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In Brief

01 April, 2005

In Brief

• MTL Instruments Group has acquired GECMA, the German manufacturer of operator displays for hazardous areas. GECMA`s founder, Frank Kellersohn, will join MTL as director of the newly formed visualisation business unit. The acquisition is part of an active expansion programme by MTL, which says it is a good fit because GECMA`s customers are the same as those who buy its own remote I/O and surge protection products.

Following the sale of its instrument division, LEM has moved its UK components operation to new premises at White Moss Business Park in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. The phone number stays the same (01695 712560).

The Government says that its Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has injected more than £112m into manufacturing since its launch in April 2002. MAS has visited more than 9,500 businesses to carry out "health checks", has held more than 1,200 events to educate and train businesses, and has completed 2,568 in-depth consultations. The average increase in added value for these businesses has been £107,000.

• Festo has launched two services to help machine builders and end-users to minimise their energy consumption. The Compressed Air Consumption Analysis Service will give machinery OEMs documented air usage figures for new or existing equipment, providing a benchmark for comparisons with rival equipment. The Energy Saving Service will provide pneumatics end-users with data to help them to make their installations more efficient.

The Government is giving an extra £2.8m to the Bradford-based Centre for Women in SET (science, engineering and technology), which fosters the recruitment and progression of women in SET careers. The new money, spread over three years, will: help to set up a satellite centre in Northern Ireland, and hubs in other regions; support a grant scheme for minority women in SET; and help to create an entrepreneurship scheme.

• Beama, the electrical industry trade body, is backing the Conservative Party`s support for the continuing funding of the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars Abroad (Sesa) scheme, which the Government is considering cutting back. Beama warns that the proposed cuts would mean severe reductions in help for small and medium sized UK manufacturers.




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