Low volume production of a diverse variety of products represents a significant challenge to the high value manufacturing sector. Achieving acceptable levels of productivity and equipment utilisation whilst also ensuring consistently the requisite part quality is more challenging than in high volume production. Industrial digitalisation offers the potential to revolutionise low volume manufacturing through improved factory planning, process monitoring and control, supported by digital twins of the manufacturing plant, enabling dynamic scheduling of flexible reconfigurable production lines. In this 6 month, sprint-style Flexible Manufacturing Systems project, Open Cosmos (OC), a pioneering space SME, in collaboration with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult's Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), will investigate the potential to apply a range of Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs) to flexible low volume production. The partnership is supported by an Industrial Advisory Board with SME representation from sectors including motorsport, additive manufacturing, electronics and life-sciences sharing common challenges around low-volume manufacturing of high value, diverse products. The results of the project will have an immediate impact driving the design of a new reconfigurable manufacturing line, which is scheduled to be installed next year, enabling Open Cosmos to meet the demand for small satellites. Open Cosmos has pioneered a new end-to-end approach, based around a modular cubesat concept, with easy access through a toolkit of application software (beeApp), covering every aspect of mission planning and execution, which has driven demand from both private and public organisations, including the European Space Agency. The new manufacturing site will also allow the sharing of state-of-the-art manufacturing and test facilities. A key aspect of the innovation within this project is the application of IDTs to ensure smooth production scheduling, high levels of equipment utilisation and consistent part quality in the new facility which is critical for the success of the space industry. The knowledge from the project will be cascaded through the Industrial Advisory Board and other parties through dissemination and training activities led by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

ELF aims to develop a new UK manufacturing capability for aero engine nacelle extended lip-skins, and in supporting ATI’s strategy to secure and grow the UK’s share of the aerospace structures market, become the global market leader. The innovation behind ELF is focused on taking to market strategic Intellectual Property (IP) developed in the UK and to ensure the capability is not lost to other parts of the world.

The aim of this project is to demonstrate a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS) to support Electric Vehicle EV charging stations. The objectives are to design and build an innovative multiple vehicle FESS based fast charging station at an appropriate power and energy rating together with a innovative power electronic converter for efficient interface to the vehicles over a wide power range. Two applications will be demonstrated by initially increasing the capacity of a vehicle charging system, and the offer multiple vehicle fast charging capabilities at motorway service stations and also to demonstrate a “£/kWh” approach in offering Energy Storage services.

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CTG was first to market with composite shafts and fuel pipes. No composite manufacturer has been able to replicate CTG's success; high volume production, high quality with high customer satisfaction. The NGT WPs are the natural evolution to enable CTG to develop new manufacturing techniques to enable higher volume and lower cost manufacture in the UK, vital to secure work on new aircraft programmes. This includes the development of future state shafts which are lighter and more cost efficient than anything in the market place. CTG together with partners, will continue to lead the next generation of transmission shafts technology.

To create a UK powder supply chain optimised to facilitate increased adoption of AM for structural metal parts in the Aerospace sector. The project will allow for joint understanding and cooperation via the Aerospace Supply Chain alongside other market sector adopters. Developing, testing and recording powder in use to create control and quality standards not currently existing in the supply chain process critical to allow for the industrialisation of AM. The project will look to close gaps and market failures whilst exploiting the future demands of AM in Aerospace whilst enhancing competitiveness in the market.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is **vital** for identifying flaws such as porosity or cracks in critical components. A variety of methods are currently used (X-Ray CT, Dye Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Process Compensated Resonance Testing, Eddy Current, Thermography) but have serious limitations (difficult to implement, cannot find closed 'contact cracks' (very fine cracks where regions of the crack face are in contact or separated by only a few microns) or are too slow), severely hindering the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) in mission critical applications. The aerospace and medical sectors are beginning to integrate AM (also referred to as 3D printing) into the production of critical components. In contrast to conventional manufacturing methods, AM offers the benefits of having low material waste and the ability to create highly optimised designs in a single stage. However, these parts come with a unique range of defects and flaws which, combined with complex designs, presents challenges for all conventional NDT techniques. With this shifting manufacturing paradigm comes a **growing need** for rapid and cost-effective NDT to be delivered at-scale for AM components. This is compounded by the acknowledged general need for the creation of suitable NDT reference samples for technique validation, optimisation, and demonstration. In order to develop and certify these techniques, reference sample sets must be produced in statistically relevant quantities with **controlled,** **representative** **flaws**. Together with their expert consortium (comprising of global OEM manufacturers, AM experts and NDT specialists), **Theta Technologies** has identified the above market gaps can be addressed by their crack-seeding technology (flaw **creation** solution) which will be validated through their **RD1-TT**, a patented solution for rapid and controlled 'contact crack' **detection**, which provides turnkey nonlinear resonance NDT sentencing for both AM and conventional manufacture. The overall aim for this 21-month ATI project is to unlock AM at-scale by evidencing the capability and value of nonlinear resonance NDT in the detection of AM-specific flaw types through robust Probability-of-Detection studies.

HERMEP (Hybrid Electric Research in Machines for Efficient Propulsion) is a nationally significant aviation research opportunity, addressing decarbonisation and efficiency of the future global airliner fleet. The project will develop the energy systems and equipment to enable the Intensive Electrical Hybridisation concept for large aircraft engines. Today, such aircraft carry the most passengers for the longest distances, and it is only by decarbonisation or efficiency improvements of this global fleet that the dial can be moved to achieve future sustainability targets. Safran is the Global No 2 for conventional technology electrical generators for aircraft, with its engineering, manufacturing and repair/overhaul facility located in Buckinghamshire, and served by a predominantly UK supply chain. Safran is also prominent on new technology electrical machines for Advanced Air Mobility and Hybridisation systems for large aircraft. Significant investment in airliner propulsion is being led by its sister company Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE), and in the UK the focus is on the installation of new technology electrical machines into engines to exchange energy dynamically and at high powers, 100s of kW, to improve the efficiency and propulsive of airliners. The target is to develop new world-class products, manufacture them in the UK, and sell them into the global fleet. Bristol, with an extensive track record in high added-value electrical machine applications, will support improvements in power density and equipment weight. Bristol will work with Safran alongside technical specialist sub-contractors and the supply chain to make future products smaller and more powerful. Strathclyde and Cambridge will work with Safran to build a modelling capability, to analyse and understand the flow of energy from fuel combustion, driving engine propulsion, mechanical inputs into Safran's generators, and then onto the engine's own electrical power network, allowing dynamic controls to enhance the performance and efficiency. Strathclyde and Cambridge both have world-class track records in their respective thermal/mechanical and electrical network research domains. WMG and MTC will also collaborate on HERMEP. They have an extensive track record working jointly on industrialisation, automation and manufacturing process technologies on electrical machines for decarbonised and sustainable transport applications. Their focus here will be to research key industrialisation topics that are pivotal for product performance in the eye-wateringly harsh environment inside a jet engine. Together these collaborative partners will establish a unique and world-class research base to support UK aero industry going forward on Hybridisation technologies.

Urban Ascent will outline how UK cities can get ready for and embrace the upcoming generation of air mobility services, such as electric air taxis and drone deliveries. This project will create a roadmap for scalable operations, regulations, and infrastructure that will enable the safe and sustainable integration of drones and eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) into daily urban life, with a particular focus on Coventry and the West Midlands. Coventry University, Skyfarer, Altitude Angel, The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), and SlinkTech are among the innovative UK organisations that are part of Urban Ascent, which is led by Coventry City Council. To make sure that new aerial technologies satisfy practical needs, the project will interact with a variety of end users, including emergency services, estate managers, NHS Trusts, and logistics teams. The project will explore: * What infrastructure (such as vertiports and take-off/landing sites) is needed in cities * How safety, automation, and air traffic systems can be integrated with local planning and transport networks * How regulatory frameworks---both aviation and non-aviation---can be aligned to enable operations * What economic, environmental, and social benefits these services can deliver to the public Urban Ascent will set the groundwork for cities throughout the United Kingdom to become "drone-ready" by generating a comprehensive Concept of Operations (ConOps), an investment-grade business case, and a proven infrastructure framework. A technological demonstration in the real world will also be part of the project, showcasing SlinkTech's automated PORTAL system for drone and eVTOL landing safety. Urban Ascent expands on Coventry's demonstrated history of advancing transport innovation, which includes the first eVTOL hub demonstration in the UK and the first medical drone delivery trials. Technical know-how in engineering design, public sector integration, and unmanned traffic management underpins it. The project's results will be disseminated across the country, assisting in the formation of public policy, directing upcoming investments, and empowering the UK to take the lead in the creation and application of advanced air mobility technologies. From September 2025 to March 2026, Urban Ascent, which is supported by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge, will provide innovative, inclusive, and useful solutions for air transport in our towns and cities.

Project HEIGHTS will deliver an aerospace high-temperature hydrogen fuel cell system targeting eVTOL, sub-Regional and Regional aircraft propulsion in addition to Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) markets. The project addresses the key challenge with traditional fuel cell systems -- how to keep the fuel cells at the correct operating temperature without introducing significant drag in cooling systems. In aviation particularly, minimising the heat exchanger size is critical to reduce mass and drag, and to optimise overall efficiency. IE's patented direct water injection technology (Evaporative Cooling -- EC), utilises air cooled condensers with 20-30% smaller frontal area compared to competitor liquid glycol radiators. In project HEIGHTS, IE will enhance this novel cooling approach to unlock a further 30-40% reduction in heat exchanger size. The innovative High Temperature Heat Rejection System (HTHRS) introduces a compressor into the cooling circuit to achieve a condenser hot-side inlet temperature of up to 120degC, while the fuel cell still operates at 80degC. Coupling the HTHRS with IE's patented stack, drives reductions in system size, mass and drag, which unlocks a viable technical route to power dense zero emission aircraft propulsion. HEIGHTS pulls together a UK-based consortium of academia and technology leaders within their respective fields to address these challenges and deliver this next-generation fuel cell system for aviation. The consortium is further strengthened by academic research contributing towards the development of cutting-edge fuel cell health monitoring techniques and the provision of a state-of-the-art aerospace test facility for test and validation. IE and the consortium have the ambition to be a technology leader in zero emission flight, and a leading supplier into this nascent industry.

**Colourants** make up the dyes, pigments and coatings that are found in almost every part of our homes and daily lives. This massive, £38bn global industry touches on a wide range of products, including cosmetics, textiles, paints, and packaging, but comes at an **extraordinary social and environmental cost**. Produced using a wide range of mined metals, minerals, synthetic microplastics and petrochemical products, colourants are associated with huge greenhouse gas emissions (up to **27 kg CO2e / kg of synthetic dye**), destructive and unethical mining practices, and cause **long-term damage** to the environment, biodiversity and human health. Many colourants are **impossible to recycle**, take hundreds of years to biodegrade, and cannot be sourced renewably. In short, **_many would simply never have been approved for sale if invented today_.** Inspired by the physical principles responsible for some of nature's most vivid colours, and spun out of **world-leading research** at the University of Cambridge, Sparxell has developed the **world's first plant-based, bio-inspired colourants** to rival the performance of today's state-of-the-art. Our **multi-award winning, patent-protected technology** transforms fully renewable natural cellulose feedstocks into a near limitless range of vivid, lustrous and long-lasting pigments and foils. These are **100% safe, biodegradable, petrochemical-free**, and have a carbon footprint at least **85% lower** than synthetic alternatives. The packaging sector's transition to sustainable alternatives offers a massive opportunity for plant-based colourants in a global paper packaging market worth £265bn. In partnership with the UKs **Manufacturing Technology Centre** and **Pulpex** (a world-class innovator in sustainable paper-based packaging), this project will develop new methods for production, and will demonstrate the viable application of fully sustainable, bio-derived Sparxell pigments, foils and inks to a range of sustainable packaging materials. Engagement of major global brands as end-users will accelerate our route-to-market, positioning the UK as a leader in the new circular bioeconomy.

The Healthcare Technology and Medical Technology sectors are currently worth £17billion per annum to the UK, and with the ageing population and poor health following the pandemic, are projected to grow to £21billion per annum by 2027. However, the relatively high levels of regulation in these sectors, can make it slow and expensive for new companies to bring their technologies to the UK market, something that has hindered growth comparative to other global competitors. The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) unites key players across the region (universities, hospitals, industry and government-funded 'Catapults' for manufacturing innovation) to address these problems by creating a supportive environment to accelerate new technologies towards commercialisation. The partners will continue to run a centrally coordinated series of activities that will help companies to navigate "pinch-points" in the process of medical translation. Our identified work packages include diagnosis of company needs, which will also incorporate as part of the extension, seeking further opportunities for the businesses beyond the partnership through engagement forums, demonstrating how the work of the consortium partners has furthered the development of these innovations; definition of NHS or corporate challenges to respond to; development and refinement of prototype products or services; deployment of innovation in real-world NHS settings; diversification of cross-sectoral collaborations; and demonstration of economic benefit for our interventions. Together, this creates a cluster of commercial activity in this sector, helping to drive regional economic growth and enhance resilience. It will also ensure that local patients will benefit first from new medical technologies targeted at reducing significant regional healthcare inequalities. The WMHTIA will also provide a national focus for the development and deployment of new healthcare technologies, growing a vibrant and self-sustaining cluster of activity centred in the new Precision Healthcare Technology Accelerator, leveraging major recent private investment alongside significant regional assets to attract and support medical innovators. The WMHTIA will place the West Midlands at the forefront of UK medical innovation by supercharging a cluster of activity in the Greater Birmingham area with strong regional and national links. It will boost economic activity within the region, attracting up to £80-100million in additional private investment by 2026/27. It will also facilitate the transformation of the delivery of healthcare by creating a strong focus on the development of new digitally-enabled innovations, providing strong secondary care proof-of-principle with associated pilot work in community and primary care.

The current landscape of regulation and standards governing UK agri-robotics is complex, fragmented and opaque, which reduces confidence and slows innovation, adoption, investment and scaling. Following consultation and engagement in our Regulatory Science and Innovation Network (RSIN) Discovery Phase project, we will establish the UK Agri-Robotics Regulatory Network (ARRNet) which focuses on unique challenges of the agri-robotics sector: in-field, outdoor settings with unpredictable and uncontrollable factors (e.g. weather and terrain) and a diverse cross-section of autonomy levels, spanning teleoperated and fully autonomous field robots. This network will become a trusted partner to regulators, policymakers, researchers and industry (from robotics developers to farmer end-users), delivering evidence to support progressive regulation, building cohesion to develop and champion industry standards, and supporting businesses through demonstration of regulatory compliance testing and training accreditation. Led by the UK Agri-Tech Centre (UKATC), with partners University of Lincoln, Harper Adams University and the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the consortium is uniquely placed to provide deep agricultural robotics domain expertise and capabilities, as well as broad cross-sectoral robotics knowledge, experience and implementation, spanning national and international regions, farming cultures and practices. The Discovery Phase project secured support from a wide cross-section of agri-robotics developers, farmers and growers, agricultural machinery sector, and allied sectors. These views have guided the focus of this Implementation Phase proposal to ensure the network addresses industry need. In addition, input from the 2022 National Agri-Robotics Proving Ground feasibility study (supported by SBRI and Innovate UK), led by University of Lincoln and in collaboration with Agri-EPI Centre (now UKATC), provides further evidence to support the directions and solutions proposed here. The partners have strong existing relationships with many key players in the regulatory, standards and policy ecosystem including DSIT, Defra, BSI, HSE, and key industry stakeholders including Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA), Institute of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), comprehensive links with agri-robotics SMEs, and international organisations including American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Western Growers Association, the agri-robotics forum FIRA, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This, in addition to foundations built in the Discovery Phase, will ensure the network makes a strong start to its 12-month funded period, and achieves financial sustainability thereafter through a range of unique member services.

The aim of this project is to provide more efficient and accurate solutions for the semiconductor test industry by designing, developing, and demonstrating next-generation high-density vertical MEMS probe card (HD-VPC), that meet the accuracy and precision requirements of high-performance semiconductor products. By developing and applying this new probe card, the project seeks to further advance the global semiconductor industry. The HD-VPC probe cards will consist of four components: probes, multi-layer IC/PCB substrate or circuit extender, space transformer and a probe card guide plate. The UK-based work will focus on the fabrication of the probe card guide plate, made up of ceramic material, through precision laser cutting and drilling processes. Laser cutting will be used to produce the guide plate substrate to the required size, followed by the drilling of high-precision holes over the guide plate for the probes. The probes, made from multi-alloy materials, will offer improved wear resistance and electrical conductivity. The assembled probe cards will undergo high-frequency electrical characteristics testing, mechanical strength testing, and long-term reliability assessments to ensure their performance and reliability. This project represents a significant leap forward in probe card technology, addressing current limitations and setting new standards for size, precision, and scalability in the semiconductor industry. By improving the overall performance and reliability of probe cards, it will lead to more efficient and accurate semiconductor testing. Through fostering innovation across design, manufacturing, and assembly of HD-VPC, this project will enable the production of advanced semiconductor devices, driving economic growth and establishing the UK as a leader in high-value semiconductor component manufacturing. Additionally, it will make the UK a key supply chain player in the global vertical probe card market, estimated to be $2.2 billion in 2027 with expected growth at a CAGR of 8.8%.

DEMO will reduce cost, improve sustainability and generate significant value by recovering critical raw materials (Ni, Cu, LiOH, Co(OH)2, MnO2) from lithium battery waste. The project will result in Renewable Metals Ltd (RM) demonstrating a 1,000tonne/year plant in the West Midlands which will grow to a fully commercial plant within 2 years. RM have developed a novel, alkali-based hydromet process which produces 25% more lithium(\>95% recovery of all critical materials), handles all major LiB chemistries recycled together in the same process, has more than 45% lower OPEX and more than 30% lower CAPEX compared to first generation acid-leaching.

There is significant global demand for improved battery performance across a wide range of applications, including transportation and grid storage. Solid State Electrolyte (SSE) technology will revolutionise battery performance, offering high energy density, faster charging, increased cell durability and enhanced safety. SSE battery systems are being developed globally, however they generally rely on lithium, an expensive and difficult to source material, which causes significant environmental damage during its production. Sodium Beta Alumina (SBA) electrolytes produced from widely available, low-cost materials, are environmentally sustainable and safe. These electrolytes are used in commercial high temperature battery systems like Na/S. Their use in room temperature applications is limited, as to counterbalance the lower ionic conductivity at room temperature, very thin electrolytes are needed, which are extremely brittle. Development of ultra-thin solid electrolytes with desired characteristics will be exploited in the AMSEL project to produce a reliable, scalable process which can be successfully commercialised. This project brings together a consortium of world leading organisations with key complementary expertise. From Germany: the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) has significant capability in high performance ceramic battery material development and Rösler-CeramInno a medium-sized company specialising in the manufacture of high performance ceramic powders. From the UK: the Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (AM-COE) an innovative SME who has developed novel ceramics AM technology and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) home to the UK's National Centre for Additive Manufacturing. The partners will develop and prove a new manufacturing route for solid state electrolyte batteries using a combination of novel materials and advanced manufacturing processes. This is only possible through this groundbreaking international collaboration. The innovation, research activity and exploitation, including the potential for IP generation, are evenly shared between the UK and Germany. As well as the economic benefits, the development of more effective battery technology, particularly for grid storage applications, will support the widespread deployment of green energy solutions helping the UK and Germany meet critical net-zero targets.

THOR (Techno-economical Hydrogen Optimised Renewable-Fuels Project) brings together game-changing innovation in electrolysis from the UK and a burgeoning market opportunity for renewable methanol in Australia. Demand is driven by the requirement for green molecules globally, the marine sector's push to methanol and Australia's abundance of renewable resources. HAMR is methanol project developer and has existing methanol projects in the state of Victoria and an MoU established with global maritime player, Maersk, and the Port of Melbourne. Green hydrogen from water electrolysis can be reacted with CO2 air, industry or biomass to produce renewable methanol. Scaled technologies are available today, however the economics remain unfavourable to offtakers of commercial projects due to the high costs for high pressure green hydrogen production. Supercritical's innovative technology delivers ultra-high system efficiencies and hydrogen delivery pressures. It is predicted that the renewable methanol plants could benefit significantly from the low-cost, high-pressure green hydrogen delivery.

