Representatives from more than 30 of the UK’s top aerospace manufacturing and machining attended the KYOCERA SGS and Starrag 'Lunch and Learn' event held at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

The event, themed 'Taking airframe machining to a whole new level', saw presentations on topics like virtual machining and advances in aluminium aerostructure parts machining, as well as an impressive live cutting tool demonstration in the AMRC’s Factory of the Future. New business relationships were forged and well-established connections strengthened.

With more than 60 years in the industry, Ian Walsh, Senior Sales Executive of A and G Precision, certainly saw the value of attending the event.

“This industry is rather like the game of leapfrog. New developments push companies to take steps forward and progress ahead of each other. Business is a journey in which you never arrive. The moment that you arrive or think that you have, it’s too late. These events are really worthwhile because they help to spread the word as to where the industry is going next.”

Creating a conversation about emerging technologies was exactly what the event’s organiser, Jose Ucar, EU Marketing and Business Development Manager at KYOCERA SGS, was hoping to achieve.

“This is our sixth Lunch and Learn event as part of our programme of events aimed at educating, supporting and helping the industry to innovate. It is part of our aim to build a platform to bring the latest innovations to life and help boost productivity. The pioneering setting of the AMRC fits perfectly with our aims for the event.”

For Richard Foster, Machining Specialist at Rolls-Royce, the day was a reminder about the value of exploring new ways of working.

He said: “This event has been really helpful in enabling us all to see the capabilities of new and emerging technology. It’s been an education on the art of the possible."