2018 has been a remarkable year for Star GB. We’ve gone from strength to strength developing new technologies and setting new benchmarks in machine sales – which, in the face of continued uncertainty and negotiations in relation to Brexit and the future of the UK, is a huge achievement for the UK engineering sector and Star GB alike.

This year, the hard work and dedication of the staff here at Star GB has meant we have been more engaged with our customers than ever before, with more new and existing users of sliding head technology visiting our Derby HQ to meet the team, see live demonstrations of Star machinery, attend training courses and discover the benefits of combining Star technology, software, expertise and support.

A catalyst of this engagement is the success of Star’s annual Open House event held in October, seeing an unprecedented number of visitors in attendance from all over the UK to witness the very latest on offer from Star and our partners, as well as act as a forum for discussion between engineers to discuss their plans to further secure the future of the UK’s contribution to engineering developments relied upon across the globe.

The MACH exhibition held at the NEC in April was another event pivotal to our success this year, attracting new sliding head customers to our stand to discover how our technology can improve their productivity and accuracy, therefore increasing their profits.

In demonstration of the continued support we have for our products, this year saw over one hundred installations of our High Frequency Turning (HFT) software which enables intermittent cutting on any linear axis to break up “stringy” swarf into more manageable, smaller chips. We are delighted to be able to offer this as an option which can be installed on most Star models regardless of age – which is the only software of its type capable of being retrofitted.

We also opened up our highly acclaimed NC Assist template-driven text editor on a free trial basis, allowing more operators to easily generate CNC programs and sample the software before committing. SMOOSS-i also made its UK debut – a new type of software for Star machines allowing the remote monitoring of various machine statuses and attributes.

To complement our breakthroughs in software, the latest addition to our 38mm range, the SR-38J, made its UK premiere. The new machine provides maximum functionality and capacity within a compact footprint and has generated a huge amount of interest ahead of its first deliveries in 2019.

We look forward to another successful year throughout 2019, with the government supporting UK businesses through temporarily increasing the Annual Investment Allowance to an all-time high £1 million – a huge increase from the £200,000 allowance at present. We are also excited to further expand our team and implement new initiatives to further develop our reputation for unrivalled knowledge, exceptional support and leading technology.

From the team at Star GB, we would like to thank you for your continued support and wish all of our customers a very Merry Christmas and success for the coming year.