REPLENISH will develop a portfolio of maintenance, repair, inspection, sensing, and digital twinning techniques predominately to support Rolls-Royce's civil fleet through improved time on-wing and reduced in-shop costs. Rolls-Royce will lead the programme supported by the following best-in-class UK organisations: Clifton Photonics, BJR Systems, AddQual, i3D Robotics, MTC, and Universities of Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester, and Southampton. The collaboration will develop, mature, test, verify, and demonstrate cutting-edge aftermarket servicing technologies including custom in-field robotics, adaptive-additive repairs, more-automated component inspection, novel on-engine health sensors, and Machine Learning methods for rapid decision making. Alongside underpinning more sustainable aftermarket care of Rolls-Royce's current aerospace fleet, initial development of servicing approaches for future architectures is planned.

**D**igitally **E**nabled **C**ompetitive and **S**ustainable **A**dditive **M**anufacturing (**DECSAM**) aims to **boost adoption of Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing** (L-PBF AM). With a cohesive and aligned vision the **world leading consortium** aims to validate a step change enabling L-PBF AM to be **cost-competitive** and **sustainable**. L-PBF AM has demonstrated huge potential in the aerospace industry, with heavy investments witnessed globally over the last decade. However, a wider industrial uptake of AM is hindered primarily by the Performance, Productivity, and Scalability of the technology meaning it is not cost competitive or sustainable. DECSAM takes a systematic and holistic approach bringing together the UK's leading AM organisations to collaboratively address these pain points hindering L-PBF AM uptake.

"Transform-ER" (Transform. Engage. Retrofit) brings together an experienced and diverse consortium to tackle multiple barriers to retrofitting homes. The vast majority of the UK's existing housing stock will still be present by 2050 and therefore must comply with Net Zero 2050 legislative objectives. The current retrofit market in the UK has insufficient depth of capacity and breadth of capability to satisfy the need of retrofitting over 1 million homes per year, to achieve this. Hence a transformational approach is required, which will leverage the best aggregated learning from multiple, key stakeholder representatives (the consortia), a plethora of prior projects, and an enhanced level of coordination and structure. In tandem, Transform-ER will embrace the migration towards offsite construction, the adoption of Modern Methods and take the best learning from other manufacturing-led sectors to apply to the retrofit market. The project will realise systemic change to enable rapid deployment of high quality retrofit solutions, targeting delivery of 1m homes per year by 2030\. Transform-ER adopts the Product Platform Rulebook's 'Demand, Develop, Deploy' structure to envisage our future retrofit system. Efforts across each of these work packages will come together, creating the following benefits: * Better data on portfolios and projects, reducing risk and enabling visibility of pipelines * Clear interoperability rules for new products, enabling kits of parts to be brought together * Routes to market for existing and new verified solutions, with a streamlined and simplified accreditation route * A product database and procurement platform, which uses data to create a competitive market place for offsite products alongside traditional * A new approach to contracting for delivery, based on the Heathrow Terminal 5 model, which incentivises collaboration to achieve completion on time and to budget, through innovative profit structure. * A culture change programme which enables organisations to adopt a more collaborative approach. * A finance and insurance supported vehicle for delivery of retrofit. All of the new approaches will be underpinned by an end-to-end data platform, enabled by a set of guidelines to enhance the structure, control and consistency of retrofit delivery, in association with a fair and equitable market vehicle - a Community Interest Company. A Retrofit Rulebook will be developed which will write up the activities in the project as case studies, and set out clear guidance for other industry actors, and those wishing to join the retrofit revolution.

Shoreside Power from Optimised Hydrogen Lifecycle (SPOHL) is an ultra-efficient, zero-emission system for cold-ironing with long-duration, bulk energy storage to balance the seasonal variation in renewable energy systems. This enables it to be an entirely stand-alone system with no need for a grid-connection. It brings together novel technologies that cover the entire Hydrogen value chain from production to end use. A solar PV system (Cranfield) provides power for vessels to cold-iron when at berth. During long periods when supply exceeds demand, surplus electricity is fed through a high-efficiency (99%) DC-DC converter (Hywaves) to an electrolyser which produces hydrogen which is fed to low-cost, 2-stage, multi-organic-framework (MOF)-enabled storage (Rux). During long periods when demand exceeds supply hydrogen is supplied to a high-efficiency (70% brake thermal efficiency) internal combustion engine-based generator (Carnot) which provides the electricity for cold-ironing. A small-scale, high C-rating battery is also incorporated in the for managing sudden load changes / peak shaving. The project targets the specific themes of "shoreside storage and bunkering of low and zero carbon fuel" and "charging infrastructure and management for electric vessels", "shore power solutions, such as enabling docked vessels to turn off their conventional power supply for ancillary systems", "shoreside renewable energy generation at the port to supply vessels", and "low carbon fuel production, such as hydrogen, methanol, ammonia". This project will solve critical challenges of providing flexible, reliable, resilient, highly-varying electrical power supply to docked vessels, replacing power generation through operation of onboard auxiliary engines. The project aims to showcase the best possible end-to-end electrical and cost efficiency basis for the use of hydrogen as a medium to long-term energy flow pathway, in part through lab demonstration of best-in-class hydrogen production, storage and conversion technologies (as above) but also through analysis and optimisation of potential energy flow scenarios underpinned by data collection at a number of ports (including but not limited to Belfast, Felixstowe, Rochester). In order to support the commercial justification for SPOHL Swanbarton, Brunel, Carisbrooke and Freeport East (plus ports and port authorities) will collect & collate data, build a representative port model and optimise across energy vectors to achieve low carbon operation of shoreside assets, with SPOHL at core, harnessing on-site renewable generation from multiple sources (wind, solar, fuel cells). The modelled system will comprise storage facilities for electrical energy and hydrogen, and operation will be optimised alongside energy inputs from grid connections and external green hydrogen sources.

Demand for Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) is growing exponentially (6-fold increase expected in the next 5 years) due to shift in electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage solutions (ESS) markets. However, scaling up battery cell production is extremely difficult, time-intensive, and wasteful (with manufacturing scrap as high as 30% are typically encountered in new production lines). Consequently, tighter quality control and industrial standards are critical for moving forward and achieving a truly sustainable/circular battery economy. This proposal provides Hy-Met, a midlands based deep-tech instrumentation start-up, a route to field trial their disruptive inspection solution "ACT-SYS" (i.e., sensor, electronics, and software combination) that they have developed recently to provide real-time intelligence into battery cell production process (during manufacture, assembly, and end-of-line) enabling complete traceability in cell fabrication and huge waste reduction in gigafactories. This is data that would normally not be available to production lines and furthermore provides a real-time inline cell quality tracking capability. This project brings together three key partners (Hy-Met, MTC, & UKBIC) for the first time to collaborate on this feasibility study to identify key bottlenecks in battery manufacturing process where adequate monitoring/control measures are currently lacking and propose a breakthrough multi-point 100% cell inspection technique. With the help of MTC, Hy-Met will build this novel sensing solution (based on their existing hyper metrology platform). Hy-Met will also attempt to build fully functional minimum viable prototype(s) that could be tested in laboratory conditions and validated by UKBIC and international advisory board for both technical viability of the proposed ACT-SYS solution and its wider impact.

ALG will develop and combine new designs, methodologies and technologies to accelerate and catalyse benefits for current and next generation of landing gears. A streamlined and rationalised product and assembly process will be developed alongside the MTC, SMI and Sheffield University. Design methodologies and certification approaches with Bristol and Cranfield University. Innovative technology, such as Electron Beam Welding working with TWI and Birmingham University, additive manufacturing with Industrial suppliers, and super lightweight MMC structures with TISICS. Technologies will be incorporated into a 'FLAGSHIP' physical demonstration that will allow our internal and external customers, and industry to understand the art of the possible.

Thanks to emerging materials and digital technologies, the product design space is larger than ever. Despite this, EU manufacturers are struggling to innovate, with traditional tools presenting a major bottleneck. Existing machining tools were designed for a more stable world, when a single process flow would remain unchanged for years. To increase competitiveness and respond to new opportunities, the manufacturing industry now needs customisable tools, applicable to multiple processes, and rapidly reconfigurable in response to changing needs. FLASH is an industry driven project, led by global manufacturing leader PRIMA and supported by 6 large enterprises, 6 innovative SMEs, 2 Universities, 2 RTOs, and a manufacturing association, EWF, that represents >55k companies globally. FLASH will leverage the benefits of laser-based manufacturing, which is more flexible, more amenable to digital control, and generates less waste than traditional mechanical/chemical/thermal processes. Whilst state of the art laser-based machines are optimised for a single application, FLASH will develop a flexible platform with three built-in laser sources, allowing multi-wavelength emission, over a broad pulse length regime with dynamic beam shaping, in a flexible robotic/CNC cell with three different beam delivery heads. The result will be a futureproof system capable of at least 10 macro and micro production processes over all major material types, designed to enable flexible and customisable manufacturing of rapidly evolving products for a range of industries. The benefits of FLASH will be industrially demonstrated in the automotive (car cross beam), medical (hip implant), e-mobility (electric motor hairpins) and tooling (micro drills, super abrasive grinding wheels) industries, where significant process-time, -cost and -energy savings are expected, alongside unlocking product benefits through design modifications and material substitutions not possible using existing technologies.

The global battery market is forecast to grow by 20% PA to 2030, reaching $360bn, requiring 1.3TWh of annual manufacturing capacity. Rapid ramp-up of manufacturing capacity will be driven by higher-capacity cells, higher-throughput equipment and opening new factories. Installation of gigafactories within Europe and the US is expected to accelerate over the next few years, as the regions play catch-up with Asia. Current supply chain for battery manufacturing equipment is predominantly in Asia with a few high-spec suppliers in central Europe. The battery manufacturing equipment market is estimated to be $30bn globally by 2030 with a CAGR of \>30%. This project will enable an existing UK manufacturer of high-spec equipment, with a proven track record in the motorsport sector, KW Special Projects (KWSP), to pivot into this lucrative new market by building a first-off R2R cell singulation machine using state-of-the-art lase technology. During cell manufacture electrodes are formed on rolls of thin-metallic current collectors before being singulated into the desired size and shape, processes called cutting and notching. Typically singulation is done either by die-cutting or laser. Die-cutting struggles with thin foils, <20µm, required for increased volumetric/gravimetric performance. Die cutting also suffers from tool-wear over time which impacts quality. Laser is contactless and flexible, enabling thinner foils and allowing digital control of cell design however it is typically slower than die-cutting and can struggle to singulate cathodes without impacting performance. This project will design, develop, build and demonstrate a prototype roll-to-roll laser tool for cutting and notching electrode foils at high-speed while maintaining performance. Within the project, the MTC will prototype a novel dual-laser cutting and notching head and explore it's use for emerging processes enabling higher capacity and charge-rate. The laser head will be integrated by KWSP who will design and build the equipment. KWSP will also develop improved machine-vision based alignment and automated stacking. The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) will be the end-user and test bed for the developed equipment unlocking greater design flexibility in their pilot line and allowing the consortium to demonstrate the equipment at an industrially relevant scale. The project will improve UK supply chain for battery manufacturing equipment, giving KWSP a state-of-the-art offering to sell into gigafactories in the UK, Europe and the US, with projected sales of £10-50M in the first 3-years and creating up to 40 new highly-skilled jobs.

Avocet Battery Materials Ltd (ABM), Europe's first commercial producer of cell tabs for lithium-ion pouch cells, is developing a new laser-processing method for treating aluminium (Al), copper (Cu) and/or nickel-plated copper (NiCu) for use in their tab product. The current method uses a Cr-based surface treatment, which is banned for use in Europe under RoHS. ABM has partnered with The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to develop a conversion layer at the surface of the metal substrate using a laser process. The new laser process provides reliable bonding of the polypropylene to the tab, which is crucial for the performance of the cell. The project will focus on optimising the laser process and developing a high-throughput manufacturing process to validate applicability to commercial scale production. The ultimate goal of the project is to replace the current Cr-based surface treatment method, which is environmentally harmful, with a more sustainable, reliable and cost-effective laser processing method and therefore on-shoring of the supply chain for tab manufacture to the UK from Asia. The environmental impact of on-shoring the supply chain will result in a decrease of CO2 emissions caused directly from freight of material and tabs around the world from APAC countries. The development of this technology will benefit the UK battery manufacturing industry by providing a domestically-produced, environmentally-friendly and commercially unique alternative to the current method, enhancing the country's competitiveness in the global market. The Faraday Battery Challenge R6 call is an excellent opportunity for ABM and MTC to further develop the technology and drive their accelerated route-to-market for treatment of key industrial materials that will drive the UK battery industry and future economy.

Project FLORABOT develops digital and automation technologies for flower packing factories to overcome the industry's reliance on seasonal migrant labor from the EU. The project aims to maximize production efficiency, and develop flexible automation solutions for bouquet-making operations. Collaboration with the MTC enables scaling developments to other sectors beyond the project's timescales.

**AdCast** is a radical approach to reduce the loss of high-value metal-cast products in two key areas: in the foundry and in the field. 5% of castings are scrapped as unrepairable, due to defects, generating thousands of tonnes scrap globally per year. A further 20% of defective castings are re-heated and manually repaired using large amounts of gas. To achieve this game-changing advance three technologies will be combined for the first time: **Directed Energy Deposition** (DED) to deposit metal repairs on challenging high-chrome cast substrates. **Metal wire feedstock for DED,** optimised for the repair of high chrome-content white iron castings, notoriously hard and difficult to repair. **AI-assisted** **software.** 3D scanning will compare defect to nominal CAD shape and automatically generate the 3D additive weld path and calibrate to the target casting location. This **Additive Repair (AdR)** approach will change the repair of high-specification cast structures (in the foundry and in the field) from a risky, resource-intensive operation **taking days** of oven heating and manual labour with variable results and poor financial viability, to an intelligent, self-improving and efficient operation **taking hours**, requiring no pre-heating. The presence of industry experts is key: * Weir Minerals, a global manufacturing company, with drive to improve sustainability and resource efficiency by reducing foundry scrap and offering repair/refurbishment services. * AiBuild has AI-based CNC simulation and analysis tools adapted to DED operations that will be leveraged to provide rapid repair calibration and automated repair routines. * MTC has advanced laser-based AM systems with skills in real-time monitoring and inspection to optimise quality and speed. By providing the technology for refurbishment and repair cells globally, AdCast will significantly impact global resource efficiency and benefit UK plc by the export of a world-leading products and services.

Wiring is the unglamorous part of a product that connects everything together and makes it work, and it is one of the last parts of the manufacturing process that is still largely done by hand. It is a labour-intensive and costly process that is prone to error. Harnesses are laid up and terminated on pin-boards, by skilled workers, often in low-wage economies. They are then packaged and shipped to the OEM where they are assembled into the product, again by hand. If these two processes could be automated, it would double productivity and reduce the cost of manufacture, making it possible to onshore, reducing the complexity of the supply chain and improving resilience. Q5D has created a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) of the robotic tool, it consists of a 2.5 tonne manufacturing cell, which is able to utilities three technologies, via interchangeable end-effectors: \* Additive manufacture via polymer deposition \* The deposition and termination of wire \* The deposition of conductive ink and the laser sintering and shaping of this ink All three processes can be performed on the complex shaped surfaces. By carefully positioning the terminations (plugs) so that they connect when the components are assembled, the whole manufacturing process can be automated. It is additive manufacture for electrical function but, unlike conventional additive manufacture, it is competing with a manual process making it cost competitive even at scale. The hardware is innovative and powerful, but its full function is currently only possible when used in conjunction with sophisticated software. There are 3 linked layers of software required: Machine control, User Interface (UI) and CAD/CAM. The machine control and UI are developed in-house by Q5D. Post processors to the Siemens NX CAD/CAM software have been written by OnePLM to create a digital twin of the hardware and create the machine code needed to control it from CAD designs. The software is functional and highly experienced CAD/CAM engineers can use it. However, it is still low TRL and the workflow from design to manufacture requires simplification and the interfaces need to be made more accessible before it can be released to non-expert customers. This project focuses on the further development of the software to the point where it can be successfully deployed at the Manufacturing Technology Centre and work on project supplied by end-user companies.

Project Pure CuRE (Pure Copper Resource Efficiency) is an ambitious and innovative c£1M project that aims to develop a UK-based manufacturing supply chain for recycling waste copper and converting it into high purity copper powder feedstock for high value applications. The project addresses the challenge of impurities in copper waste, resulting in down grading of material properties. This project will develop a large-scale refining process so that the copper can be converted into high purity feedstock with similar properties of copper manufactured from virgin sources. This high purity metal can be used in applications, where high purity copper is required, such as civil nuclear and fusion energy components, enabling the reduction of emissions from energy generation. The project also addresses the lack of copper supply within the UK by developing a circular process which means waste copper can be converted into high value sustainable feedstock without it needing to leave the UK. The project is a collaboration between Aeramine, an SME with innovative metal refining technology, Phoenix Scientific Industries Ltd, a specialist in vacuum-inert gas atomisation for the production of high quality metal powders, and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre, Manufacturing Technology Centre, who bring expertise on powder metallurgy technology and home to the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing.

The goal of the project is development of a direct carbon utilisation technology to convert biogas and flue gases into bioethylene and techno-commercial assessment of building manufacturing capability in the UK. The project will deliver a biosynthesis technology which will convert carbon dioxide in flue gases and wastewater into chemicals such as bioethylene, without the need of carbon capture and Hydrogen, which are the two biggest cost contributors to the cost of e-fuels. The project will also deliver adoption of technical, automation and manufacturing advancements to reduce the cost of manufacturing and develop a techno-commercial assessment of building a competitive manufacturing facility in the UK. The project will be delivered in collaboration between Transformational Energy Limited and MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre). The project will accelerate the adoption of engineering biology technology to enhance the energy efficiency of carbon dioxide reduction processes, which would accelerate decarbonisation of industries as well as develop biomanufacturing capability in the UK. The project will also lead to development of highly skilled services in engineering biology sector, and export opportunity of bioreactors and associated services to countries such as EU, USA, Japan and South Korea. The cost of bioethylene produced from the engineering biology process is expected to be highly cost competitive as compared to traditional thermochemical technologies for production of e-fuels. The innovation will advance the leadership position of United Kingdom in the area of engineering biology and develop a large scale and high margin sector with significant export potential.

This innovative project that aims to automate the inspection of cladded tenanted arches without the need to remove the cladding, and to also detect sub-surface defects in the arches, which is not currently possible with current methods. The project will focus on the use of robotics devices coupled with Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and X-ray Backscatter (XBS) to build an accurate and 3D picture of the overall health of the tenanted arches. This proposal is a continuation of the successful activities between the MTC and Network Rail, the Tenanted Arches Project stream, in which GPR and XBS technologies were utilised to manually scan cladded tenanted arches within Greater London, quickly and without the need to remove or damage any cladding. In the latest stages of the project, it was possible to manually collect the required data and then quickly produce human readable information about the size and location of all relevant defects behind the cladding material. All the inspection thus far has been completed manually by operators, so this proposal will focus on fully automating the process such that it is faster and safer. The proposed project involves four main activities: defining an automation platform for robotics devices to inspect tenanted arches without cladding removal, enhancing data processing techniques to improve image quality in the NDT scans, deploying machine learning algorithms for automated defect detection and visualisation in 3D space, and conducting a proof-of-concept demonstration to showcase the integration of systems and sensors. By automating inspections, enhancing data analysis, and leveraging advanced technologies, the project aims to streamline tenanted arch inspections, increase the quality and quantity of collected information, and improve predictive maintenance scheduling. Ultimately, the project will provide a safer, faster, and more reliable inspection solution for cladded tenanted arches in railway infrastructure.

Project ELEVATION (Electric Lightweight Vehicle Platform and Digital Toolchain) is a six-partner collaborative R&D project led by Aston Martin Lagonda with Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Expert Tooling & Automation, Creative Composites, Fuzzy Logic Studio and WMG, University of Warwick. Project ELEVATION will accelerate the development of a luxury battery electric vehicle platform, enabling a route to net-zero including advanced vehicle lightweighting, an enhanced digital toolchain and bespoke electrification training.

