The 15th day of April has a special place in the history of the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), as it was on this date in 1919 that the organisation was founded (as the Machine Tool Trade Association) and the first meeting of its members was held.
Machine tool manufacturers from through-out the UK had come together to respond to the proliferation of trade shows (featuring machine tools) that were making demands on their time and resources.
A lot has changed in those 100 years, with the change of name to MTA being a vital part of the association’s history. James Selka, the MTA’s CEO (
www.mta.org.uk), said: “Throughout the Association’s history, technologies have changed, the companies have changed, the nature of the UK machine tool sector has changed, and even the name of the Association has changed, but one thing has remained constant — the Association’s determination to represent its members’ best interests and help them do more business.
“To mark our centenary, members past and present have been contributing to a book — At the Heart of Manufacturing — that charts the history of the Association. Our members have made a significant contribution to the world around us and the country we live in, and we are proud to be their voice.
“The book is also a great record of how much technology has changed over the past 100 years; indeed, some of the manufacturing techniques applied when the Association was formed would be unrecognisable today.
The book was carefully put together by members of the Association by looking through historical records and recounting recent history.
"Every member of the MTA has received a copy of the publication, which was launched at the MTA’s Centenary Dinner in February.”
The MTA is ‘home’ to manufacturers, importers and equipment suppliers who come together to represent the whole spectrum of manufacturing technology in the UK.
This ranges from metal-cutting and metal-forming machine tools to software, tooling, controls, automation and new technologies such as additive manufacturing and smart systems.