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Aero-engine discs are complex to manufacture due to the exotic alloys required to withstand stress and temperature. Researchers at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) have devised a methodology for optimising the machining of the discs leading to a [text removed for publication] reduction in production time and [text removed for publication]. The availability of these methods has had a direct impact on the business case for a new Rolls-Royce factory in Gateshead, contributing to their decision to invest. [text removed for publication]
SNA Europe is an international company employing 2,500 people in 20 countries. The Unit's research on the mechanics of metal removal and coating techniques had an impact on the company's product design, product performance and the manufacturing process. The benefits to SNA Europe since 2008 include:
The UltraMill machine was developed at Brunel University in 2008, in collaboration with Ultra Precision Motion (UPM) Ltd, to help support UK and European manufacturing SMEs in high value manufacturing sectors, particularly in ultra-precision and micro manufacturing. The machine has a novel design and the sub-systems and machine elements have a number of technological innovations. Two international patents have been granted to protect the IP within the machine. A surface roughness of 4-6 nm was micro-milled on non-ferrous metal components by the UltraMill in 2008, which at the time was the finest engineering surface achieved by ultra-precision micro-milling in the world.
A licence agreement was signed with ITP Group (UK) in 2012 for the commercial production of the UltraMill. This was ITP's first entry into the high-precision milling market. ITP realigned their production systems to begin manufacturing the UltraMill in late 2012 and have manufactured 3 machines to date.
Contour Fine Tooling, which leads the worldwide market in the field of diamond cutting tools, was inspired by the UltraMill, and developed the first diamond micro-milling tool in the world. The UltraMill was used to test the tool's capabilities and feasibility; the new tool has since been successfully sold. It is now being used to manufacture a number of high-value products. In particular it is used by Apple to produce the bevelled edges of the iPhone 5S. Apple currently manufactures 150,000 iPhone 5S units per day.
Research into vibration damping has had a major economic and operational impact on Rolls- Royce resulting in a new design for [text removed for publication] engines used on [text removed for publication] wide body airliners. This has saved [text removed for publication] engine refit costs. The team has also designed a particle damper to reduce vibrations and significantly increase the life of the fuel system [text removed for publication].
Cranfield's research into ultra-precision machining and production science has led to new production machines, and to commercial availability of advanced optical surfaces, at a level of accuracy previously impossible. Cranfield's industrial clients have won contracts for advanced surface production worth >£5 million in under five years. Cranfield made:
Research by the University of Huddersfield has produced an in-depth understanding of the factors that contribute to machine tool inaccuracy. This has led to predictive methods for assessing the capability of machines to produce specific components and the development of a low-cost electronic compensation system that can increase machine tool accuracy by a factor of 10, with significant cost savings for factory temperature control. A contract has been signed to market this system globally. Rapid calibration techniques have been developed, in collaboration with a UK world-leading aerospace manufacturer, reducing timescales from days to less than one hour.