This project aims to develop and implement an innovative laser beam welding (LBW) solution, as a robust joining technology for complex sheet-metal aeroengine fabrications, through a collaboration of specialists at ITP Aero UK (ITP), Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and University of Nottingham (UoN). Laser beam welding produces narrow welds with a small heat affected zone, at high rates. The highly repeatable process, offering low-distortion, will be used in the short term to reduce cost associated with non-conformance. In the longer term, it is recognised that the stringent new emissions targets set by ICAO will necessitate further increases in engine temperatures, meaning higher performance, more efficient cooling systems will be needed. Design for LBW will enable increased air volumes and increased surface areas for impingement cooling. Simultaneously approaching the challenge of reducing product cost, whilst also developing capability to deliver future products to an ever-increasing set of requirements, will secure a competitive, UK-based supply chain for complex sheet-metal aeroengine fabrications.

The proposed COSMA neurofeedback system is a self-management solution but also a therapeutic system that provides a cognitive map response for each game played which includes (1) cognitive scores and (2) brain profile responses. The cognitive map produced will help the user, carer, and clinician to understand the patients' cognitive enhancement and the brain's current capacity to adapt and prevent the cognitive and psychological related issues as a secondary tool. This proposed technology is aimed at providing precision medicine for preventing dementia progression at early stages and providing quicker recovery and long-term support for post-stroke patients. The benefits of the technology are: (1) non-invasive; (2) improved mental ability for dementia/stroke patients; (3) can provide early/quick recovery treatment; (4) ensures patient's longer independence; (5) reduced reliance upon NHS and improves UK economy; and (6) will strengthen the UK as a leader in dementia and stroke research.

This is a pivotal time for UK fashion and textiles. It is essential that the sector strengthens its sustainable competitiveness, needing a fundamental change driven by industrial research and development. With the need to improve the impact of the sector on people and planet, the UK is competing on an international stage. But the prize for those who get there first is two-fold. The winner will enjoy the social and environmental benefits, but also the economic benefit of being a world leader in the provision of circular fashion and textiles. Today, over 1 million tonnes of used textiles are generated annually in the UK. An estimated 1/3 are non-rewearable textiles (NRT) which are currently being lost through export, to be sorted in lower cost labour regions, or to landfill/incineration. The **ACT project** is focused on a solution to overcome these challenges and on achieving Materials Circularity for NRT so they are collected, sorted and processed into feedstock for existing and emerging recycling processes, keeping these resources in circulation. While Product Circularity is equally important, it's widely recognised that fibre to fibre (F2F) recycling is essential for Materials Circularity, replacing the use of virgin resources, and supporting the textile industry in reaching its climate positive targets. However, the used textile supply chain is not currently equipped to supply these facilities. F2F recycling processes exist at different stages of industrialisation and will scale from 2025 onwards, with operating capacities reaching over 50,000 tonnes per annum, per plant. For the UK to benefit economically, environmentally and socially, **the used textiles supply chain is need of radical innovation and advancement. The ACT project is not starting from scratch. Nascent variations of automated sorting approaches are coming to the market from around the globe, with most of the new innovations happening in Europe including in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Spain, among others. This project will innovate, combine and advance existing and new supporting technologies to overcome the current market failure by bringing together the most relevant optical sorting technologies, robotics, conveyance and pre-processing techniques into an industrial scale process with development of an Automated Textile Sorting and Pre-processing facility (**ATSP**), solely for NRT of all types. In addition, the project will trial and integrate digital and circularity technologies and services which will be required by brands/retailers, including blockchain and transparency services, product passports and life cycle analyses for the ecosystem. The trials and learnings, from a circular systems perspective, will enable businesses to proactively prepare for new legislation. We envision the outcome from this project, and laying the foundations for a scaled ATSP facility, to unlock real commercial opportunities for all companies actively engaged in accelerating circular supply chains.

Shimmery substances including metal oxides, mined and synthetic minerals, plastics and bio-based **pigments,** are used to make our cosmetics, fabrics, paints, and packaging bright and colourful. However, they are serious offenders when it comes to ingredient toxicity, exploitive labour practices, depletion of non-renewable resources and carbon-intensive extraction, transport and manufacturing practices. Mineral pigment titanium has been recognised as **carcinogen** and banned from certain products, metal and mineral processing is **incredibly** **energy and chemical intensive** and mined mica is associated with tens of thousands of children and women working in **illegal mines** and terrible conditions. Even humble glitter and sequins, dye and pigment-coated plastic have been described as an **environmental disaster**, and even eco-friendlier alternatives combine mineral pigment with ocean-polluting microplastics. **Sparxell's** **ground-breaking technology** looked to nature to create an alternative to these widely-used ingredients. Inspired by the natural shimmering effect seen on some berries and bird feathers for instance, Sparxell's technology transforms edible **cellulose nanocrystals** into a fully biodegradable and renewable pigment. It even has the potential to be net-zero, sourced locally from waste streams. The greatest challenge for Sparxell is producing large enough amounts to satisfy the unmet needs of the industry. This project will see Sparxell move from its laboratory pilot production of 50g batches/day to a manufacturing system design capable of producing 2kg/day. By 2029, our ambition is to produce over **400,000kg/p.a.** of pigment and generate **£75m** in revenue. We are working closely with global brands who have stated that _**'this is the solution that the market has been waiting for'**_ to solve their environmental sustainability problems. With support from several of the UK's leading cosmetics and fashion brands, plus technical input from the UK's Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), this project will conduct vital R&D to overcome key technical barriers and accelerate this novel technology to market.

By 2050, the Committee on Climate Change has forecast that aviation could be the single largest contributor to UK emissions. Globally, it is predicted that aviation will contribute over 22% of all transport CO2 emissions by the same date. This trend is being driven by rapid expansion in passenger numbers, coupled with a lack of technological solutions to facilitate a move away from fossil fuels. Though COVID-19 reduced emissions in the short-term, the industry is still projected to miss its 2050 targets by an estimated 800 -- 1,400 million tons of CO2\. The most promising solution to this growing crisis is the electrification of flight. For short-to-medium haul flights there is an opportunity to develop electrified powertrains for aircraft on a timescale that could have a significant impact in reducing emissions. A key enabling technology for such powertrains will be high-power density PEM fuel cell systems. Compared to all-battery powertrains, utilising fuel cells would allow for increased flight range, heavier payloads, and quicker turn-around times. However, the power densities of current systems derived from the automotive industry are too low to make wide-scale adoption in aviation feasible. One means of increasing the power density of a fuel cell system is to reduce its mass. Approximately 40-50% of the mass of a PEM fuel cell system comes from the stack -- the part of the device responsible for converting the chemical potential energy of the fuel into electrical energy. One technology that offers unique opportunities to lightweight stack components is additive manufacturing. This project will exploit recent advances made at the MTC in producing aluminium parts from Powder Bed Fusion -- Laser Based (PBF-LB) to make a lightweight PEM fuel cell stack for aviation applications. Light-weighting will be achieved not only through exploiting the additive process to make optimised topologies, but by incorporating multi-functionality into components as well. The target will be to increase stack power density by at least 10% and reduce the overall number of components in the system.

To adopt digital discrete-event simulation and Virtual and Augmented Reality to enable real-time virtual demonstration, performance simulation and development of customer automated manufacturing systems.

Project FCDC will productionise a family of unitary DC-DC Converters for high volume production. FCDC will enable the fuel cell, battery pack and traction motor to share the HV bus with no need for a second DC-DC Converter in front of the battery. The FCDC DC-DC Converter is a state-of-the art Silicon Carbide design with an exceptionally powerful CPU capable of managing the constantly varying voltage and power demands of a dynamic system. Having a single DC-DC Converter enables major savings in terms of weight, size and cost. FCDC will radically reduce the purchase cost of the DC-DC Converter, which in turn will reduce the cost of FCEVs. This will bring forward the date at which fuel cell vehicles reach cost-parity with internal combustion equivalents. In turn, this will accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. This is especially true of heavy trucks, where Battery -Electric operation is highly problematic given the five tonnes of batteries needed by a 44-tonne HGV. FCDC enables a novel fuel cell powertrain which will provide truck operators with virtually the same payload as a diesel truck, removing the biggest barrier to adoption of zero emission trucks -- the loss of payload when converting to electric power. FCDC production will stimulate the growth of the PEMD and fuel cell supply chain.

Rolls-Royce has assembled a world-class consortium of UK industry and academia to develop the next generation of microprocessors for use in aerospace and other harsh environments. The next generation of aircraft, designed to meet net-zero targets, will require more complex, intelligent, autonomous, and connected systems, and at the heart of those software-enabled systems is the need for a cyber-secure, high-integrity processor. Microprocessor design and manufacture is complex, and typically commercial off-the-shelf automotive and general-purpose microprocessors are repurposed for aerospace. That approach has issues of obsolescence, complexity and design trade-offs that have long-term cost implications. Recent experience in the automotive industry has also demonstrated how the supply chain for off-the-shelf components can be significantly and adversely affected by global events such as COVID. Project SCHEME (Safety-Critical Harsh Environment Micro-processing Evolution) will develop a new generation of UK-native, safety critical and cyber-secure microprocessors. Developing a bespoke processor reduces design and through-life costs, ensures security of supply and provides protection from the global issues that face the semiconductor industry. The project will initially develop a control processor suitable for high-integrity control and monitoring. A manufacturing and support solution will be developed that provides better obsolescence protection than is available from off-the-shelf devices. It will also provide an associated electronics, security and software tooling infrastructure to enable the UK to strengthen its position in high-integrity avionics design and manufacturing. This project will build UK national resilience in this area and make the processor available not only to aerospace, but in other areas where systems operate in harsh environments. SCHEME will engage with the wider community to identify and pursue exploitation opportunities, including supporting potential adopters with microprocessor trials. The project will put the UK in a position to design and build the low-carbon, intelligent systems that will be critical to society in the future. The project is partly funded by the UK government agencies, BEIS, ATI, and Innovate UK. Rolls-Royce is joined by TT Electronics, Volant Autonomy, Rapita Systems, Adacore, The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Queen's University Belfast, University of Bristol, University of Sheffield, and University of York.

Greater Manchester (GM) has world class research capability in developing advanced materials and has a growing materials innovation cluster within the city region. Globally there is a gap in companies able to provide sustainable materials for manufacturing supply chains, and also a market failure in industries ability to scale up and adopt sustainable materials in manufacturing applications. This presents a major economic opportunity for GM -- and there are plans to realise this through GM Combined Authority's (GMCA's) and Rochdale Development Agency's (RDA's) development of a Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials & Sustainability (CEAMS), which will be built in Atom Valley/Rochdale. Our programme, "Supply Chain Pilots for the Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials & Sustainability (p-CEAMS)", supports GMCAs ambitions in the development of CEAMS, leveraging GM's existing strength in materials research, alongside the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult's (HVMC's) competency in building supply chain capability. Our programme: 1) Addresses current supply chain gaps in provision of sustainable advanced materials by: \*Connecting regional businesses to National supply chain needs in advanced materials including polymers, composites, biomaterials, technical textiles, coatings, and digital manufacturing of materials (Materials 4.0) \*Supporting regional businesses to develop solutions to these needs \*Demonstrating scale up AND application of new advanced materials and digital technologies in industrial processes, through collaborative pilot projects 2) Supports the development of CEAMS and ensures this becomes a long-term capability for GM by transferring activity and follow-on work into the CEAMS -- creating starter pipelines for this investment 3) Uses the activity to catalyse strategic links to inward investment, accelerating advanced materials business clustering in GM through collaborative creation of new material supply chain enterprises, and through the attraction of existing advanced material supply chain companies to GM. Our consortium, comprised of Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), University of Manchester (UoM) Institutes (Royce, GEIC, SMI Hub), National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Science and Technologies Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC), and the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will exploit existing infrastructure within GM and nationally to catalyse cross-sector and cross-supply chain collaborations, developing viable business models to ensure quality and sustainability of AdM systems that deliver innovations, revenue and productivity/GVA benefits for GM businesses and the region .

The mitigation and solution of man-made climate change has become a social necessity and an integral part of government and corporate policy. International Maritime Organization regulations stipulate that vessels must be 40% less carbon intensive by 2030 than those built in 2008\. In addition, 33 countries have legislated net zero targets by 2050 and more will follow. This corresponds to total 2030/2050 GHG emissions reductions of 380/950 MtCO2e respectively. Sea freight accounts for 90% of international trade and is the life blood of the global economy. It is therefore imperative that a technological solution is found that is not only zero-emission but also provides a cost-effective, low-impact route to decarbonising as rapidly as possible. Demand, infrastructure and production capacity must be in place for scaling to occur and the transition to take place. The maritime industry currently relies on internal combustion engines (ICEs). The problem with engines is that they are inefficient and they emit carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants when operated on fossil fuels. Engines typically waste a third of fuel energy to cooling systems which prevent metal components from failing. This experienced consortium, led by Carnot Ltd, is developing game-changing, ultra-efficient hydrogen-electric marinised powertrains consisting of ceramic engines as prime movers for generators. With key engine components manufactured from technical ceramics able to withstand fuel combustion temperatures, the third of fuel energy wasted to cooling systems is eliminated. Predicted brake thermal efficiency (BTE) is 70%, a step-change from current state-of-the-art ICEs. Carnot engines are fuel flexible, capable of operating on diesel, ammonia, hydrogen, methanol and eFuels. The demand, infrastructure and production capacity (of both fuel and engines) for Carnot engines within the maritime sector already exists. This project is to develop and run a hydrogen-fired Carnot auxiliary engine demonstrator for sea trials on board a Carisbrooke Shipping vessel over a 40-day period. It brings together a UK consortium consisting of technology developer, operator, RTO and University which, supported by a Class Society and the MCA, will be in prime position to commercialise the technology and maximise the benefits of the green industrial revolution. A shift to a hydrogen economy is underway with the UK Government committing to a significant investment of £240 million in a Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. For 130 years, ICEs have wasted a third of fuel energy to cooling systems. If the UK's 2050 net-zero emissions targets are to be met, this waste must end.

The Healthcare Technology and Medical Technology sectors are currently worth £17billion per annum to the UK, and with the ageing population and poor health following the pandemic, are projected to grow to £21billion per annum by 2027\. However, the relatively high levels of regulation in these sectors, can make it slow and expensive for new companies to bring their technologies to the UK market, something that has hindered growth comparative to other global competitors. The West Midlands '6D' Innovation Accelerator (6D-IA) will unite key players across the region (universities, hospitals, industry and government-funded 'Catapults' for manufacturing innovation) to address these problems by creating a supportive environment to accelerate new technologies towards commercialisation. The partners will run a centrally coordinated series of activities that will help companies to navigate "pinch-points" in the process of medical translation. Our '6Ds' include diagnosis of company needs; definition of NHS or corporate challenges to respond to; development and refinement of prototype products or services; deployment of innovation in real-world NHS settings; diversification of cross-sectoral collaborations; and demonstration of economic benefit for our interventions. Together, this will create a cluster of commercial activity in this sector, helping to drive regional economic growth and enhance resilience. It will also ensure that local patients will benefit first from new medical technologies targeted at reducing significant regional healthcare inequalities. The 6D-IA will also provide a national focus for the development and deployment of new healthcare technologies, growing a vibrant and self-sustaining cluster of activity centred in the new Precision Healthcare Technology Accelerator, leveraging major recent private investment alongside significant regional assets to attract and support medical innovators. The 6D-IA will place the West Midlands at the forefront of UK medical innovation by supercharging a cluster of activity in the Greater Birmingham area with strong regional and national links. It will boost economic activity within the region, attracting up to £80-100million in additional private investment by 2026/27\. It will also facilitate the transformation of the delivery of healthcare by creating a strong focus on the development of new digitally-enabled innovations, providing strong secondary care proof-of-principle with associated pilot work in community and primary care.

The UK aerospace sector needs to be at the forefront of cross-cutting enabling infrastructure and tools to support the delivery of the ultra-efficient and zero-carbon emission technologies, in a market where rate will need to double and compressing design cost and time is ever more important. Reducing the time and cost from design and production will secure UK competitiveness for a share of up to 18% of the £4.3 trillion market to 2050\. MUSIC is a bold and far-reaching project aimed at leveraging the world-leading capabilities of the UK to develop a portfolio of advanced manufacturing technologies for the growing civil large Propulsion & Power system market. Rolls-Royce are the programme lead, supported by the University of Sheffield (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre), the University of Strathclyde (Advanced Forming Research Centre), the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the University of Birmingham, the University of Nottingham and the University of Glasgow. The project will generate new manufacturing capabilities to enable new design architecture, reduce engine set value, minimise through-life cost and improve the manufacturing sustainability for application in the current Aerospace Engine fleet and future engines including UltraFan(r), with read-across opportunities to other sectors including Defence, Electrical and Power Systems. The seven MUSIC partners will develop a portfolio of machining, assembly, forging, casting and inspection techniques to reduce the cost and improve the productivity within the Rolls-Royce UK manufacturing facilities and its UK supply chain. Given how transformative these approaches will be, and the direct and spill-over benefits to the UK manufacturing and aerospace industry, the programme is considered to provide significant value for money to the UK.

A sustainable Circular Economy in the wind sector requires to solve the End of Life problematic of the Wind Turbine Blades, prioritizing environmental factors and fairly sharing the efforts to overcome the technologic, economic and social barriers among all the key actors. To this end, EoLO-HUBs will develop 3 open hubs to co-design, co-create and demonstrate new technologies, organizational structures, business models and legal recommendations to implement CE according to the needs of the different European regions. The Knowledge Hub will connect stakeholders to effectively collaborate on similar initiatives, sharing data and spilling over good practices to replicate success stories during and after the project. The other 2 hubs will build a large-scale demonstration covering the full value chain for WTB reusing and recycling from the dismantling to the valorisation in heavy composite sectors through efficient waste recycling solutions, while specific needs of EoL composites in wind technology are representing. The Onshore Hub will include the necessity of implementing a Zero-pollution and mobile system for dismantling onshore technologies without jeopardise the environment and maximising the recovering of paints and coatings as well as enabling the recyclability of chemical building blocks (solvolysis). The Multi-sectorial and Offshore Hub will include the necessity of adapting current high volume composite recycling technologies(pyrolysis) to obtain a high yield of rGF and cGF in a Zero-waste approach collaborating with other sectors as well as to demonstrate how to prepare the gateways for offshore technologies to connect to the new value chain for recycling WTB. In this way, EoLO-HUBs will create a long-term collaboration of key actors with access to relevant demonstration scenarios to ensure the recycling of almost 90% of the WTB materials, creating a circular economy that generates jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emission by 2030.

This project will undertake a technical and economic feasibility study into the demonstration of Green Technologies's Wingsail- a fixed sail wind propulsion system providing auxiliary power to a range of ship types from small 20m vessels to large cargo carriers. GT's Wingsails can reduce carbon emissions and fuel costs by 10-30% for retrofit vessels and up to 50% for new build vessels. The feasibility study will: * Undertake a market assessment to accurately determine the global greenhouse gas reduction potential of wingsail, developing a performance tool to support assessments for specific vessels. * Create a detailed and costed plan for demonstration on-vessel, planning for first prototype demonstration on a 100m vessel. * Assess the manufacturing and supply chain (for both a prototype unit and for production), to assess and demonstrate the potential for significant value to the UK. This would be done though redesign of the wing sail for manufacture, and exploration of a breakdown of the wing sail structure and components into subsystems to allow efficient export. * Developing a clear strategy for commercialising the technology to assure ship owners that any barriers to adoption can be overcome, including regulatory and operational matters. GT Green Technologies lead with over 14 years of combined experience in the commercial wind propulsion industry, providing design expertise. MTC, part of the High value Manufacturing Catapult with an established track record in delivering manufacturing and supply chain research projects, would develop the design for manufacture and development of UK supply chain. The project is supported by an advisory panel including end users, manufacturers, and technology providers.

