Yorkshire Forward puts £6.5 million into factory of the future
1 min read
Yorkshire Forward has invested £6.5 million to build a ‘Factory of the Future’ as part of the second phase of its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Waverley, near Rotherham.
Jim Farmery, head of innovation at Yorkshire Forward says the facility will enable local businesses to trial engineering and materials developments in a full-scale commercial production capacity before making significant and high-risk investment decisions.
AMRC Phase II will house state of the art production machines including, for example, additive manufacturing systems that can ‘grow’ 3D parts – claimed to considerably reduce material waste while increasing design flexibility.
The centre will also have virtual engineering and manufacturing facilities in the form of modern IT to support over 100 researchers responsible for transferring knowledge to manufacturing companies, particularly in the in the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors throughout the region.
Says Farmery: “Our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre has already established an enviable reputation world-wide… Such facilities will continue to benefit Yorkshire and Humber by developing processes that will allow us to stay at the forefront of global industry.”
The AMRC was established five years ago with support from Yorkshire Forward and the DTI, and now includes partners like Boeing, Rolls Royce, Smith Industries and Messier Dowty. It has developed new manufacturing techniques that have resulted in a performance step change and bringing commercial orders into the region.
