Materials
-
Framatome has opened chromium coating equipment for advanced nuclear fuel. The €30m Paimboeuf pilot aims to qualify repeatable cladding production, with designed capacity exceeding 100,000 coated tubes annually.
-
UK aerospace partners are developing higher-rate thermoplastic composite manufacturing methods. Project OPTIMA connects specialist tapes, woven fabrics, automated forming and component-level digital product records in a two-year programme.
-
IMDEA combines magnesium additive manufacturing with protective ceramic surface treatments. Researchers compared two alloys for biodegradable implants and reported substantially improved corrosion resistance after plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings.
-
Norsk Titanium has secured a Rolls-Royce aerospace development component order. The Ti-6Al-4V preform was deposited in Norway and is being machined in Germany for evaluation within civil aircraft engine programmes.
-
Beatson Clark is investing in automation at its Rotherham glassworks. Four planned palletisers will handle UK and Euro pallet sizes, while installed air curtains have reduced measured airborne particulates near hot-end operators.
-
O.C.O and City Circle plan Australian manufactured aggregate production together. Their Victorian venture aims to process up to 150,000 tonnes of energy-from-waste residues annually, using accelerated carbonation to make aggregate for construction.
-
MTC and CEAD are expanding large-format composite printing capability together. The collaboration includes a major upgrade to MTC’s existing additive manufacturing cell and will support development of production-scale applications.
-
Oriole has applied for a Cameroon industrial marble exploitation licence. Its preliminary quarry plan assumes 500,000 tonnes of product annually, but regulatory consent, detailed design and a cement-sector buyer remain outstanding.
-
Ironveld reports faster magnetite feed processing despite interrupted customer deliveries. The South African plant is approaching design throughput, but product consistency and an approximately two-month working capital position remain constraints.
-
UPM plans its first Indian self-adhesive label materials manufacturing facility. The Gujarat site would add acrylic coating to existing distribution operations, with production targeted for early 2028 and capacity not yet disclosed.
© 2b Publishing 2026.