There is a global race for the development of the next generation of EV battery technology. Batteries using solid state electrolyte (SSE), including the recently discovered garnet based Lithium Lanthanum Zirconium oxide (LLZO), have attracted significant interest due to their high energy density, increased safety and durability. Successful implementation will ultimately be determined by the ability to produce them efficiently, sustainably, cost-effectively and at scale. The CeramBatt project brings together a consortium of word leading organisation from Canada and the UK each with key complementary expertise; National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has significant capability in battery material development in Mississauga and Ottawa, The Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) is home to the UK National Centre for Additive Manufacturing. Photocentric Limited an innovative SME based in Peterborough that pioneered LCD AM technology and also manufactures photopolymer formulations and Electrovaya Inc a dynamic and rapidly growing SME based in Mississauga which develops and manufactures portable Lithium-ion batteries and battery management systems for the automotive, warehousing, autonomous guided vehicles, power grid, medical, and mobile device sector. The partners will develop and prove a new manufacturing route for SSE batteries using a novel combination of material and advanced manufacturing processes. This is only possible through this ground breaking international collaboration. As well as the economic benefits arising in UK and Canada, the development of more effective battery technology will help boost EV uptake thus helping the UK and Canadian governments to meet critical targets for zero emission transportation.

no public description

Fuel cell manufacturing scale-up is key to meeting UK Net Zero transportation obligations, encouraging domestic manufacturing and creating green-growth jobs. Fuel cell range-extenders will encourage uptake of new EVs by addressing some of the shortcomings of battery-only EVs, such as lengthy recharging times. This rare opportunity re-shores supply chains in an emerging climate technology, using UK innovation, to secure global competitiveness. Adelan's technology is both hydrogen ready and fuel flexible, enabling use of renewable hydrocarbons in the short term and green hydrogen long term, and is already demonstrated in automotive applications as auxiliary power. Battery-fuel cell hybrid systems offer key advantages compared with battery-only electric vehicles, but roll-out has been slowed by the lack of hydrogen availability. This project aligns with national climate change commitments outlined in the 'Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution' and 'UK Hydrogen Strategy' through encouraging end-use applications. It addresses serious problems identified in the UK's battery strategy by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee (2021) "1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk". Use of fuel cell range-extenders could stimulate hydrogen infrastructure and make electric vehicles more attractive for users through reducing vehicle weight, volume and costs, while easing range anxiety presented by battery-only vehicles. Anchoring a UK Midlands supply chain cluster to support this product could enable intervention in other sectors, such as aerospace, marine, remote power, and construction equipment, leading to wider social benefits. Economies of scale will drive down costs of manufacturing, centred around the automotive heart of the UK within the Midlands. This validation study examines the practicalities and cost-benefits of scaled manufacturing of a British technology, using local experts. The partners involved in the project are: Adelan: A fuel cell technology company founded in 1996, holder of key patents, know-how and IP for the proposed fuel cell range-extender. Precision Ceramics: Experts in specialist ceramic parts for industry. Alliance Procurement Solutions: Experts in sustainable supply chain management. ANT Industries: A medium-sized business helping technologists scale-up their manufacturing capability The Manufacturing Technology Centre: Specialists in integrated manufacturing solutions across a variety of engineering sectors. Validating the introduction of UK manufacturing of a commercial FC product will support British jobs and industry, develop British-owned IP, grow UK export potential and help the UK and other nations meet critical climate goals in the shortest time possible. This project is vital to meeting our growth and climate objectives.

This project will develop an application of digital technologies within wire coiling manufacturing and bed making. Harrison Spinks is the UKs leading innovator in bed and fine-wire spring manufacturing and is carbon-neutral+ accredited. Its recent innovations in ecologically advanced products and processes have reduced CO2 significantly. It now looks to drive additional innovation in data capture and harvesting from its machining processes to identify waste and improve energy and materials management. This will allow large scale take up of carbon-neutral beds and wider cushioning products, replacing foam with spring technology in several sectors. Consortium partners are Bespoke Automation Controls Solutions, with expertise in machine programming languages and the Manufacturing Technology Centre, who have deep experience in digitised factory projects. The consortium will develop a demonstrator, based on Harrison Spinks production processes. Additionally, a new tool will be developed for other manufacturers to support their take up of digitised solutions for CO2 reductions. The project will take two years and will draw on team experience and expertise in machine learning, networking and Industrial Internet of Things technologies.

Battery contact tabs form critical part in the assembly of batteries in Electric Vehicles (EV) and distributed electrical storage. The joints have strict requirements for reliability and electrical conductivity performance. This project explores multi-disciplinary work using lasers to enhance the performance and integrity of EV battery weld tabs. We aim to develop a hybrid three-step process combining surface preparation, joining and post-processing to accomplish cleaning, welding and post-peening for battery production. A novel pulsed green laser will be deployed for the cleaning and peening processes, while diode emitted high power blue laser will be used for the energy intensive welding process. The process will be automated, characterized, ranked and validated against existing welding and processing standards applied by the battery manufacturing industry. The developed process is expected to improve the performance of welded battery contacts, demonstrating higher conductivity, lower losses and improved reliability all supporting net zero waste initiative.

Printed electronics can be an enabling technology for lightweight, functional components in many applications including automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics. Although processes for forming 3D printed circuitry are available the technology has limitations on usable substrate materials. Alternative, material agnostic, processes are possible but require development for commercialisation. PRIME-3D will develop the equipment and processes required to build 3D printed components with integrated electronics using a combination of a spray-coated precursor which is subsequently, selectively, activated by laser into a seed layer for electroless plating. The thick conductors formed by plating are suitable for high frequency antenna required in the latest generation mobile phones, demonstrator phone antenna will be manufactured as part of the project.

A consortium led by Rolls-Royce, including Cranfield University, easyJet, Heathrow Airport, MTC, Reaction Engines, UCL and University of Oxford is developing gas-turbine control system technologies that will enable aircraft engines to operate on liquid hydrogen. The UK government has a 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and Jet Zero which pushes forward sustainable air travel is one of its goals. Similarly, the Aerospace Technology Institute has called on the UK aviation industry to prioritise sustainability and lead action on environmental imperatives. Transition to alternative energy sources to today's kerosene is regarded as one of the technology priorities, and hydrogen is one fuel that could power aircraft in the coming 10-15 years. Particularly, development of a hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine combustion system has been identified as a key enabler for zero carbon emission flight, as gas turbine powered aircraft currently account for 96% of today's aviation carbon emissions. Achieving this vision is far from easy. Despite the advantage of being a very clean fuel, producing almost pure water as an exhaust product, hydrogen unfortunately has a very low energy density compared to kerosene, meaning that the fuel will have to be in the form of a cryogenic liquid to enable aircraft to fly any appreciable distance. The extremely low temperature of liquid hydrogen, -253 °C, is an incredibly harsh environment for the engine components, and many technological challenges will have to be overcome to produce a hydrogen-powered gas turbine that has the same exacting requirements of quality, performance, reliability and safety as today's engines. The project, named LH2GT will develop the technologies to control and transport the fuel from the aircraft's liquid hydrogen fuel tank to the engine combustor, including cryogenic pumping, fuel metering, system thermal management, intelligent control systems and component life optimisation. Additionally, LH2GT will carry out a techno-economic analysis of the impact of the introduction of the technology to help inform component design requirements. The technology developed here will be equally applicable to fuel cell as well as gas turbine powered aircraft, which opens the possibility of further improvements in aircraft fuel efficiency in the future. Over a timescale of three years, the project will culminate in a working demonstration of the fuel system. This exciting project is jointly funded through contribution from the project partners and UK government agencies, BEIS, Innovate UK and ATI.

CervSELF brings together expertise in power electronics power modules packaging with SGA, Dynex and MTC working together to create the first UK source of Active Metal Brazed Ceramic Substrates (AMB-CS). Furthermore, with the use of the latest laser manufacturing methods, alternative processes can provide additional performance and reliability advantages over the current state of the art AMB-CS, whilst helping to remove cost and improve the impact on the environment by eliminating harsh chemicals. Targeted at the electric vehicle market the project aims to help launch SGA into the AMB-CS market providing security of supply to the UK power electronics power module manufacturers.

Meeting the increasing need of electrification for the automotive industry by the government timescales will require an increase in the safety, reliability, cost effectiveness and cyclability of EV batteries. At Reaction Engines we have developed an innovative technology that enables the passive thermal management of battery cells. The technology, called Hx LIFE Foils, is a very high thermal conductivity material that inserts itself between the cells to cool them and can be shaped and sized for most pouch, prismatic and cylindrical cells. We have demonstrated on test the following attributes: * Safety: Improve containment of thermal runaway * Low mass for high specific power and energy * High rate of heat extraction: superior heat extraction to most active cooling systems Deploying the Foils in the next generation automotive batteries will significantly improve the safety and performance of automotive EV's as well as simplifying the design and architecture of the modules and packs. Hx Life Foils have been designed to be made in very high volume at low cost to meet the demand for automotive battery packs. Previous work with the MTC has highlighted improvements in the process to reduce risks and costs. The project therefore consists in optimising the building blocks of the process and initiating a first scale up to low-medium scale production by building a pilot line that will allow production of the Foils in the 10000 units per year whilst also achieving MRL6-7\. This will allow supporting the production for prototypes and develop the learning for the next scaling up that will target high volume production (\>1M Foils per year). The consortium will be led by Reaction Engines, as the developer and manufacturer of the Foils and will include the Manufacturing technology Centre (MTC) as partner. The programme will start on 1st September 2022 and complete by end of December 2023\.

In LEAD (Low Energy Autonomous Digital) Factory we have put together a consortium containing the world's leading companies in their relevant disciplines, combining their innovation strengths to allow us to create a new method of manufacturing. This unique process will create functional plastics from plant waste, converting them into usable, functional polymers. The manufacturing process using these polymers will then not only be low energy during manufacture but be clean with no harmful emissions in gas or liquid effluent. It will be entirely controlled digitally from the creation of the object and also right through its operation. To ensure circularity in the process we have developed an innovative recovery process to gain useful elements back from the plastic at end of life. Creating parts digitally has numerous energy, productivity, and waste reduction benefits; the parts can be optimised to a greater extent as tooling is always a compromise created from the need to launch rapidly while avoiding expensive tooling modifications, there is no carbon in the tool and product can be supplied immediately in the quantity required, made near the point of need. This offers the potential of being a disruptive game-changing alternative to injection moulding. This project will design, assemble and validate a novel production line powered by 3D printers and validate its capabilities by manufacturing six very different products: glasses, figurines, electronic components, auto parts, lamp shades and dental aligners. These will be validated by leading companies in their fields. We will calculate CO2 savings for them and then be able to extrapolate these savings if widely applied to supply plastic within the UK. This project can act as a trigger for starting the next digital industrial revolution of manufacturing, again here in the UK.

Project Blue Planet II (BPII) builds on the success of project Blue Planet (BP) that, in under 2 years was able to design, develop and trial a wholly novel and world-first, autonomous platform to perform to maintain overall plant health, fruit quality and yield. As a leading British and international soft fruit producer, S&A are seeking to enhance productivity through their growing techniques and development of innovative equipment to produce even better fruit that will delight and exceed the expectations of their customers and consumer. Through developing automated technology incorporating machine vision systems, supported by the MTC and Capture Automation, they will improve crop yield and quality within their existing UK farms and translated across their international operations. BluePlanet enables a collaboration between a leading international soft fruit producer (S&A), a specialist SME, Capture Automation, and one of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres (MTC). By working with their partners in BluePlanet, S&A will accelerate and de-risk their time to market for new and innovative equipment and allow them to continue to grow and gain market share from their global competitors. Benefits to the end user / customer will be flavour and consistency of fruit whereas benefit to the farmer will be higher quality, yield quantity, growing environment and plant vigour.

ENERGY-3GBT will place the UK at the centre of next-generation power transistor production, ensuring UK industry is not impeded by global power semiconductor supply chain bottlenecks and can lead the world in improving energy-efficiency in the drive to net-zero. ENERGY-3GBT will develop, optimise and demonstrate low-cost UK-based pilot-scale manufacture of 99% efficient silicon-based third-generation bipolar transistors (3GBTs) that outperform 95%-efficient Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) and best-in-class 99% efficient Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETS) in applications requiring 10-100A, ≤1700V, ≤50 kHz switching speeds. ENERGY-3GBT initially targets replacement of IGBTs in industrial variable frequency drives (VFDs) through project partner Siemens UK. Secondary applications targeted include wind turbine power-converters, next-generation electric vehicles, rail electrification, 5G and more. Adoption of the 99% efficient 3GBT in industrial drives in the UK (accounting for about half of the manufacturing sector's delivered energy use) could save users £228.4m/year in reduced electricity costs and reduce greenhouse emissions by 440ktCO2e/year. Ultimately, replacement of IGBTs in industrial drives, renewable energy power converters, electric vehicles, rail, 5G and many more high-power products has potential to make a significant contribution to the UK's net zero ambitions.

Fuel cell manufacturing scale-up is key to meeting UK Net Zero transportation obligations, encouraging domestic manufacturing and creating jobs in a growing field. Fuel cell range extenders will encourage uptake of new EVs through addressing some of the shortcomings of battery-only EVs, such as lengthy recharging times. This rare opportunity incorporates British supply chains into an emerging clean technology, based on UK innovation, securing global competitiveness. Adelan's technology is both hydrogen ready and fuel flexible, enabling use of renewable hydrocarbons in the short term and green hydrogen long term, and is already demonstrated in automotive applications as auxiliary power. Battery-fuel cell hybrid systems offers a key advantage compared with battery-only electric vehicles, but roll-out has been slowed by the lack of hydrogen availability. This project aligns with national climate change commitments outlined in the 'Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution' and 'UK Hydrogen Strategy' through encouraging end-use applications. It addresses serious problems identified in the UK's battery strategy by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee (2021) "1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk". Use of fuel cell range extenders could stimulate hydrogen infrastructure and make electric vehicles more attractive for users through reducing vehicle weight, volume and costs, while easing range anxiety presented by battery-only vehicles. Anchoring a UK supply chain cluster to support this product could enable intervention in other sectors, such as aviation, marine, remote power, and construction equipment, leading to wider social benefits. Economies of scale will drive down costs of manufacturing, centred around the automotive heart of the UK within the Midlands. The feasibility study examines the practicalities and cost-benefits of scaled manufacturing of a British fuel cell, using local experts. The partners involved in the project are: Adelan: A fuel cell technology company founded in 1996, holder of key patents and IP for the proposed fuel cell range extender. Alliance Procurement Solutions: Experts in sustainable supply chain management. ANT Industries: A medium-sized business helping technologists scale-up their manufacturing capability. The Manufacturing Technology Centre: Specialists in integrated manufacturing solutions across a variety of engineering sectors. The success of this feasibility study and introducing manufacturing of a commercial product will support British jobs and industry, develop British-owned IP, grow UK export potential and help the UK and other nations meet critical climate goals in the shortest time possible. This project is vital to meeting our growth and climate objectives.

**Project Background** Infrastructure tunnels are usually constructed using Tunnel Boring Machine's (TBM's) which are highly automated, used for cutting through the ground, producing a tunnel lining behind the TBM. However, once the tunnel is constructed, the fitting out of the tunnel for mechanical, electrical and communication services (M&E) are traditionally installed manually in a labour intensive manner, involving the fixing of bracketry and containment to support services. This traditional process has been found to be time consuming, unproductive, costly and it exposes workers to unsafe working environments and activities, (e.g. confined spaces, hand arm vibrations, dust, etc). The need for automating M&E service installations within tunnels led to the successful feasibility project of the Automated Tunnel Robotic Installation Solution (A-TRIS), which is now ready to be developed, a prototype built and demonstrated. **Project Aims** * To build and demonstrate a robotics and artificial Intelligence (RAI) process, to automate the traditional process of (M&E) service installations within an existing or recently constructed tunnel environment. Hence, eliminating the need for humans in unsafe and hazardous working environments, improving productivity across installation activities and promoting digitisation across the industry. * To capture the effectiveness and performance of the automated system through real-time demonstrations, showcasing how A-TRIS can be utilised in all types and sizes of tunnel construction, used for road, rail transportation and energy infrastructure. **Outputs** Outputs from this project will lead to minimised health & safety issues at the workplace, reduction of overall risk to operatives and increased levels of quality assurance and productivity for tunnelling related schemes. In addition to this the following key outputs shall be demonstrated: * reduced construction plant movement. * delivery reductions. * reduced installation costs and material waste. * carbon footprint reductions. * reductions of operatives within tunnelling environments. **Focus Areas** * The main area of focus will be the demonstrations of automating the installation process of M&E services in tunnels using robotics engineering and artificial intelligence to provide industrywide improvements. * A-TRIS will identify the whole life process (design, manufacturing and installation processes) for a RAI automation solution for mechanical, electrical and communication infrastructure services in tunnels and where this innovative technology can be used in other construction sectors. **Innovation** The build and demonstration of A-TRIS will show the real-world feasibility and how the use of robotics and AI integrated with positioning surveying and visual technology, logistics engineering and software can deliver the automated positioning, installation and fixing of M&E services in tunnel environments.

In order for the UK to be carbon neutral by 2050, the country will have to widen the use of materials that provide exceptional benefits. To do this we need bold, game-changing innovations to be applied to our most energy consuming industries. This project will do just that by enabling the wider use of ceramics and thus enabling their energy saving properties to be used in the industries that use most of it. This project will enable the creation of industrial scale production, high quality Silicon Carbide parts, one of the most challenging materials to manufacture at a price that enables their widespread adoption within the Foundation Industries. Silicon Carbide is extremely hard, heat resistant (melts at 2730°C), abrasion and chemical resistant, and thermally conductive. These exceptional properties make Silicon Carbide ideal for a wide variety of applications. However, because it is also very hard it's extremely difficult to manufacture. This project will combine British inventions to create dense Silicon Carbide parts by an innovative additive manufacturing method using visible light selectively passing through LCD screen-based printers to make parts which will be subsequently infiltrated with silicon to bond with residual carbon to densify the parts to become usable dense Silicon Carbide parts. Furthermore, it will place the UK at the forefront of using novel materials that provide energy saving benefits, creating more jobs and providing technological benefits over Asian imported products. The project is led by Photocentric, with MTC as a technical partner, Kanthal as an industrial user and the Cast Metal Federation and Glass Futures as organisations who will enable its transfer through their members.

Landing-Gear Industrial Breakthroughs "I-Break" will develop and manufacture major components with innovative techniques such as powder hot isostatic pressing, additive manufacture and composites. The Landing-Gear major components; main fitting, sliding piston and actuation are drivers of the aircraft key competitiveness factors; * Development time and cost (NRC), * Recurring cost (RC) * Industrial environmental impact Manufacture has changed little over time, relying on large forgings with no UK footprint. I-Break will develop solutions to be applied on the Next-Generation and Zero Emissions aircraft ready for exploitation. Innovative industrial means are essential to secure breakthrough improvements in the key competitiveness factors.

Landing-Gear Industrial Breakthroughs "I-Break" will develop and manufacture major components with innovative techniques such as powder hot isostatic pressing, additive manufacture and composites. The Landing-Gear major components; main fitting, sliding piston and actuation are drivers of the aircraft key competitiveness factors; * Development time and cost (NRC), * Recurring cost (RC) * Industrial environmental impact Manufacture has changed little over time, relying on large forgings with no UK footprint. I-Break will develop solutions to be applied on the Next-Generation and Zero Emissions aircraft ready for exploitation. Innovative industrial means are essential to secure breakthrough improvements in the key competitiveness factors.

Public description Supply chain resilience is a widely studied topic of significant impact on our society. As organisations outsource production to one another they create economies of scale and reduce prices but also increase the risk of disruption that cascades throughout the entire supply chain if any member of the chain is disrupted. Typically, organisations act alone, rather than as an ecosystem when predicting disruptions and deciding on mitigation strategies. However, disruption data an individual organization can collect and analyse is small, imbalanced, and partial entirely to its own view. When uncertainties increase, this individualistic approach results in short-sighted decisions. Numerous studies proved that _increased data sharing_ and _collective decision-making_ would _increase resilience_, but this has not been plausible as members of the ecosystem fear that information shared can be used opportunistically by other parties. _Federated learning_ is an emerging approach in the Artificial Intelligence field that may help supply chain members collectively optimise resilience while keeping their data private. The approach enables organizational agents to collaboratively develop a shared prediction model. Here, if one organization is able to predict a disruption, its knowledge can be shared sending an early warning signal and giving companies time to respond. As the approach can be automated, costs of manual orchestration are avoided. In this project, we will develop, validate, and compare suitable federated learning models specifically for disruption prediction and collective learning in supply chains with real use cases in the aerospace and manufacturing sectors.

