Week in brief

Some of the top deals, announcements and business news in engineering this week

Mira expands test facilities

Midlands-based automotive test facility and consultancy Mira is to build a £6 million, 12,000 square foot emissions test centre at Nuneaton, Leicestershire.

The centre will provide the capability to comply with latest Euro6 and the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure and will be focused around a four-wheel drive climatic chassis dynamometer and four soak rooms.

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Barclays launches “maker” sites

The Bank is to install 3D printers and laser cutters in 20 places around the UK to boost “start-ups and digital manufacturing” in a multi-million pound project.

The “Eagle Labs”, which the bank said will be staffed by expert mentors, have so far been opened in Bournemouth, Cambridge and Brighton, with the remaining opening throughout the year.

For more information go here

Bowman deal

General Dynamics UK has been awarded £135 million to upgrade the Bowman communications used by the British Armed Forces.

The defence firm said the deal, which will see around 12,000 new data terminals rolled out, will create 50 new jobs and support the jobs of 20 engineers at its South Wales headquarters.

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Mitsubishi to keep Siemens trains cool

Mitsubishi Electric is to supply railcar air conditioning systems for Siemens Desiro high capacity trains on the Rhine-Ruhr express Network in Germany.

The $15 million will deliver 328 air conditioning systems for 164 cars, and is the first contract Mitsubishi Electric has ever agreed with Siemens.

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Gatwick gets trains

The first of an order of 108 new Class 387 Electrostar trains made by Bombardier entered service this week on the Gatwick Express Line between London Victoria and Gatwick airport.

The 27 four-car Class 387/2s trains were made in Derby and have been designed specifically for the line and include more space for people with luggage.

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Maxon is supplying motors to the Shadow Robot Company for use in its anthropomorphic robot hands. Each hand has 20 smart motor nodes driven by a motor. Each node uses a PID controller, which can be set to do force control on the tendons at the motor end, or position control on the joints.

In the video below, Rich Walker, managing director of the Shadow Robot Company, talks about the company and its relationship with Maxon Motor UK.