The MTC, which houses the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM), will lead the DRAMA programme.
The Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace (DRAMA) project is intended to encourage the UK aerospace industry's supply chain to adopt additive manufacturing technologies, which are increasingly being demanded by the country's prime aerospace manufacturers.
Suppliers will be able to test products and processes in a virtual additive manufacturing facility at the MTC, and then transfer the work to the latest physical machines. During the project a full trial facility will open at NCAM, with proving facilities also available at Renishaw in Stone, Staffordshire.
Renishaw has also installed a RenAM 500M laser additive manufacturing system in the MTC's facility. The automated system is designed for factory floor production of metal components, including titanium. The system includes the very latest optical laser monitoring processes.
Explains DRAMA project lead Dr Katy Milne: "The importance of additive manufacturing to the UK aerospace industry can't be overstated. It has the potential to revolutionise design approaches and component manufacturing. There are more than 4,000 companies involved in the aerospace industry in the UK and additive manufacturing offers the biggest opportunity since the introduction of composites. Aerospace prime manufacturers are increasingly demanding reduced weight, reduced cost and higher-performing parts, so for those suppliers who don't keep up with the technology, it could also be a significant threat.”
The funding for the project is being delivered by Innovate UK and supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute. Other partners delivering DRAMA are Renishaw, the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, which is mobilising other UK aerospace groupings, ATS Applied Tech Systems, Autodesk, Granta Design, the National Physical Laboratory and the University of Birmingham.
The DRAMA project was formally launched at an event at the MTC, at which senior executives from major aerospace manufacturers were joined by smaller aerospace supply companies.
