♦  Schaeffler UK has opened new customer training facilities at its Sutton Coldfield site to provide 1–3 day classroom-based and hands-on courses. The courses will cover the selection, operation and maintenance of rolling bearings, as well as condition monitoring and vibration analysis.

♦  The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has launched its Manufacturing Excellence Awards for 2012, offering manufacturers up to £20,000 worth of free consultancy as well as awards in 11 categories. Entries close on 1 June.

♦  Delta Line has started to sell Zeitlauf drive motors in the UK.

♦  Siemens Industry Automation & Drive Technologies says it has won more than £1m-worth of new business in engineered drives and motion control in the UK during the past year. It attributes this to its new strategic and collaborative partnership with HMK Technical Services.

♦  Stober Drives has opened a Motion & Technology Centre in Cannock, Staffordshire, housing a training centre, application support services, and a demonstration area to showcase its geared drive systems. The centre will take motion control projects from conception to completion, including control cabinet design, build and commissioning. Stober is keeping an office in Essex.

♦  The sensor developer Zettlex has opened a new production line at its Cambridge plant and is recruiting extra production and engineering staff to handle a rise in export orders. The expansion has been supported by the Technology Strategy Board.

♦  Fanuc has consolidated support operations for its three UK businesses – Fanuc FA, Fanuc Robotics and Fanuc Robomachine – to provide “a clearer route for product sales and after-sales support”. Customers will now have a central contact point for the businesses, which share a common controller platform.

♦  Rockwell Automation’s Anorad Division has appointed LG Motion to provide motion controls for its range of precision positioning stages and gantry systems.

♦  The mechanical and fluid power transmission specialist Pix has created a training facility at its European headquarters in Essex to provide demonstration and training facilities for its customers and distributors.