The Duke of Kent gave the royal seal of approval to William Cook group after visiting its new £6 million precision factory, which is opening up important markets for the company (www.william-cook.co.uk).

The Queen’s cousin toured the factory with chairman Sir Andrew Cook and spoke with the firm’s latest apprentice intake.

The ‘state of the art’ facility combines the latest 3-D printing, investment casting and robotics technologies to allow the rapid manufacture of complex components.

Sir Andrew recalled meeting the Duke at the Cutlers’ Hall in London in 1986.

He said: “I am very pleased that His Royal Highness has come to see our Sheffield factory 31 years later. We have been through some trials and tribulations since then, but we have prospered and kept a lot of people in employment.

“William Cook has been in Sheffield since the late 19th century, and our investment means we will have an important role to play in the city region’s future as a high-value manufacturer of complex components for the energy, defence, rail and aerospace sectors.”

After completing his tour, the Duke unveiled a plaque to commemorate his visit. It was produced by the group’s 3-D printing and casting process.