05
Oct 2026
6th Oct 2026
The latest figures from UK manufacturing are offering a timely reminder of the resilience running through Britain’s industrial base, according to Birmingham precision engineering specialist Rowan Precision. Manufacturing activity expanded again during September, extending a period of growth that has now lasted for 11 consecutive months.
The S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reached 51.9 during the month, up from 51.7 in August, with output, new orders and employment all increasing. For Rowan Precision CFO Glenn Aston, the figures reflect an industry that continues to find opportunities through investment, engineering expertise and the ability to respond quickly to changing customer requirements.
“Resilience is something manufacturing businesses build over many years,” said Aston. “It comes from investing in the right machinery, developing skilled people and creating a business capable of responding when customers need additional capacity or a different engineering solution.
“There is a great deal of experience within UK manufacturing, particularly among specialist engineering businesses. That capability gives our sector a strong platform from which to pursue the opportunities ahead.”
September brought further growth in new business for UK manufacturers, with order volumes increasing for a tenth consecutive month. Demand came from domestic customers as well as export markets including the United States, Asia-Pacific, Brazil and Australia. Investment goods were among the strongest-performing areas of manufacturing during the month.
Employment also increased for the sixth consecutive month as manufacturers recruited to support order books and production requirements. The figures arrive as precision engineering companies continue to play an important role across aerospace, medical, automotive and other advanced manufacturing supply chains.
Rowan Precision has continued to develop its CNC machining capability at its Birmingham facility, combining advanced production technology with more than three decades of precision engineering experience. Its manufacturing capability includes multi-axis machining, twin-spindle fixed-head CNC mill-turn centres and advanced sliding head CNC machining for complex precision components.
Aston believes maintaining that depth of capability will remain important as customers assess the resilience and responsiveness of their supply chains.
“Customers increasingly want confidence in the manufacturing capability behind their components,” he said. “They want quality, repeatability, capacity and an engineering team that understands the demands of production. “For Rowan Precision, resilience means having that capability available on the shop floor and continuing to develop it. Our investment in CNC machining technology gives us the flexibility to support customers across a wide range of production requirements.”
Rowan Precision’s sliding head CNC machining operation is particularly suited to the manufacture of complex turned components where accuracy, repeatability and production efficiency are critical. The company operates 13-axis CNC sliding head machines capable of producing components up to 32mm in diameter, alongside twin-spindle fixed-head CNC mill-turn machining centres.
Modern sliding head technology allows turning, milling, drilling and other processes to be combined within highly automated production cycles. For customers requiring repeat production of intricate components, this creates opportunities to improve consistency and throughput while reducing additional handling between operations.
Rowan Precision supports quantities ranging from specialist batches through to high-volume production, working with materials including aluminium, aerospace-grade stainless steels, titanium, tungsten and engineering plastics. This breadth of capability provides a valuable foundation as manufacturers prepare for future demand.
September’s manufacturing figures also provide an indication of industry expectations heading towards 2027. Almost half of the manufacturers surveyed expect production volumes to increase during the coming 12 months, with expansion plans, new products and investment projects among the reasons cited for their confidence.
For Aston, translating that confidence into sustainable growth will depend heavily on the strength of the manufacturing businesses supporting major industrial supply chains.
“UK manufacturing has an extraordinary depth of specialist knowledge,” he said. “Companies throughout the supply chain have spent decades developing processes, people and engineering capability. “Our focus is on continuing to invest in Rowan Precision, developing our team and making sure our CNC machining capability is ready for the requirements customers bring to us.
“The latest figures give manufacturers reason to look ahead with confidence. Resilience comes from being prepared for opportunity when it arrives, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”
For Rowan Precision, that preparation continues on the Birmingham shop floor, where investment in people and advanced CNC machining provides the production capability to support the next generation of UK manufacturing growth.