REVAMP (REcovery of material VAlue by reusing Metal machining waste as high-value Powder feedstock) is an ambitious project that aims at conducting a feasibility study on research collaboration between UK and India on metal waste recycling. The project addresses the challenge of recycling metal waste from machining operations, such as milling, drilling, turning and grinding, where current recycling approaches are either labour and energy intensive or deliver suboptimal material properties. The project proposes a route for reusing by which machining waste is converted into high-value powder feedstock that could be used in additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy processes to manufacture high-integrity components. This approach promises to significantly reduce energy consumption, increase recycling yield and maintain quality and performance of the resulting powder. The proposed approach faces key challenges that need to be addressed, such as optimisation of the conversion process, cleaning and minimising contamination, characterisation and reclassification of the produced powder, in addition to process scalability. REVAMP will deliver a feasibility study to explore a potential collaboration between the MTC and a number of Indian research organisations to address these challenges. The feasibility study will include a market research on metal waste recycling and reusing in India, including key research organisations and companies involved in the sector. It will also report on a capability mapping exercise, where relevant know-how and expertise both in India and the UK are identified and potential gaps are highlighted. The study will conclude with proposing potential research areas where the innovative capabilities of both parties are harnessed.

PLENUM will develop and productionise "REEcorner Technology" that will enable a radical redesign of light- and medium-sized electric commercial and MaaS vehicles. The vision is to use single wheel x-by-wire (steering, drive and braking) to remove the physical connection between the driver's controls and the wheels. This will enable traditional vehicle drive components (steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control) to be packaged into a single module located into the arch of the wheel.

Surface engineering plays a critical role in high-value manufacturing by improving product quality, performance, and life-cycle costs. Shot peening is an established surface engineering method used to impart compressive stresses into the surface layer of a part, thereby improving the durability and extending the service life. Unfortunately, shot peening is a line-of-slight process limiting its effectiveness for increasing complex engineering components, particularly those produced by additive manufacturing. The VibroPeen project a new process will be developed which is cost-effective, flexible, and readily automated, enabling high throughput of parts, including those produced by additive manufacturing, leading to rapid, widespread commercialization within key high-performance engineering sectors (including motorsport, aerospace, space sectors) as well the wider additive manufacturing user community within the next 5 years. This important development will provide a reliable, cost-effective, automated finishing process, which can be applied to a wide range of components, many of which are currently untreated. Extending their service life will yield significant economic benefits to end-users as well as increasing safety and sustainability. The project addresses the urgent requirement for UK companies to adopt higher productivity, sustainable, knowledge-intensive processes and, moreover, show global technical leadership in a post-Brexit world.

**"Human body changes shape, but prosthetic sockets don't."** Our bodies are approximately 1.5 cm shorter in the evening, compared to morning. Our feet and hands are larger in the evening. Most of us don't notice these changes because we wear flexible clothes. However, if you lose a leg, you must wear a prosthetic limb attached to your body with a rigid U-shaped structure called a _socket_. Sockets are made of hard plastics to carry the bodyweight and hand-made to ensure the best custom fit by following the stump's contour. However, 75% of amputees are unhappy because the stump changes shape on an hourly basis while their custom-made rigid sockets don't. This leads to constant skin rubbing causing painful bleeding wounds and ulcers. Replacing sockets up to 4 times annually for the rest of amputees' lives is currently the best solution costing £7.1billion of public money in the UK, EU and US each year (Excluding cost of wound care: £2.4billion in the UK alone(UK-Government/APPG;2019)). Amputees need a confident and productive life unhindered by their condition, like able-bodied. Therefore, Imperial College London, MTC and Unhindr developed Roliner to make lives of millions independent. **What:** Roliner is a sleeve-like device worn on the stump before putting the prosthetic limb on. **How:** Roliner uses Artificial Intelligence to understand the hourly/daily changes in the stump and adapts to them. Roliner's AI reads real-time sensors' data between the stump and socket, learns amputees' comfort preferences via an app, and seamlessly and continuously adjust the fitting by inflating/deflating Roliner's micro-channels. **Impact:** Prosthetic limb fitting is the biggest barrier for amputees to maintain their daily activities. Amputees live dependent on fitting clinics, and therefore, within the first year of amputation, 1 in 6 amputees lose their jobs. 44.3% working-age amputees are economically inactive, costing £4.89billion in productivity loss(PapworthTrust,2016). Roliner's AI mimicking the clinical practice and providing able-bodied-like walking experience will reduce productivity loss, hospital dependency, and potentially save the NHS £1billion in socket adjustments, £2.4billion in socket wounds. Due to reduced quality-of life and activity, amputees rapidly lose muscles. The probability of an amputee walking with a prosthetic leg more than 500metres a day is 74% at age 35; while only 34% at age 60, becoming almost wheelchair-bound(Source:Geertzen,Jan et.al;2005-Claimed-walking-distance-of-lower-limb amputees.-Disability-and-rehabilitation). With first-of-its-kind seamless AI-adaptation, Roliner could increase walking performance x3 times, providing able-body-like walking experience. Reducing socket-induced wounds reduces risk of infection, increases mobility, which reduces muscle loss.

The UK Electrical Power business is the Safran Group's global centre of expertise for manufacturing conventional technology electrical generation, controls and power systems. The prime innovation is to establish this UK facility as the equivalent global centre of expertise, for eVTOL and Hybrid Propulsion on new technology aircraft. Safran will collaborate for the first time with industrial and academic experts from The Manufacturing Technology Centre and Warwick Manufacturing Group to invest in new research technologies. The research outputs of this manufacturing research project will provide UK industry with additional and more robust routes to market for future products.

COVID-19 and post-Brexit trading uncertainty have placed UK food supply chains under unprecedented pressure. COVID-19 demonstrated the absolute reliance of UK's society on the food system. 70% of the UK's imported food is from the EU, including highly perishable products such as fruit and vegetable which for seasonality reasons cannot be produced in the UK. Fresh produce supply-chains are the archetypes of "just-in-time" modality, even delays or disruption leads to food waste and massive financial losses. Volumes moved are vast, food accounts for 23% of UK road freight, but the industry is highly competitive, driven by buyer power from dominant retailer firms. The industry has continuously innovated, removing cost to offset competitive pressure. This served a social purpose to maintain low price inflation to consumers. However, COVID-19 and Brexit have created a new urgency to reformat supply-chains that are more adaptable, resilient and manage risk. TRUSTEDBYTE step changes supply-chain management for the food sector. TRUSTEDBYTE's vision is to drive supply-chain productivity but creating a "whole industry" interoperable ecosystem for trusted data exchange, integrated with new AEO compliant API's to facilitate cross border transition alongside new telecommunications technology that provide ubiquitous accessubiquitous access to data. To deliver this vision TRUSTEDBYTE has the following objectives \[1\] To create the UK's first "data trust" for governance and sharing of data across the fresh produce sector at whole industry scale. \[2\] To develop a novel AEO compliant API integrated to HMRC thatHMRC that facilitates cross border food trade. \[3\] To develop a novel low cost 4G / Sat communications solution that provides ubiquitous access to supply chain data across the EU. \[4\] To exploit these by widening the interoperability of theof the Bluering supply chain management software. \[5\] To demonstrate these capabilities at scale across the UK fresh produce industry. \[6\] To develop new business models to exploit new functionality. TRUSTEBYTE's brings together leading technology developers (Bluering developers, Excelerate Ltd, Satellite Application Catapult, MTC) with key members of the UK fresh produce supply chain (Fesa UK, World Wide Fruit, Davis Worldwide, Histon Sweet Spreads), trade bodies (Fresh Produce Network), HEI's (University of Lincoln), standards bodies (BSi) and support from key regulators (HMRC / FSA) as well as input from Pinsent Masons, the UK's leading legal experts on data governance. It provides a private sector approach to support multiple high-profile elements of government policy (facilitating post Brexit trade, food security, productivity, clean growth).

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

The CERCOMPUK project aims to undertake a crucial and unique study aimed specifically at UK needs and capability in CMC materials technology. The work, undertaken by a consortium formed by the NCC, the MTC and AMRC, will cover material supply chain, lower cost alternatives, material processing, performance benchmarking, machining, inspection, manufacturing facility requirements and repair operations to provide industry with a full spectrum of information that has never been undertaken as a single, industry focussed study.

Today at least two-thirds of the global population, over 4 billion people, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year, according to a major new analysis by the Twente Water Centre. Companies that heavily rely in water for their products or services are constantly encouraged to implement solutions that can address the reduction of water wastage whenever possible. This drives the development of new technologies that can offer such solutions. Our proposition here is to develop a low-cost technology that can be part of such solutions. Soft drinks can naturally get infected with a range of bacteria, moulds and yeast, some of them are harmful to human consumption. A well-established route to screening for bacteria is the use of microbiology testing which can take anything between 3-5 days to get results back. Such waiting times can carry significant delays in getting the product to the shelves. Also, current microbiology methods provide information to manufacturers late in the manufacturing process where not much can be done for that specific batch, but can be adjusted for future batches. Therefore, a contaminated batch will go straight to waste and valuable resources will be lost. Figura's approach will enable soft drink manufacturers to have a rapid quality control device that allows them to take corrective measures during a batch production of product. The technology allows for the drinks to reach shelves quicker and limits the amount of waste that occurs from the drinks industry as a result of contamination. The technology can work with dirty samples with no sample preparation required. It is non-destructive analysis platform that can measure contamination regardless of the solution turbidity -- currently not possible with optical techniques. The technology's small footprint would enable easy integration into current manufacturing workflows with minimal disruption. The business potential is significant -- In 2019 the drinks and juice markets estimated to be worth £16bn a year in the UK (statistica,2019). While the global food and drinks microbiology testing market totalled 1.14 bn tests in 2016, growing at approximately 5.0 percent annually (statistica. 2020). The innovation and project are timely. Figura's technology can strongly position itself to disrupt a well-established market, while also reducing the environmental load of water wastage in drinks production transportation reflected in carbon footprint.

**COREF** aims to develop two digitally connected New Product Introduction innovation labs. These labs will utilise innovative technology up to TRL 5 and enable Thales and the partners to innovate in terms of product design and assembly. These facilities will have open access to the supply chain and the public through partner invitation. Whilst complimentary to 'Made Smarter', COREF differentiates itself through its connected multi-business, multi-site aspect. This project aims to enable Thales UK (multi-site) to meet customer demand for customisable, low lead-time products (multi-business (connected supply chain), and stay competitive within the Global Avionics arena.

This project aims to develop an extreme weather battery pack, based on a proprietary battery pack technology designed, which will enable automotive companies to produce fully electrified vehicles that can operate in both hot and cold climates. The project targets 100% electrification of tractor/buses to achieve zero tailpipe emissions. This innovative battery technology offers inherently safe, high performance and high power battery pack/system, which can be operated from -20oC to 50oC temperatures and can be deployed in electric vehicles. With this battery pack, a car, a tractor, or a bus can be fully electrified with zero tailpipe emissions and for a reasonable cost.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a $9.5Bn industry with 80% growth in the sales of metal AM-systems in 2017\. Meta-Additive-Ltd (Meta) have invented and patented a new additive manufacturing process which takes the benefits of standard binder jet printing and enhances it making it suitable for mass manufacturing. Meta is founded on the invention of a series of proprietary novel hierarchical binder systems. Taking the existing process of creating metals parts through binder-jet printing and making them faster, offering more material choice and resulting in better material properties including higher density, improved shrinkage, feature definition and surface finish.

There are wide sociopolitical issues concerning road transportation's greenhouse gas emissions, and the UK's strategy is to encourage wide adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Cable-free wireless power transfer (WPT) (also known as inductive power transfer) can potentially overcome the drawbacks of wired EV chargers, and represents a potentially transformational method for improving the EV operation and user experience, especially with opportunity charging, for example for a van in a loading bay. Aside from its convenience, WPT can enable significant downsizing of the onboard EV battery, and has the potential for dynamically charging EVs on the move. Significant snags for WPT exist. The power transfer efficiency is highly reliant on precise alignment of the transmitter coils (usually buried in the ground) and the receiver coils on the vehicle. Heavy-duty EVs also require much higher charge rates than WPT can currently offer. Increasing the operating frequency of WPT systems increases the power density, solving both these issues and making WPT far more attractive all-round. State-of-the-art systems work at 85 kHz for a host of reasons including the use of ferrite cores, the skin effect, and available power electronics. Inductive Power Projection Ltd have recently invented and protected a new way to create VHF magnetic fields for different applications. We're not frequency-limited and so operate in the VHF band (loosely defined as 30MHz-300MHz). After consulting with the Advanced Propulsion Centre, we realised the potential value for VHF-WPT for charging EVs, and following a technical peer review with Warwick Materials Group, it became clear that by using VHF we avoid a "difficult frequency region" above 85kHz. With our present understanding, our VHF-WPT charging method can project in excess of 400 kW per module, easily to 800 mm at very high efficiencies (\> 99% for the wireless part); this compares with current state-of-the-art WPT systems where 50 kW/module is considered excellent, and an ambitious target for reach is 300 mm. A tough target of 500 mm lateral misalignment has been identified, which we can exceed even without a large vehicle-side receiver coil. However, the feasibility of VHF-WPT needs to be studied and tested in order to better understand the limitations, and this project does that, using the equipment we already own, and techniques developed during our previous work. There's a significant market opportunity for our solution, but two identified technology gaps will be worked on by our two research organisation partners.

The Earth Rover led consortium will build a prototype selective that will contribute to solving the problem of a shortage of seasonal agricultural labour required to pick crops due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit. The robots use an AI-powered vision system to select in-spec broccoli and leave crop growing so reducing crop waste. A gang of three robots can select and cut up to 12 broccoli heads in 5 seconds. The cut heads are passed to a conveyor system mounted on a tractor and packed. The project will place the UK at the forefront of agricultural robotics and offers the potential to create high-value jobs and valuable export opportunities.

Most people think of fuel poverty as simply not being able to afford to keep your home warm. The official definition is; a household is said to be fuel poor if it has above-average energy costs, and if paying those costs would push it below the poverty line as far as its remaining income was concerned. One of the key factors that can contribute to fuel poverty is that the poor energy efficiency of the property (and therefore, the energy required to heat and power the home). This can be due to a lack of insulation (walls and roofs), draughts, poor ventilation, dampness or inefficient heating systems. Local Authorities in the South East of England generally have below average fuel poverty levels, while households in the North West, London and the West Midlands generally have the highest levels of fuel poverty. (Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy -- Fuel Poverty Supplementary Tables 2020) The West Midlands elected mayor has an ambition to aggregate local authority social housing stock to tackle 50,000 homes by 2024\. DOORWAY is part of an innovative social house retrofit program that tackles both Fuel Poverty and emissions without the need for government subsidiary. This is achieved by a proportion of the energy savings achieved paying off the capital costs, regenerating some of Britain's most deprived areas, all funded by global green social finance to 'Build Back Better'. To ensure a creation of a new supply chain to meet this challenge Midlands High Growth has its own Exemplar factory and Skills Village ensuring other manufacturers can license their own DOORWAY automation lines or 'pop up factory' with full turn key support to create UK high value jobs, DOORWAY is a key breakthrough combination of products, attractive to owner/occupiers/private and social landlords, reducing fuel poverty whilst driving widespread new designed for 'COVID' safe employment opportunities aiding both economic recovery and reducing any future pandemic. Each house will have a 'building passport' created that ensures the DOORWAY solution will be compatible with other retrofit technologies to ensure that Net Zero carbon emissions can be reached by 2040\. One of the major challenges with a deep house retrofit is the length of time an occupant may have to vacate the property whilst the roof is taken off and replaced or while the walls are being re-bricked. The DOORWAY system will significantly reduce the disruption to the occupant with the roof being in place and water-tight within the same day and the walls lifted into place within two days. At the same time this also reduces the number of vans and lorries needed to attend site and the amount of rubbish that inevitably traditional methods create. DOORWAY will create highly efficient insulated and easy to install a Roof and an External Wall Insulations system that can be produced in volume off site, within a high-quality controlled environment that aligns to the governments Construction Innovation Hub standardised platform approach and aims to be 50% cheaper then equivalent market solutions.

The project focuses on Design for Manufacture, design of assembly and production process, Value Optimisation and development manufacturing capacity for the Ventive EnergyPod, a connected, fully integrated and plug-and-play ventilation, heating and hot water system combining proprietary intelligent ventilation with heat recovery and innovative hybrid heat pump technology, designed for both new dwellings and low energy 'deep' retrofits. In aggregate the systems will form a network of load shifting devices using thermal capacity of the hot water storage and the inertia of each home to shift peak energy use when needed. Since each home is distinctly different (including size, heat loss, thermal mass, occupancy density and patterns, user behaviour and other factors) the EnergyPod will use an array of integrated sensors to continuously assess the indoor environment and adapt the performance of each system learning and optimising it's operation as well as using nudge techniques and user interaction to drive improvements in energy efficiency and load shifting capacity (some users may 'bet' more comfort for financial or other rewards for example). Ventive and the project partners aim to become an effective link between the building intelligence, building services and building fabric, optimising each home individually and, in aggregate, using homes as virtual power stations, increasing or decreasing their Grid footprint as needed for effective frequency response while monetising the significant energy savings from EnergyPod system (up to 75% from both demand optimisation and off-peaking the time of energy conversion) powering the innovative retrofit financing business model. Project partners have a strong backing from potential clients including Engie, Melius homes, Nottingham City Homes, One Manchester, Sutton Housing Partnership and others to deliver the EnergyPod solution in large numbers at the right cost. This project is designed to facilitate that.

The ATI estimates that through-life engineering services in civil aerospace will be worth $2.5 trillion over the next 20 years. Within the widebody aeroengine market, airliners continue to use long-term service agreements such as Rolls-Royce's TotalCare package. In order to maximise engine uptime and product availability, and to keep the UK at the forefront of this servicing revolution, the eight REINSTATE partners will develop a portfolio of sensing, inspection, and repair techniques for use within on-wing installed engines, in the aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul network, and in an array of neighbouring industrial sectors.

Project CONVERGENCE delivers a structured approach to implementing a 'digital thread'; incorporating Industry 4.0 innovative technologies such as future factory design modelling and optimisation, smart automation and flow-line enhancement. The industry led project is supported by key suppliers and research organisation capabilities. The increased capacity gained by the projected efficiency improvements will secure future high value work from the UK aerospace sector and enable the in-load of additional non-UK manufactured products. The increased capabilities and established technology innovations will be disseminated to both the project partners and wider industry through a Smart Factory Learning Centre and a SME Digital Handbook.

Our vision for future soft fruit farming encompasses fleets of electric robotic and autonomous systems powered by renewable energy that pick, transport, pack fruit whilst gathering data to maximise yield, reduce waste and environmental impacts. Additionally, these technologies underpin industry sustainability by reducing sector reliance on low skilled labour, whilst upskilling the existing workforce. This vision can be delivered by 2025\. However, it's critical the underpinning technologies are demonstrated at scale. This secures a significant KE platform to empower transformation across UK and global supply chains. Our project synthesises and demonstrates the outputs of multiple Innovate UK, Saga Robotics, University of Lincoln, Berry Garden Growers, H2020, UKRI-BBSRC, EPSRC and Research England funded research and innovation projects. It will be the largest known global demonstration of robotic and autonomous (RAS) technologies that fuse multiple application technologies (8) across a single farming system. These will drive resource (carbon, pesticide, water, waste) and labour (fruit picking, handling and logistics) productivity whilst underpinning the transition of one of UK's most vibrant agri food sectors (soft fruit) towards a carbon zero future. Robots will be deployed to optimise physical farm processes, in particular to transport and pick fruit, pack fruit , treat crops to reduce critical pests and diseases (UVC to eliminate powdery mildew / insect pests) and optimise spray use. In addition, they will control the virtual farm by collecting data to monitor crop and fruit growth. Data will be analysed using AI and machine learning technologies, pre-developed at Lincoln, to forecast fruit supply and optimise farm productivity. New insights will be gained in the application of robotic systems across large commercial farming systems, in particular fleet control, charging and logistics operations, optimisation of data processing resources (edge / cloud) and the telecommunications infra- structure required to dispatch large volumes of data. Target deliverables: 1\. Elimination of fossil fuel across all farm logistic operations. 2\. 90% reduction in fungicide use (by UVC) and intrinsic carbon cost. 3\. 30% reduction in packhouse labour,40% reduction in farm labour (plus intrinsic carbon costs associated with people movement etc). 4\. 15% increase in farm productivity (yield per m2) and intrinsic carbon gain. 5\. 20% reduction fruit waste, through accurate forecasting.

