• 17-12-2025
• Smart Factories: How Industry 4.0 Is Changing the Metalworking Landscape

Every industry goes through phases where technology quietly reshapes the way people work, and metalworking is experiencing exactly that. Instead of the sudden, headline-grabbing revolutions people often imagine, the change has been gradual and practical, emerging through features that many workshops already use every day. A press brake that adjusts itself. A laser that logs its cut data. A machine that alerts you before accuracy begins to drift. These everyday innovations are the real beginnings of Industry 4.0.

• 29-07-2025
• IPG Laser Welding Masterclass - 3 Day Roadshow

A couple of weeks ago we had the pleasure of hosting Antuan Sciacca and Tom Waldbauer from IPG Photonics Gmbh & Co. KG for our IPG Masterclass Roadshow at various sites across the UK. The roadshow started in RS Machinery’s Northern Ireland showroom, in Antrim. Some of the team got to sit down and discuss all things Laser Welding with Antuan and Tom. This included trading experiences and knowledge with the team from Germany, where the IPG Laser Welders are manufactured, before giving some visiting customers a hands-on experience with the latest IPG Laser Welder, the LightWELD XR 2000, capable of welding up to 8mm thick materials.

• 30-06-2025
• The Future of Multi-Axis Laser Cutting: Is 3D Profiling the Next Standard?

The metal fabrication industry continues to evolve, driven by growing demands for precision, efficiency and automation. Among the most significant recent developments is the rise of multi-axis cutting, or 3D profiling – a technique that adds a third axis to traditional two-dimensional cutting processes, enabling far more complex geometries and processes in a single operation. But what defines 3D profiling, and what implications does it hold for manufacturers? More critically, is it becoming an industry standard?

• 30-05-2025
• Get more out of a CNC plasma cutting machine

CNC plasma cutting machines can do so much more than just perform the basic operations expected of them. For a relatively low cost, compared to the overall investment, there are a number of optional items which are well worth consideration. Maybe you also need to drill and tap holes, quickly produce weld preps or process extra thick plates? All this and more can be achieved on a CNC plasma cutting machine specified with the relevant equipment.