. The analysis of this data led the company to change their shift patterns from late nights to weekends, in order to maximise the energy they generate and further increase their savings. As well as significantly improving the sustainability credentials of the factory, the large-scale solar PV system installed for Alderman Tooling is estimated to generate a net profit of more than £3.2million for the company over the next 25-years.

Regional roots, international success. This applies to the three companies GABO STAHL, Mössner and MAPAL equally. It is only logical that a cooperation benefits everyone: For the end machining of round steel, GABO STAHL now relies on an automated solution from Mössner, which in turn works with MAPAL tools. Sawn round steel bars with lengths of nine millimetres are just as much a part of GABO STAHL's portfolio as round steel bars with a length of six metres. There is a large customer base, and the products are used for a wide range of applications – from use in electrical and hydraulic parts production to large bolts for wind turbines. GABO STAHL is not only a steel trader, but also a steel processor. The company based in Essingen near Aalen was looking for the right system to machine the ends of all round steel bars with a diameter of 30 to 100 mm and a length of 300 to 2000 mm. As GABO STAHL CEO Thorsten Maier points out: “We like to supply our customers with the primary material ready for use and undertake as much preparatory work as possible.” At GABO STAHL, these products are not usually manufactured in large series. Business is mainly dominated by small series. “Our production equipment has to be able to work just as flexibly as we do”, explains Maier. The problem with this is that “Although we perform machining tasks for our customers, we don’t have any trained machinists working for us.” Therefore, in addition to the requirement for flexibility in terms of different dimensions and steel grades, there is also a need for the simplest possible operation. Read more online...

Marjorie is no stranger to Alpha, having previously held the same position from 2014 to 2020. During that time, she played an instrumental role in advancing Alpha’s research and development capabilities, ensuring consistent quality across the product range, and supporting customers with tailored bonding solutions. After five years working elsewhere, Marjorie is once again bringing her wealth of expertise back to Alpha. Speaking about her return, Marjorie said: “After five years working outside the adhesives and sealant industry, I am delighted to return to Alpha Adhesives with the brilliant and most friendly team. During that time, I gained fresh perspectives, developed new problem-solving skills and expanded my technical experience. I am eager to bring that experience back into our projects and applying it to our innovative bespoken bonding and sealing solutions, to our customers.” Strong Academic & Professional Background With an impressive academic background in Chemical Engineering, Instrumentation and Process Control, and Non destructive Testing Physics – complemented by an MBA Essentials qualification from the London School of Economics – Marjorie combines technical excellence with a strategic outlook. Her skillset spans chemical engineering, adhesives and sealants, and applied R&D, making her an invaluable asset to Alpha’s team. As Technical Manager, Marjorie’s role covers a wide range of responsibilities: Working with production to maintain efficiency and resolve manufacturing challenges Overseeing quality and testing procedures Managing the R&D department Liaising with suppliers Collaborating directly with customers on new projects Everyone at Alpha is thrilled to see Marjorie back at the heart of the team, helping to drive innovation, uphold quality, and strengthen the company’s technical offering.