The ability to manage the exposure of NHS staff to COVID-19 has been driven predominantly by the adoption of stringent PPE. Though effective, it does not reduce the viral load present in the working space, generally the hospital theatre, and does not address the concern that theatre capacity has been significantly diminished by the essential need to deep clean taking a longer time than before. The project will develop the application of a shield to address both issues. Firstly, through the reduction of viral load, the risk and consequences of exposure could be alleviated and, secondly, by containment within the shield. The project will improve theatre throughput back to a sustainable "new normal" state. The intent of the research project is to develop the production volume ready process required, conduct a service evaluation of the shield in a cohort of hospitals and to establish a logistical and business model for their wider use across the UK health support network.

This collaborative R&D project will demonstrate the development of production technologies for traction motor production. This will enable production scale-up of motors produced by Magnetic Systems Technology (Magtec), a leading UK supplier servicing the commercial vehicles market. Magtec's electrification solution can be fitted as original equipment or as a retrofit/repower solution for fleets of commercial vehicles (buses/trucks etc.). The project will directly address both issues by providing the electric alternatives to diesel power solutions, at required volumes, with demonstrable operational reliability. The project accelerates innovative production technologies at Magtec, with the motor manufacturing pilot line being the focus area. The forecast for growth (post project completion) represents an order of magnitude increase in production demand over the following 5 years. This is driving the need to accelerate the development and delivery of innovative and bespoke manufacturing processes and assembly methods. The project consortia led by Magtec includes four leading transport sector OEM's - Dennis Eagle, Paneltex, Volta Trucks and Angel Trains. These partners will support the definition of requirements and verification of the solutions developed within this project, ensuring the manufacturing processes and approach, are repeatable and robust, and therefore delivering reliable products to their respective markets. It includes two High Value Manufacturing Catapults -- the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield, whose expertise will be focused on utilising the most innovative manufacturing process and assembly methods development activities. This will cover the integration of data and information systems and embedded quality assurance methods, to ensure robustness and repeatability throughout. Magtec sources most of its components and materials from the UK, with a large proportion of these within a short distance from its Sheffield assembly facility. The project will become a catalyst to reduce risk in the supply-chain proposition by developing deep relationships, predominantly in the region, to maximise the UK value-added content accordingly. Forecast supply and production requirements have created supply-chain resilience challenges, which shall be addressed through the project. Skills development within all partners and the wider supply-chain will be core, as partners move towards electrified propulsion systems at a vehicle level, and automated/semi-automated processes within the value stream.

The DIAMAND project will seek to develop advanced hybrid joining methodologies through additive manufacturing techniques to create metallic structural joints and validated powder bed Nickel alloy components joined to Titanium substrates.

By enabling Additive Manufacturing (AM) parts in highly regulated sectors, DAEDALUS will help make the UK the place to manufacture the products that will drive the future of the world, addressing the UK Grand Challenges \[1\] (future electric aircraft for urban mobility and clean growth, and medical devices for ageing society).The adoption of AM in these sectors (e.g. aerospace, space, oil & gas and medical) is hindered by part quality issues, process repeatability and reliability, traceability, scalability and limited availability of AM standards. These challenges are inherently linked to the ability to generate (sampling); capture (in-process monitoring); process (signal processing); store (data architectures); structure (data schemas and standards); manage (traceability provision); analyse (data correlation and insights) and share (manual data, different platforms) highly complex data across the AM process chain (i.e. powder management, build process and post-processing) and the supply chain. Therefore, digital manufacturing is a key enabler and solution, which is the core objective of DAEDALUS.DAEDALUS is aiming at developing a novel solution, with a combination of IDTs (AM, IIoT/Connectivity, AI/analytics) to build the digital thread and analytics solutions to enable AM adoption and scale-up and accelerate qualification of AM parts in highly regulated sectors.**AM Digital Thread:** Development of single, traceable, digital thread and its flexible integration of facility/production management systems to streamline, standardise and digitalise best practices across the AM supply chain focusing on powder management, process and post-process optimisation.**AM Intelligence:** Development of AI-enabled solutions for material and process control and stability through the utilisation of materials, sensor and in-process monitoring data.This solution will be demonstrated for three steps of the AM process chain individually (powder management, build process, machining) in a combination of pre-production and industrial environments. The final demonstrator will be a digitally integrated AM supply chain: a secure collaborative, intelligent and independent platform whereby reliable AM raw material and product traceability data can be shared securely between AM supply chain partners.The final solution is intended to generate game-changing improvements in operational efficiency, including yield, material cost and lead-times. The solution will also make a radical improvement in qualification and certification times for the AM supply chain. As a result, significant improvements in time to market are also expected.DAEDALUS will influence the future of manufacturing, by anchoring light-weighting, electrification, customised medical implants and devices in the UK supply chain and help invigorating the associated digital tech ecosystem.

AXENIC will deliver a novel small bag format, nitrogen 'fixing' inoculant to Smallholders across sub-Saharan Africa. This inoculant technology uses a natural process to make use of nitrogen from the air we breath allowing the smallholders to boost the yield of the protein rich legume crops such as soybean. Based on the proven track record of the product LEGUMEFiX from the successful SME Legume Technology who will be working as part of a consortium to design and develop the inoculant pack as well as a new machine design, and hence deliver high quality, reliable products to the majority of farmers growing legumes as part of their staple diet. Working with TQC and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (UK Catapult), the AXENIC project will build on their collective experience in machine design to create a first-to market product. Due to the budget constraints and travel restriction from the pandemic dissemination will be limited.

Over the next few years, the construction sector will witness a wave of infrastructure projects (£60 billion of spend each year over the next decade) and ground work will be undertaken to set future financial settlements. The pace of this growth, and the size of this opportunity, demands a construction sector that is the best in the world. To maximise the opportunities to drive efficiency savings across the delivery of the transport infrastructure pipeline, this proposal brings together key UK Transport Client groups, Suppliers and academic experts to establish a Transport Infrastructure Efficiency 'Living Lab' to build capability within delivery, innovation and managing construction risk. The UK has had a modest track record of infrastructure delivery with some programmes completed late; over budget; failing to secure the benefits expected; or cancelled after a significant investment. With the increasing challenge and complexity of the government's pipeline of major projects, the capacity to deliver is being stretched. The estimation of cost and schedule can be improved and major projects and programmes are tending to avoid innovation risk. These attitudes to uncertainty and risk are deeply engrained and cultural, with inconsistencies across Departments and ALBs. Together, they create barriers to the greater uptake of Modern Methods of Construction and driving productivity. This proposal offers a strategic, scalable and sector wide approach with Government, Client Groups, Suppliers and Academia working in partnership. To overcome these challenges, the 'Living lab' will work in collaboration with i3P and the CIH to tackle the systemic issues that still obstruct the use, integration and adoption of innovations that could drive productivity and wider social benefits through major construction schemes. It will be a catalyst for cultural change, shifting focus within infrastructure delivery decision-making from the costs of construction to an understanding of its whole life value. Statement from Professor Lord Robert Mair, Cambridge University, Chair of the DFT Science Advisory Council and Member, Transport Research & Innovation Board: "This demonstrator is a transformative collaboration. It uses data, technology and Modern Methods of Construction within live transport infrastructure projects to showcase the value of data visualisation through real-time data control rooms and demonstrates where we can drive even greater productivity and efficiency through innovation transfer. By implementing advanced construction and engineering techniques on live projects, we will deliver significantly better outcomes for society and provide the evidence needed to scale how we drive productivity across the transport infrastructure sector."

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"The SEISMIC consortium members have successfully delivered SEISMIC I; the development of a standard structural frame platform and connector with a complementary digital configurator, the frame has now been adopted by the Construction Innovation Hub (The Hub). SEISMIC II will continue this work, to develop repeatable components for the platform frame which will deliver a world leading solution for mass production of government built assets. The Construction Sector Deal requires the delivery of better performing buildings that are built quickly, at a lower cost and be energy and carbon efficient. The project aims to deliver these metrics through a 'demonstrator' manufactured by the consortium members for industry wide exploitation. The demonstrator will be offered to the Hub, as a 'market ready' example to aid the onward 3-year development programme. SEISMIC II will build on the achievements of SEISMIC I, progressing to develop core platform elements, namely the floor, external and internal walls, facade, ceiling and roof elements of the building. It will also seek to enable supply chain engagement to develop existing products to the standard SEISMIC frame solution to create a true platform of reconfigurable components reducing waste, cost and carbon dioxide emissions and increasing speed of delivery. SEISMIC II will develop a maturity matrix tool which will be used to support the productionisation of the construction supply chains companies. In addition, the project seeks to widen sector engagement, from school deployment, into other sectors. Following the principles of Platform-Design for Manufacturing Assembly (P-DfMA) the consortium will develop components to maximise the passive performance facilitating the design of energy positive buildings with embedded data driven metrics providing better-performing buildings, built more quickly at lower cost. The project substantially decouples the work from the construction site, giving opportunity to develop production facilities in areas of economic deprivation. The UK has 12 of the 20 poorest regions in Northern Europe. The industrial partners are well placed to invest in these regions once the market is predictable, mass volume & standardisation is established, and continuity of pipeline is in place. Proposed consortium members, blacc, Elliott, McAvoy and MTC are industry leaders in the adoption of MMC, they have delivered the UKRI SEISMIC I project to standardise school components and develop an online configurator tool. SEISMIC II will strengthen this foundation with new partners Tata Steel, Active Building Centre and National Composites Centre, all leading organisations in their fields."

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"**Vision** The construction industry is currently very inefficient at designing solutions from concept with accurate **cost** & **carbon** data. This current state often leads to delays and cost inflation which are accepted as the norm within the sector (McKinsey, 2016). The vision is to deliver a solution that bridges this gap by developing a standard data structure and mapping methodology that enables an automated quantity take-off from Uniclass to Standard **Methods of Measurement** (MoM) in cost planning. This solution will enable construction projects to leverage the full benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM), leading to shorter pre-construction phases, reduced project management costs, greater visibility of carbon emissions and overall improved cost & carbon control. AACE (AI-enabled Automated Cost and carbon Estimation) will be an applied demonstrator, proof of concept (80% industrial and 20% experimental), focusing on commercial growth for the consortium partners as well as productivity improvements for the sector. AACE will deliver: * Development of a software solution to **automate take-offs** from the BIM model using **Artificial Intelligence** (AI) * An information workflow that enables the efficient use of BIM models in a process of project take-offs for cost and carbon planning and estimation * Deployment of a comprehensive and standardised approach to whole life cost and carbon estimation The project consortium consists of: * **Skanska** - Cost and carbon estimating technical specialists * **Nomitech** -- SME - provider of 5D BIM software and development * **Mott MacDonald** - BIM authoring and developing standardised libraries * **MTC** -- Expertise in developing and implementing AI solutions * **HS2** -- Infrastructure owner providing a demonstrator environment and route to market * **RICS** -- professional body responsible for setting and regulating standards in surveying. It has an extensive experience in production and distribution of cost and carbon libraries The best practice guidelines and standardised libraries will be openly shared to commercial and carbon estimating specialists through RICS. AACE outputs will be disseminated to the wider construction industry (i3P and Construction Innovation Hub). **Benefits** Skanska estimate that these improved data flows and working practices will significantly reduce project pre-construction and constructions costs by c.13% across the delivery life-cycle. This will: * reduce carbon by 30% and 10% embodied and operational carbon respectively * deliver cost savings of c.£2.4m pa for Skanska, potentially leading to a £2.5bn saving across the sector AACE forms part of strategically aligned projects that have been reviewed and endorsed by i3P to maximise the industry-wide impact."

Project DETER: Crowd behaviour and object detection for railway station security Project DETER aims to enhance safety at railway station environments and to reduce delay resulting from incidents caused by unusual, unsuitable and undesirable behaviours through the use of intelligent video analytics. In order to ensure successful development and commercialisation of DETER's solution, this project brings together a strong partnership between the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and One Big Circle (OBC). The MTC is a High Value Manufacturing Catapult which focuses on delivering applied research projects with the objective of maturing technologies at low readiness level into industry-ready solutions, additionally showcasing these solutions by means of technology demonstrators. OBC provides bespoke technical solutions to complex video and integration projects with 30 years combined experience in CCTV system commissioning. This project will focus on developing a specific set of components and modules to enhance One Big Circle's proven video capture and analysis product AIVR (Automated Intelligent Video Review), which can perform object recognition and people detection in railway environments. The innovation in DETER, will be in building a Behaviour Engine capable of classifying events of interest in real time specifically for the railway station environment. Upon detection of such events, an automatic alert will be generated for the operator which will provide information such as location of the camera and the event detected. This new solution will be commercialised by One Big Circle as AIVR Lookout.

HI-PRESTEGE will deliver novel sintering technologies capable of producing a range of thermoelectric sintered materials with zero porosity at industrial scale. These will be applied to manufacture the next generation of thermoelectric energy harvesting devices and thermoelectric generators.

"As a leading British and international soft fruit producer, S&A are seeking to enhance productivity through their growing techniques and development of innovative equipment to produce even better fruit that will delight and exceed the expectations of their customers and consumer. Through developing automated technology incorporating machine vision systems, supported by the MTC and Capture Automation, they will improve crop yield and quality within their existing UK farms and translated across their international operations. BluePlanet enables a collaboration between a leading international soft fruit producer (S&A), a specialist SME, Capture Automation, and one of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres (MTC). By working with their partners in BluePlanet, S&A will accelerate and de-risk their time to market for new and innovative equipment and allow them to continue to grow and gain market share from their global competitors. Benefits to the end user / customer will be flavour and consistency of fruit whereas benefit to the farmer will be higher quality, yield quantity, growing environment and plant vigour."

"UK construction is in the midst of a continued period of growth, which is largely stimulated by an ongoing government policy to build an additional 300,000 houses per year beyond 2025\. Construction relies on the skills and volume of its manpower more than most, but an ageing workforce plus cultural shifts that disfavour manual trades has led to a 7% labour deficit in the roofing industry, which irrespectively continues to grow exponentially each year. Furthermore, recent FMB reports have revealed severe building material shortages, resulting in waiting times for up to six months for roof tiles. This, in-part can be attributed to antiquated production facilities and the reluctance of large manufacturers to invest in new equipment and infrastructure in an industry which is commonly perceived to be historically conservative and averse to change. To address these issues, SunScape Systems Ltd (SSL) has designed Carapace Slate, a patent-protected, bio-composite snap-fit roof tile system designed to essentially deskill the roof installation process which is installed 90% quicker than the current state-of-the-art; increasing build speed and contributing to the growth of construction. Given the scale of the UK roofing market, a suitable manufacturing infrastructure is required to produce Carapace at volume if it is to address the deficit between construction output and available labour. Traditional and now antiquated methods of production employed by the industry has led to an alarming supply deficit which is challenging government policy to alleviate the housing crisis. As the next logical step in manufacturing technology, SSL will form a new Joint Venture with CNC Robotics (CNCR) - one of the UK's leading machining Robotics integrator to develop a system compliant with the industry 4.0 standard and develop a revolutionary commercial infrastructure that can intelligently and readily react to the demands of an ever-changing market. Using the robotic integration expertise of CNCR, the joint venture will implement a dynamic and repeatable 'SMART' /Industry 4.0 aligned manufacturing solution, hereby named as ""MARTF"" - the Modular Automated Roof Tile Factory. Essentially, the production facility will be a literal plug-and-play 'factory in a box', specifically built and calibrated offsite to manufacture the Carapace Innovation and then made ready to be deployed to any/multiple locations capable of housing its footprint. Monitored and operated through advanced cloud-based and IoT technology, MARTF will satisfy SSL's first customer order and provide a distributed manufacturing array capable of responding to an ever-demanding market."

"**AIMCH seeks to industrialise the housing sector**, applying design for manufacture and assembly solutions to become a global housing leader. Digital working and offsite construction have not broken through as viable mainstream alternative's to paper based design and masonry methods. **AIMCH's ambition will transform how we build homes,** through industrialisation, solving these challenges for good. AIMCH will be a **sector catalyst** moving to housing delivery to become a **digitally integrated, manufacturing and assembly based sector**. The UK needs an additional **120,000 homes each year**. Housing faces many challenges reduce construction skills, aging workforce and poor intake. Productivity is poor and output is low. Housing quality, customer satisfaction and building performance must improve. Affordability is low and costs too high. Housing is fragmented, risk adverse and cyclical limiting long term investment. AIMCH goal is to deliver **offsite construction for the cost of masonry** and understand how future advanced offsite solutions can be applied. This **ambition has never been achieved**, creating business opportunity. AIMCH seeks **20% cost reduction, 30% productivity gain, 50% less defects, build 5,000 & impact 35,000 homes** across the sector. **AIMCH unique collaboration** will develop and commercialise digital design tools, develop new automated manufacturing systems, trial enhanced & advanced offsite systems, with new lean site processes. AIMCH will be the **Henry Ford of housing**, catalysing sector transformation, becoming the game-changing project, for Industry and Government to showcase. AIMCH will make people's lives easier driving uptake because people want too. AIMCH has the UK's largest private, rented and social housing providers, leading offsite manufacturers and UK researchers. **AIMCH provides scale** (35,000 homes or 16% of the market) high profile companies & innovation **capability**, with clear route to market exploitation. AIMCH will deliver **wider sector benefits** in jobs, investment, growth, younger and diverse workers, provide communities, accelerate technology adoption and become a world leading housing exemplar. This **36 month £6.2m Innovation project** will develop **concepts, prototype and trial solutions** on 10-12 live projects. New methods will be commercialised & disseminated for wide market uptake. AIMCH are confident **we can deliver** this ambition."

"AM (Additive Manufacturing) offers significant benefits over many conventional production methods: digital production flexibility, reduced material waste and exceptional design freedom. Processing ceramic by AM offers the potential to create complex parts without tooling and offers precise material control which is not possible by conventional processing methods. The widespread adoption of ceramic AM technology is however hindered by material availability, process maturity, material properties and cost. In particular, the inability to melt ceramics and the requirement for organic phases to aid processing, create significant barriers. In the CerAMake project novel material chemistry will be developed which exploits the unique processing characteristics of piezoelectric inkjet technology providing significant microstructural control and improved properties via a scalable ceramic binder jetting platform. Advanced material characterisation and evaluation techniques will be applied to validate the suitability of the material throughout the process chain, providing a baseline chemistry applicable to a wide variety of ceramic materials. This will result in the first ceramic AM technology capable of achieving highly complex parts in a rate capable system suitable for multiple market sectors. CerAMake is also focused on uniform deposition of powder based feedstock material as a substrate for the novel fluid chemistry. Conventional deposition methods limit the range of material/powder particle sizes which can be used, generate anisotropic properties and produce low powder bed density resulting in high part porosity or significant firing shrinkage. The novel deposition process used in CerAMake is designed to uniformly compact the print bed, resulting in higher powder density and homogeneity of the green specimen, aiding the development of mechanical isotropy in the final part. This homogeneity is also essential for uniform densification of unfired parts, facilitating the fabrication of fully dense, complex ceramics. To demonstrate the innovation in the new approach, material requirements from three distinct sectors of the ceramics industry (high performance ceramic manufacture, refractory filter production and, decorative and practical homewares) will be identified, produced and functional demonstrators manufactured for evaluation by end-users. This new integrated material and process capability will act as an enabler for increased uptake of ceramic AM in the UK, leading to higher levels of confidence and investment. This will boost the productivity and competitiveness of the partners in the project and will have a transformative effect on the UK ceramics industry as well as placing the UK AM sector in a leading position."

