Machine tools from Worcester-based Yamazaki Mazak were recently put to the test in a national engineering competition for young people.
The models were featured in the WorldSkills UK National Finals in CNC milling, held at the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Academy in Swansea.
The event, hosted by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, challenged young engineers to programme and machine a a dragon-inspired workpiece from aluminium using three Mazak VCN-430A vertical machining centres under timed conditions.
Alan Mucklow, UK managing director and national distributors at Yamazaki Mazak, said: "I’m delighted Mazak has played such an integral role in the latest WorldSkills UK National Finals, which brought together the United Kingdom’s best young engineering talent to pit their skills against each other.
"The use of our machines in such a prestigious competition is a true testament to their operational dependability and reputation for excellence, and the workpieces the competitors produced were extremely impressive."
Eight finalists aged 17 to 22 were selected from around 100 entrants for the CNC milling discipline.
Each competitor had seven hours to complete the challenge, including two and a half hours to create a CNC program using CAM software and four and a half hours for machine set-up and operation.
Ben King, a 21-year-old manufacturing engineering apprentice at Kirkstall Precision Engineering in Leeds, won the competition.
He was awarded the top prize at a ceremony held at the ICC Wales in Newport on November 28.
Lee Pratt, manager of the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Academy, said: "The 2025 WorldSkills UK CNC Milling National Finals in South Wales were an outstanding success.
"The standard of skill on display was exceptional once again. The event showcased not only the talent of our competitors, but the strength of advanced manufacturing training across the UK."
Mazak also provided technical support throughout the competition and sponsored a three-day training event in advance.
The university has invested in Mazak equipment since 2020 to support its apprenticeship programme.
Mr Mucklow said: "Congratulations to Ben and all the other finalists – it’s clear the future of the UK’s manufacturing industry is in very safe and capable hands."