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"Technological advances in communication and data transfer are increasingly visible all around us, at home, at work and in the businesses and organisations that we all depend on. In the last 5 years we have started to take our smartphones, tablets, video calling, Smart TVs, social media, and cloud storage for granted. With our rapidly increasing use of existing Internet technology and the emerging Internet of Things (IoT), we are experiencing unprecedented bandwidth growth. In their 12th annual VNI report (2016), Cisco forecast that by 2021, there will be 4.6 billion internet users and 27.1 billion networked devices and connections across the globe. Bandwidth growth is constrained by the cost and performance of the optical communication devices that interconnect datacenters. Current datacenter interconnect solutions sustain 100 Gigabits per second (Gbps) per wavelength, which is not adequate for future demand. The industry has identified a target of 1000Gbps (1Terabit per second) to satisfy demand in 2021 and beyond (http://ethernetalliance.org/roadmap). Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is the leading bandwidth solution, demonstrating great potential to deliver data throughput of 1 Terabit per second (Tbps). However, the commercial viability of new solutions is largely dependent on cost. This includes the cost of the technology itself, and its compatibility with existing infrastructure. New solutions must comply with stringent size criteria to allow products to be used with existing infrastructure. Current state of the art device packaging will not meet the DCI market's future cost, performance, and size requirements. Our project, ""Advanced PACKaging EnABLing FuturE Technologies"" (PACKABLE), will deliver a novel, cost-effective and compact packaging solution which will enable \>1Tbps data throughput. We will meet future cost, performance and size criteria using our patented compact packaging technology, which is 15X cheaper than existing packaging solutions. Moreover, we will exploit UK technical expertise and IP to develop innovative techniques to adapt the packaging manufacturing process for high temperature processing, enabling us to use existing lower cost, high volume, semiconductor IC manufacturing lines. Our packaging will also be compatible with diverse applications such as silicon photonics and fibre optic sensors used in medical, space, defence, energy, transport and construction sectors. The global market for optical DCI alone is projected to reach US$6.41Bn by 2023 (CAGR 10.04%) (DCI Market 2017-2022, www.businesswire.com, Aug17), so the exploitation of this multi-sector packaging solution represents a very significant opportunity for the UK value chain SMEs in our project team."

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AutoRamp will enable Airbus to reach targeted wingset production levels, by introducing a system of automation which will improve the accuracy and increase the speed of multiple assembly processes. AutoRamp will support an improved ramp-up rate to full production targets and will also target early product maturity which will improve time to market of the product. Whilst the project is aimed at the single aisle product, there is potential for some spill over to other programmes. Technologies to be assessed for automation include positioning, drilling, bolting and sealing and will lead to their integration into an industrial system.

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Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

As part of its drive to stay at the forefront of innovation as a leading Original Equipment Manufacturer in the can-making industry and to build upon previous successful collaborations together with its recent innovative successes leading to awards for export, Carnaud Metalbox Engineering Ltd (CMB) are seeking to develop, test and demonstrate a revolutionary design of their industry leading bodymaker equipment.Additionally through conducting production simulation, supported by the MTC, they will improve equipment production at their Shipley site to make it more efficient and reliable, in order to meet the changing demands of their global customer base. ReDriveN enables a collaboration between a leading OEM (CMB Engineering), a global can maker (Crown), a specialist SME, Renown, the University of Newcastle testing and one of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres (MTC). By working with their partners in this project, CMB will accelerate and de-risk their time to market for new and innovative equipment and allow them to continue to grow and gain market share from their global competitors. Benefits to the end user / customer will be extensive and embrace technologies to increase manufacturing capability and output while addressing trends in market driven product formats and materials optimisation. Additionally, the end user will benefit from advanced interfacing to machine and process information, offering further routes to machine and plant optimisation.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Introduction to COLCO The COLombian COcoa control system project (COLCO) aims to optimise cacao (cocoa) production and quality in Colombia. Colombia, a potentially significant producer of fine cocoa, wishes to foster agro-sustainability and socioeconomic equality, particularly for growers. Cocoa requires a clear strategy for production, quality assurance and monitoring for traceability. A successful project implies growth potential, revitalising post-conflict regions. By demonstrating satellite, IoT, manufacturing and IT solutions, COLCO will develop an ecosystem between Colombian and UK organisations to improve the quality, yield and management of the Colombian cocoa value chain. Colombian private sector, government and research partners will develop impact through innovative solutions that will help optimise farm productivity, quality control, and industrial productivity. The project will be managed by research and technology organisations from the UK, and will also engage other UK based businesses and institutions. Summary of Activities and Outputs COLCO will deliver a data repository with production and post-harvesting process information, business forum, bean quality assessment tool, pest and disease management capabilities, yield prediction service, fermentation and drying monitoring technology, and a framework to develop integrated production and post-harvesting technologies. COLCO will build in-country capacity in precision agriculture, in the prepare-to-dispatch process and in general farming practices. All developments will be transferred to stakeholders in Colombia. Business-to-business links, workshops, exhibitions and farmer meetings will also be a significant part of COLCO. COLCO will address two phases of the Colombian cocoa value chain: • Production, when cacao trees are in their main productive phase; • Post-harvesting, when cacao is fermented, dried, and quality assessed for trade. Cacao volume is determined in the production phase, while quality is shaped post harvesting. COLCO will validate improvements during commercialisation. Summary of Envisaged Impacts COLCO's intended beneficiaries are cacao producers. COLCO will promote prosperity, resilience, enhanced agricultural job opportunities, competitiveness, export growth, land productivity and quality control, and industrial productivity across the supply chain. COLCO will increase agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers and will implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. It will reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Inventor-e will augment their asset management system, Smartie-Tag, by implementing solutions to create a tag that can provide location and remote condition monitoring functions, as well as recharge itself. The company, along with its project collaborators, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, SKN Electronics and Rexel, will develop and demonstrate the technology during a 12-month project funded by Innovate UK.

"SEISMIC (Standardisation of School Components) is an ambitious project to use digital technology and a highly skilled team to productionise the delivery of school construction in the UK. A successful project will deliver ongoing savings to the UK taxpayer and act as a trailblazer to showcase the benefits of modular building across the construction sector. SEISMIC is a collaboration of 3 leading modular construction delivery partners (Portakabin, McAvoy Group and Elliot Group) together with leading consultants and designers (Blacc Ltd, BrydenWood) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. In just 12 months, SEISMIC will create a harmonised digital modular build design library which can be used used to configure any new school. Thiw will bring a level of certainty to the school community, the supply base and the UK taxpayer which has never been realised before."

Awaiting Public Project Summary

Many of the current manufacturing techniques used in industries were developed for standard and conventional materials, some of which are now being challenged by novel and more advanced counterparts which can be difficult to process by standard means. A next-generation, advanced manufacturing technique is required to fully exploit the potential of these innovative materials, which include examples such as CFRP-metal stacks. The aim of the RoboMade project is to exploit a decade of advanced R&D activities in robotics, advanced machining and automation to develop a novel hybrid ultrasonic assisted robotic machining system for. RoboMade will offer a low-cost and accessible solution, delivering high-value, to meet the ever-increasing demand from customers for precision machining of exotic materials, associated with significant capital and operational cost savings. The digital infrastructure underpinning the system will provide users major benefits related to flexibility, configurability and autonomous operations

A consortium, led by an automotive OEM, with partners including a composites specialist and a high value manufacturing catapult centre, aim to develop technologies that will significantly reduce the cost of utilising advanced composite materials in automotive applications. Through a combination of reduced material wastage and automated pre-form manufacture, these technologies will have a significant impact on the cost of resin transfer moulded composite components. Not only will they be of benefit to the automotive industry, but also to other industrial sectors such as wind energy, sporting goods and aerospace.

As part of its drive to stay at the forefront of innovation as a leading Original Equipment Manufacturer in the can-making industry and to build upon work already done coupled with its recent innovative successes leading to awards for export, Carnaud Metalbox Engineering Ltd are seeking to test and demonstrate new equipment to make them more efficient and flexible, in order to meet the changing demands of their global customer base and consumers. By working with their partners in this project, CMB will also seek to accelerate their speed to market for new and innovative equipment.

The FELDSPAR project will combine efforts from University of Bath, Primetals Technologies, MTC, Chasestead and Nissan to take an immature UK developed die-less forming technology and develop its application in automotive body panel manufacture

Shot peening is an established method of improving fatigue life by imparting compressive stress in the surface of parts. However, it has been known for many years that shot peening can also generate a surface nanocrystalline (SNC) layer which can give a step change in part performance, including increased wear and corrosion resistance, as well as antibacterial properties. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to commercially exploit this beneficial “by product” due to the difficulty in controlling the shot peening process to give an even SNC layer. In addition, localised heat build-up during the shot peening process reduces the speed with which the SNC layer is formed which means that processing time can be an order of magnitude longer than for conventional shot peening thus making the process commercially unattractive. The NanoPeen project seeks to overcome this barrier to adoption. Proof-of-concept will be demonstrated by testing the improved performance of an industrial demonstration part treated using the process.

"Manufacturing in space has the potential to positively affect human spaceflight operations by enabling the in-orbit manufacture of replacement parts and tools, which could reduce existing logistics requirements for the International Space Station (ISS) and future long-duration human space missions. In-space manufacturing could enable space-based construction of large structures and, perhaps someday, in the future, entire spacecraft. In-space manufacturing can also help to reimagine a new space architecture that is not constrained by the design and manufacturing confines of gravity, current manufacturing processes, and launch-related structural stresses. The Space Manufacturing, Assembly and Repair Technology Exploration and Realisation (SMARTER) project will investigate the technical feasibility of manufacturing in space. The project will focus on how reconfigurable autonomous robotic technologies can be used to automatically manufacture components, assemble large structures, and service or repair existing space assets. The SMARTER concept, i.e. a manufacturing factory in space, could ultimately lower launch costs, the exploration of space and improve mission sustainability i.e. extend the useful life of assets launched into space. The need for a reconfigurable, autonomous manufacturing space port or factory stems from the market changing the paradigm of space operations and the development of enabling new capabilities that will put mankind's ambition to the test. These changes include: cost reduction of payload launch and sustainable space exploration, creating satellite constellations, exploration further into space and habitation on other planets and carrying out preventative maintenance or servicing of assets in space. This vision has also been recognised by NASAs On-Orbit Satellite Servicing Study, October 2010\. Realistically speaking, this described use of outer space may only truly materialise in 10 -- 20 year timeframe; nonetheless the UK has the prime opportunity to position itself suitably for this opportunity by investing now."

Today's increasingly complex high value engineering parts are too valuable to discard when they are damaged. Unfortunately, current repair methods, often based on a series of complex manual operations, are difficult to control to ensure that high performance, often safety critical, parts have the required level of integrity. This problem is exacerbated when parts are repaired in remote, often inhospitable and hazardous locations, where it is difficult to provide the required level of repair skill. There is an urgent need for a flexible, efficient and automated method of repairing high value metallic parts, close to the point of use. Hybrid Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes, combining Directed Energy Deposition (DED) AM processes, with conventional 5 axes machining are already in production. Although very effective, this solution is limited to relatively small parts. In CONFIGURE a flexible automated repair unit, encompassing every stage of the repair operation (damage assessment, repair, finishing and final inspection) will be developed and demonstrated. Using a robotic platform with interchangeable inspection, deposition and machining heads it will allow parts of almost unlimited size to be repaired in a seamless operation. The new unit can be provided in portable and even mobile configuration, enabling it to be positioned wherever required. Digital manufacturing technology is a key aspect of the project. An array of sensors will be incorporated into the repair unit to provide both process and part quality data. This information, used to enable the unit to operate in an autonomous mode, will also be logged to allow detailed analysis to be performed and provide traceability. The CONFIGURE unit will be demonstrated in two end-use sectors, repair of damaged rail track and high value mining equipment but there are a wide range of potential cross-sector applications, including new part production.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has the potential to revolutionise the way aerospace components are manufactured and re-invent supply chains. This technology can assist the aerospace sector to produce lightweight parts, which will lead to a reduction in emissions and fuel consumption. The AM process will also maximise the buy-to-fly ratio, with significantly less waste than using traditional subtractive methods. To enable the UK’s established aerospace OEMs and the supporting supply chain to take a leading position in the exploitation of AM, a mechanism for production system development is required to effectively deliver new and enhanced end-use components, ensuring cost and quality targets are achieved. The UK currently has a strong R&D base in AM and a number of businesses developing its commercial industrialisation. The UK has a powerful aerospace manufacturing sector - second in the global rankings with over 4,000 companies employing about 230,000 people. The UK aerospace sector has the largest number of small and medium sized enterprise (SME) companies in Europe. The economic forecast indicates that by 2025 AM could deliver £410m GVA to the UK economy. Currently there are high costs and risks associated with setting up AM processes, buying equipment and developing AM process chains for UK aerospace supply chain companies. Aims of the DRAMA project DRAMA (Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for Aerospace) is a three year, £14.3m collaborative research project and part of the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATIs) programme, which started in November 2017. The consortium is led by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) – home to the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing and includes ATS, Autodesk, Granta Material Intelligence, Midlands Aerospace Alliance, NPL, Renishaw and the University of Birmingham. The project will help build a stronger AM supply chain for UK aerospace by developing a digital learning factory. The entire AM process chain will be digitally twinned, enabling the cost of process development to be de-risked by carrying it out in virtual environment. The facility will be reconfigurable, so that it can be tailored to fit the requirements of different users and to allow different hardware and software options to be trialled. During the three years of the project an additive manufacturing Knowledge Base will also be created, to allow faster adoption and implementation of this transformative technology by UK businesses. Reduce the cost and risk of set-up • De-risk deployment of AM processes and equipment for the UK aerospace sector, by building reconfigurable pre-production facilities, where supply chain companies and OEMs can come to learn, model and validate end-to-end AM process chains. Reduce the time and cost of planning and validation • Digital twin of the facilities, manufacturing processes and plant • Digital toolsets for process and plant simulation • Data analytics and optimisation • A knowledge base Develop capability across the UK aerospace supply chain • This world-first, digitally twinned reconfigurable AM facility, will be at the forefront of AM technology and can be used by UK companies across the aerospace supply chain. MTC to lead £14m additive manufacturing aerospace project The Manufacturing Technology Centre will lead on major aerospace R&D project to grow innovation in the sector. Following the launch of the Industrial Strategy white paper on Monday November 27, Business Secretary Greg Clark announced £53.7 million of funding for seven R&D projects. This funding is part of government’s work with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high value jobs. Unveiled at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Conference 2017, one of those seven projects is The DRAMA (Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for Aerospace) led by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) with partners ATS Global, Autodesk, Granta Design, Midlands Aerospace Alliance, National Physics Laboratory, Renishaw and the University of Birmingham. DRAMA will establish leading additive manufacturing ‘test bed’ facilities for the aerospace industry and its supply chain at the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (based at the MTC in Coventry) and the Renishaw AM Solution Centre in Stone. The project will showcase the use of digital technologies to drive productivity and reliability in AM, leading to increased adoption of AM technologies by the aerospace sector and, in the long term, other industrial sectors. It will also deliver the world’s first digitally-twinned reconfigurable AM facility and establish the UK as a global leader in additive manufacturing technology. The project, part of the ATI programme, has received a grant of £11.2 million through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “In November, we launched our ambitious Industrial Strategy which builds on our significant economic strengths, while looking at innovative ways to improve our productivity and will ensure government continues to work closely with industries including our UK aerospace sector. “The UK aerospace sector is one of the most successful in the world, which is why we are today announcing £53.7 million of investment in seven aerospace research and development (R&D) projects across the UK. “This investment, part of the £3.9 billion government and industry committed to this sector by 2026. The Aerospace Technology Institute plays a crucial role in helping to direct this investment and maintain UK excellence in the sector.”

The aim of the AMALGAM project is to develop and demonstrate a revolutionary approach to the design and manufacture of compound boosting systems, leading to improved engine efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. The new approach combines the latest hybrid laser cladding and 5-axis machining AM approach with parts produced by powder bed fusion AM and conventional manufacturing in a single “join as you make” operation. This will provide a cost effective, efficient and flexible method of producing high performance automotive parts, using the optimum combination of processes. The AMALGAM approach enables novel part design and material combinations to be used which will have a dramatic impact on performance. The new approach is not restricted to boosting systems but can be used in a wide range applications in motorsport, low volume and mainstream vehicles, as well as the wider high volume manufacturing sector.

Additive manufacturing provides a great amount of freedom to design and build very complex parts, unfortunately the more complex the part geometry externally and internally the more difficult it is to inspect. Due to this part complexity, the general inspection practice has relied mainly on digital and computed tomography (CT) X-ray non-destructive testing (NDT) methods, and limited work has been performed on other methods. Thermography and resonance drift methods are emerging as game changing for AM inspection. These methods have potential for faster scanning, are less expensive and they have no health and safety issues that X-ray methods have. In addition when combined they have the potential to cover both macro and micro scale defects. Finally, XCT has a limited capability on micro cracks, where resonance drift methods are expected to be capable. The aim of RASCAL project is to develop a fast and economical inspection system for AM parts, possessing a comprehensive defect detectability by exploiting data fusion from both NDT methods, but depending on inspection needs RASCAL's modularity allows to upscale/downscale the system's capability. Sentencing the parts will be performed in an automated manner by evaluation of user defined inspection requirements with NDT data. Finally this project will possess connectivity both downstream and upstream allowing traceability and/or process modifications. Key objectives: 1. Reduce inspection costs 2. Production connectivity feeding upstream/downstream 3. Comprehensive inspection 4. Scalable inspection to adapt to user needs

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a highly disruptive and rapidly developing manufacturing technology with the potential to revolutionise the design, manufacturing and supply of parts, particularly within key high value manufacturing sectors. AM affords design freedom that can result in highly complex geometries. The benefits are enhanced functionality, significant mass savings and (potentially) reduced components cost. Although an inherent advantage, such geometric complexity provides a significant challenge for the inspection of AM parts. X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) generates a 3D image of the object, thus allowing detection of entrapped powder and voids, measurement of deviation of all surfaces and, potentially, extraction of surface topography. XCT can be used: During the product and process development to understand failures; the information obtained can be used to reduce the likelihood of build failure at each design iteration. Post-build to verify the quality of the product. XCT is the only viable method for non-destructive imaging (US Air Force Research Labs, 2014) and measurement of metallic products with surfaces that are inaccessible to conventional inspection technologies e.g. optical scanning and tactile probing. However, the capital costs are high and so increase the cost of AM product development, part qualification and, in production, of post-build inspection. 3in1XCT will develop the world's first system (hardware and software) to integrate advanced NDT, dimensional inspection and high-fidelity surface topography extraction for complete postbuild inspection. The platform will eliminate the need for other hardware (2D X-ray, optical scanners, surface profilometers, cut-up etc.) and so reduce the inspection cost per part. Within the project, the data obtained by the 3in1XCT platform will be exploited to provide feedback to digital tools for design and process modelling. This will be the first implementation of direct feedback (real-time within the product development loop) from XCT to design, with the expectation that this could halve the number of design-build iterations during the AM product development cycle. Fully automated workflows for both 3-in-1 inspection and for feedback to the design tools will be developed, eliminating the effort needed from experts in 3D image processing. The system will be tested using complex, real world examples provided by the end-users in the project. The project has representation from automotive, aerospace, space, defence and power generation- all high value, highly regulated sectors for which the high costs of product qualification and inspection creates a barrier to the adoption of AM technology.

SShrink wrapping is widely used as secondary packaging of individual items into larger unit loads. Although shrink wrapping is commonly used, there are disadvantages to this technique, particularly with heat sensitive products such as aerosols. Of all packaging machines, shrink wrappers are one of the heaviest energy users. The process requires running the pack through a heat tunnel at to shrink the polyethylene film onto the product. TRAKRAP have developed an automated wrapping system that uses virtually no heat and uses thin, 100% recyclable “stretch” film to secure the pack. TRAKRAP’s new stretch wrapping system will provide a cost effective wrapping solution for small heat sensitive products, without the need of collated trays. It will provide an alternative to shrink wrapping by offering the same benefits but with considerable energy and cost savings. It will reduce heat and energy requirements by over 90% and reduce the use of plastic materials by >60%. TRAKRAP’s new system will eliminate the risk of explosion, simplify health and safety requirements, lower insurance premiums, and reduce product changeover times (one size of film fits all packs), as well as significant reduction in packaging costs and packaging waste. The proposed system is also much more flexible than shrink wrapping, being able to manage a wide variety of pack sizes, formats and speeds on a digital platform consistent with high value manufacturing. The combination of film development and digital productivity enhancement will have benefits across a wide range of market sectors outside of aerosols alone.

The Ultra High Bypass Ratio (UHBR) engine thermal management systems project, UHBR Thermals, is a technology research project addressing oil heat management, a key enabler for next-generation UHBR turbofan aero engines. Next generation UHBR engines will be much more efficient than current engines, and will feature a larger fan driven by a power gearbox; a smaller, hotter engine core; a shorter fan case; and a slimline nacelle. These engine technology changes will result in a much larger oil heat load to be managed with a much smaller volume available to mount the equipment, and an increasing amount of heat will have to be managed using air. UHBR Thermals will develop new thermal management technologies for UHBR engines, and advanced manufacturing techniques to increase the competitiveness of the UK’s thermal systems supply chain. Supported by investment from the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, UHBR Thermals brings together a team of recognised experts in thermal management design, analysis, and manufacturing, consisting of: Meggitt; S & C Thermofluids; Manufacturing Technology Centre; The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre; the Advanced Forming Centre at the University of Strathclyde; and Cranfield University. UHBR Thermals will be executed over three years from 2017 to 2020, delivering the new capability to the market in time to support the design architecture decision for the next generation engines, which will be delivered to the market in 2025. The UHBR Thermals consortium will be advised by major international turbine aero engine and aircraft manufacturers.

The project will innovate in adaptable, reconfigurable robotic and supporting digital manufacturing technology to deliver a step change in productivity in processes that manufacture & assemble a range of products in small production lots. It will focus on construction product manufacture but outcomes will also be applicable to other manufacturing sectors. Robots have not, to date, been used in these contexts as it has not been possible to easily reconfigure them between different product runs leading to low utilisation, preventing the productivity gains needed to justify investment in automation. However, recent advances in robotics mean that the time is ripe for innovation. Robots must be adaptable and linked to digital design & management capabilities to enable reconfiguration, with manufacturing processes/supply chains reengineered to optimise overall productivity. The project will therefore develop a reconfigurable robotic solution for construction product manufacture and assembly that links to digital Building Information Modelling (BIM). As a use case it will take supply chains for steel fabrication, and mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment in which parts are factory-manufactured, then assembled near to a construction site in a temporary ‘flying factory’. Successful implementation will lead to a 30% improvement in supply chain productivity. It will create a new market for UK companies (including an SME) providing robotic and related digital solutions for construction. The project solution will be applicable to wider manufacturing sectors where the ability to manufacture multiple product types in low lot sizes is key.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) creates complex 3D components at near net shape. Surface finish(SF) of the AM part is uneven, with surface roughness being variable over the facets of the design. The surface quality achievable using standard post-processing methods is unacceptable for some industry sector AM part uptake. The challenge here is to improve metal AM part surface finish by decreasing the variability of surface roughness of the near net-part during AM production and to improve post-processing (PP) techniques to suit increased AM part complexity. This project aims to develop an innovative process optimisation system which can link AM build parameters to the surface finish produced to generate a software tool for AM designers to use to select the best parameters to generate an optimised surface finish for the individual AM part, and subsequent optimised post-processing SF methodologies. This approach will optimise both the AM build process as well as PP techniques to enable the delivery of the required surface finishes, increase industrial adoption of high-value AM parts, generating increased sales and employment while supporting UK manufacturing innovation.

Smart Separations Ltd. (SSL) is developing a proprietary microfilter technology that can be easily tailored to suit many different industry needs by varying the pore size in a controlled manner. The regularity of the pore size is a unique selling point in many different markets and applications. New filters based on this technology are highly innovative and potentially highly commercially disruptive. The novel manufacturing process is both scalable and cost effective and the membrane structure can be controlled to a high degree without secondary processing or sophisticated equipment, which will reduce the costs of filtration as well. The aim of this project is to improve the performance capabilities and high-value and high-volume manufacturing of our membrane technology. Achieving this will open up further market opportunities, including a new indoor air purification device containing novel coatings with the ability to remove particulates, microbes and volatile compounds from an air stream, which will revolutionise the sector.

The demand for cleaner, cheaper and yet more comfortable air travel is prominent in today’s world of increasing passenger numbers. It is forecast that there will be an increase in turboprop aircraft satisfying the demand for short and medium distances as the fuel savings compared to regional jets will outweigh the slight speed advantage they have. It is therefore essential that propulsion technology for turboprop aircraft continues to improve and contributes towards the goals established in the Aerospace Technology Institute’s strategy and the Flight path 2050 targets. Digital Propulsion is a project with world leading partners, led by Dowty Propellers that will ensure that UK organisations are leading the way for the world in this field. It will utilise the most up to date design and manufacturing methods to not only reduce costs, but also increase performance. Emitted noise will be reduced, improving the passenger experience. Futuristic blade design along with improved lighter control systems will contribute towards fuel savings. The most advanced manufacturing technology will be utilised to increase production while reducing the cost of manufacture. All of the work packages in Digital Propulsion will embed the Digital Thread. This is a web of data that creates the manufacturing health record of machines, which includes data from everything to operator logs to weather patterns, and can be added to as needed. From the start of a customer engagement, through manufacturing at GE's "Brilliant Factories," to the servicing of our products, we're weaving together our processes and technology for productivity gains.

The SEAMLESS project represents a major technical and commercial advance in the area ofpost processing for additive manufacturing. The poor surface quality for AM parts has been amajor barrier for full process adoption, which will be addressed in this project. The SEAMLESSsolution combines a number of surface finishing and post processing technologies includingsuper finishing, laser peening, laser polishing and adaptive linishing, together with in-processinspection and simulation tools to address the post processing requirement for the widestrange of end-users. This will be underpinned by a digital platform to ensure full and seamlessconnectivity between all aspects of the solution, leading to significant cost and time reduction.The outcome of this will be a flexible, automated and digitally enabled solution for post processing for AM.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is often billed as the future of manufacturing, providing unlimited possibilities in terms of part design and complexity, minimal material wastage and the ability to manufacture parts anywhere in the world through the internet. An aspect of AM that receives relatively limited attention, yet underpins the foundation that AM relies upon, is powder management. Powder bed AM processes typically use up to 20 kg of powder for each 1 kg of manufactured part. This means that AM users must be able to effectively handle and recycle vast amounts of powder during the process. In the current generation of AM machines the powder handling equipment provide a potential risk to both powder traceability and powder quality. This is largely driven by exposure of the powder to the environment and the use of non-optimal equipment. The PowderCleanse project will develop and demonstrate an effective solution for powder management which utilises digital connectivity to both monitor and control every aspect of the process. Key innovations will be developed for; metal powder sieving, online process monitoring, foreign body contamination detection and fully enclosed powder handling environments. The PowderCleanse system will be directly driven by the needs of end user through the formation of an industrial advisory board (IAB). The IAB will act as both the voice of end-users and as a beta test group.

Concrete is widely used in construction due to its ability to provide structural capacity andfunction cost effectively and at scale. However, its role in construction does not lend itself tocreativity in design. High-end clients typically demand state-of-the-art designs, presenting achallenge in a sector where every building is essentially different to the last. The CAMBER project will seek to develop an innovative 3D concrete printing (3DCP) platformthat meets these demands. 3DCP has the potential to deliver more creative designs whilst stillmaintaining building function cost effectively. However, there are challenges that need to beovercome in terms of materials supply to the printing nozzle, providing support material for theconcrete prior to setting to produce complex geometries and overhangs, finishing afterplacement to provide a suitable surface and materials formulation. Work is also needed to linkthe 3DCP to building information modeling capabilities. Additionally a 3DCP capability needsto be mobile such that it can be readily set up and used on a construction site (or in temporary,near-site factory) in order to optimize productivity in line with recent construction processinnovation.Building on recent R&D work and IP developed within the consortium CAMBER will addressthese barriers and opportunities. Led by Skanska to ensure that user needs remain a focus andto provide a route to market, it brings together a strong, supply chain-orientated consortiumfrom construction (Skanska, Tarmac, Fosters + Partners, BRE), manufacturing automation(ABB, MTC, Loughborough University) and an SME digital solutions provider (HAL). It builds onprevious R&D work (and IP) by project partners (including innovation in the application of BIMto product design, as well as materials, process and finishing). It will develop a mobile additivemanufacturing platform (and associated supply and processing capabilities) for the costeffective,mainstream 3D printing of a wide range of large concrete components (includingcomplex geometries), such as façade units, wall panels, partitions, street furniture etc. inprecast concrete factories or via the mobile platform in a near/onsite flying factory. The initialfocus will be on meeting the requirements for 'high-end' markets. However, successfulimplementation and subsequent economies of scale will mean that the approach will be costeffective in more mainstream construction markets. The platform will integrate recent digitalconstruction sector innovations -- especially Building Information Modelling (BIM).

It is difficult and expensive to detect potential defects within off-shore wind turbines. Failures, when they occur are catastrophic and expensive. Support vessels can cost £250K per day and other losses can extend costs of failure into £millions. The AIMS project will demonstrate the feasibility of a system of static and mobile sensors, to detect and mitigate the occurrence of faults within the structure and machinery of the wind turbine before a catastrophic failure occurs. Our proposal is first use of static sensors on a wind turbine to detect small deflections and vibrations to the structure to localise a potential failure. Our solution allows for these sensors to report this to nodes connected to client operations as well as launching a UAV to perform a visual check, safely and securely in a hostile environment. This project seeks to develop the backbone of a system which can initially mitigate the issue of failure on a wind turbine, however we foresee that the system may have other cross functional application in the energy, transport and construction industries which we will detail in a road map report at the end of the project.

A novel hot-isostatic pressing (HIP) process route will be developed to enable net-shape, high-integrity components to be produced from high-performance materials. An innovative manufacturing route will be developed to produce high-precision, low-cost tools, allowing the HIP process to produce complex-shape parts at lower-cost and higher throughput. An advanced powder-handling system will be developed to ensure minimal contamination to the processed powders. The process is supported by a digital process selection tool to assess the viability of the process for a selected component against competing technologies. Key innovations include a new route to produce complex-shaped components using HIP, a novel powder handling system to ensure high-purity components and a CAD-based process selection tool.

This project will develop technologies that will allow rapid manufacture of components for future development rig and engine tests. This project will address the development of a range of manufacturing technologies that currently have long production lead times. The work packages will be developed by Rolls-Royce working in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the University of Birmingham and using a UK supply chain.

This project will develop competitive capabilities to manufacture complex, high-functionality components by advanced joining and fabrication methods. Replacement of outdated welding processes and a systems engineering based approach to structures fabrication will deliver step-change improvements in component and assembly cost, quality and supply chain productivity. The technologies developed will enable cost and weight reduction on current and future engines. The work packages will be developed by Rolls-Royce working in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and using the UK manufacturing services supply chain.

This project addresses the urgent need for new materials which offer radically improved performance for the manufacture of critical components for slurry pumps. These pumps, used extensively in coal and mineral mining and processing, are subject to impact, wear and corrosion. Current materials, typically white cast iron, are only able to provide some of the properties required in this extremely demanding environment, thus limiting the service life of parts and increasing the risk of premature failure. This high value equipment is often installed in remote locations overseas making replacement difficult and costly. Moreover, failure can halt major mining operations, leading to substantial financial penalties. In WEAR a novel material solution, will be developed using an advanced powder metallurgy approach. In the project samples of material will be subjected to accelerated life testing and the most appropriate material will be used to produce a demonstration part which will be tested in the field.

The FlexiFinish project addresses the significant challenges faced by industry surrounding the ability to finish surfaces on complex parts, in a controlled and cost effective manner. This is also becoming a significant barrier to the wider uptake of additive parts within the Aerospace industry and beyond. In order to address this, the FlexiFinish project will create a fully automated cell which includes a number of finishing (laser polishing and adaptive linishing) and post processing technologies (shot peening). The cell will be enclosed, and will use adaptive toolpath software alongside inspection technologies (roughness and dimensional) to allow automated finishing of multiple parts' geometris. A database of finishing strategies and approaches will also be created, and constantly updated to improve quality. This will not only improve current capability, but will reduce costs and timescales from existing approaches

Current socio-economic pressures on the global civil aerospace industry are increasing the utilisation of titanium in aero-structures. Production of parts by existing methods leads to inefficient buy-to-fly ratios (as high as 20:1), which is becoming increasingly uneconomical (high material cost & labour intensive; leading to high repeat costs, long lead times & design constraints) and driving the need for structures to be fabricated by near-net-shape welding processes. Laser welding is emerging as the process of choice since it can produce low distortion welds of good quality and properties at significantly faster speeds than other welding processes. The OLIVER project will further develop knowledge in laser welding titanium and its application to structural aerospace assemblies, and at the same time exploit this knowledge by developing UK manufacturing capability both within the UK supply chain and OEMs. Project OLIVER includes 2 OEM case studies which represent first- to-market opportunities for the technologies to be developed. A further case study is included which will demonstrate the capability of laser welding a strut component in a revolutionary titanium-composite.

The Camshaft Lightweighting through Advanced Manufacturing (CLAMP) feasibility study compares two novel methods for manufacturing hollow camshafts with the current state of the art. Innovation combining traditional and state of the art manufacturing processes for camshaft production with the aim of reducing vehicle emissions and while achieving improved engine performance.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers unrivalled flexibility in terms of part geometry, material composition and production volumes. It could revolutionise the high value manufacturing sector and in particular the aerospace industry, enabling complex, lightweight, high performance parts to be produced with less material waste. Unfortunately, despite the clear potential, until recently AM has been largely restricted to the production of prototypes and components for rig testing. In the RAMP-UP project a comprehensive programme of experimental work will be conducted to address the critical challenges which must be overcome for widespread adoption of AM for the production of “flying” production parts within the civil aerospace sector.

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The potential market for Thermo-Electric technology is 56 billion, with 26bn for transportation cooling alone. Current commercial Thermo-Electrics for cooling applications are typically based on Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3) where the Figure of Merit, ZT peak is 1.0 @ 80oC and average ZT over Thermo-Electric Cooling (TEC) operating temperature of 0.8, limiting the maximum heat flow (Qmax) to 52.2W, the maximum temperature difference (Tmax) to 74oC and the Coefficient of Performance (CoP) of 1.46 for a typical TEC module. HUNTER will develop advanced materials solutions based on Phonon scattering through grain boundary engineering; Engineering of antisites and Metal-semiconductor interface for electron filtering to create n- and p-type Thermo-Electric BiTe alloys with average ZT1 across the effective operating temperature range. By achieving this performance, we will be able to increase TEC module efficiency so that Qmax > 57.3W, Tmax >78oC and CoP 1.94, this is beyond anything achieved previously. By achieving this we will create global USPs for TEC modules with particular application for automotive zonal cooling applications. Project Summary

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This project will develop high product efficiency and high productivity turbine manufacturing methods. It will include machining, coating, modelling and inspection technology development. The work packages will be developed by Rolls-Royce working in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, the University of Birmingham and using the UK manufacturing services supply chain.

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This project will develop technologies for the manufacture of gas turbine discs, blisks and rotating assemblies. Innovative modelling, manufacturing process optimisation and efficient validation regimes will be developed to significantly enhance current and future engine designs. The work packages will be developed by Rolls-Royce working in partnership with the Manufacturing Technology Centre, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the University of Birmingham and utilising the UK manufacturing services supply chain.

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The Little Owl is an industry led project to research into a novel method of 'clean' efficient propulsion for an unmanned air system with associated technologies to facilitate extended time-on-station and long endurance.

Remanufacturing is a major manufacturing challenge due to the variation in the condition of incoming parts, as well as the need to react quickly to varying demand, driven by factors including in-service failure (such as casualty wheel flats in the rail sector) which makes accurate forecasting very difficult. Moreover, the approach presents important supply chain and logistical challenges to ensure that parts are collected and returned at the right time and place to meet complex repair schedules, involving multiple activities against fixed deadlines. Existing repair methods often entail a series of manual tasks, undertaken in different locations, making precise control impossible. A different approach is required for heavily utilised high value equipment where "out-of-service" time must be minimised. In the AURORA project, the world's first flexible remanufacturing cell for rail components, combining high performance cladding, machining and in-process part inspection, to ensure the accuracy and integrity of parts, will be developed and demonstrated. This new approach will enable novel business models to be investigated.

Driven by competition, demand and legislation designers of products are striving for increased efficiency, smaller size and weight and lower cost, but they are limited by the efficiency constraints of Si or the cost of today’s SiC devices. Anvil’s unique SiC technology enables the development of devices with the efficiency and size benefits of SiC but at the cost of silicon. However the benefits that can be achieved by changing to SiC are limited by the switching speeds which are in turn limited by the inductances produced by non-close coupling of discrete devices and ancillaries. This project is to develop a low cost hybrid module to enable close coupling of devices and ancillaries, reduce inductances and achieve switching speeds of 100KHz. This significantly increases efficiencies and reduces size and weight by removing ancillary components and heat sinks. The potential applications for such a module are very wide indeed: for example LED lighting, PV converters, general power supplies, electric car charging and EV/HEV.

As part of it drive to stay at the forefront of innovation in the can-making industry and to build on its recent innovative successes leading to awards for export, CMB Engineering are seeking to further improve the design and operation of its equipment to make them more efficient and flexible, in order to meet the changing demands of their global customer base and consumers. By working with their partners in this project, CMB will also seek to accelerate their speed to market for new and innovative equipment

Laser processing is extensively used in advanced manufacturing, mostly using conventional (CNC-based) machine tools. Many critical laser processes, such as drilling of aerospace components, are required to achieve positional accuracy less than 25µm, which is not possible using existing robot configurations. FlexLase project aims to develop a flexible robotic system with positional accuracy less than 25 microns, using a novel vision system and a real-time laser beam position control. The final FlexLase system will be highly flexible, affordable and highly reconfigurable compared to current/alternative technologies.

The objectives of this project are to demonstrate the feasibility of using novel, lightweight, long-length, flexible printed circuitry to replace traditional wire and cable in aerospace applications and to demonstrate a cost effective reel-to reel manufacturing process for a system solution.

This feasibility study project aims to establish the basis for a new construction industry sector in mass- customised, off-site manufactured domestic refurbishment. This will require innovation in business models; supply chain relationships and interoperability; the treatment of risk, performance assurance and warranties in contractual relationships; financing and investment; post refurbishment maintenance arrangements and in the technical approaches adopted from capturing the pre-refurbishment property data to physical upgrade, testing and verification and building operation. The project will thus set out a coherent set of industry and market interventions to deliver physical, organisational, contractual, performance guaranteed and warranted framework that will drive the development and mass uptake of affordable deep refurbishment packages for the existing housing stock. If successful the partners will exploit the findings through progressing to physical piloting of the approach in social housing stock and through dissemination across a wide customer and supplier base.

Meggitt Modular Modifiable Manufacturing (M4) introduces Object Oriented Manufacturing to the manufacture of highly bespoke, complex, high performance products that characterise UK aerospace manufacturing today. Working with the AMRC and MTC Catapults, and IBM UK, Meggitt will research the application of new manufacturing technologies to provide unprecedented flexibility and utilisation in a next-generation factory environment. AMRC will combine its expertise in advanced manufacturing methods with MTC's expertise in factory automation and control, to develop next generation factory concepts, combining flexible, automated, interactive workstations with real-time optimisation of the overall factory and flow, with autonomous movement of products within the factory. IBM will provide the underlying manufacturing data architecture allowing new levels of process and product analytics, and supporting continuous optimisation of the manufacturing process, at product and factory levels.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

A novel, sequential, net-shape process will be developed to enable complex, light-weight components to be created with minimum waste capable of supporting a wide range of production volumes. Metal powders are encapsulated in a complex-geometry reusable rubber tool and isostatically pressed. The resulting compacts are fully densified using a novel hot isostatic pressing (HIP) method that enables the densification of multiple green compacts into full density. Key innovations include novel tooling method to produce partially consolidated complex compacts and novel processing route to simultaneously consolidate multiple components to full density.

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The 2G-HMS project builds on the success of the Innovate UK supported RECLAIM project which developed the World’s first Hybrid Manufacturing System (HMS) capable of seamless switching between additive manufacturing (laser cladding) and subtractive manufacturing (high speed milling) in a single machine using a novel docking system. Although the HMS approach is now being commercialised by HMT, a spin out from the RECLAIM project, with the support of other partners including the MTC further developments are urgently required. The partners in the project will increase the productivity and flexibility of the HMS approach, ensure improved part quality through process monitoring and control, extend the range of proven materials and demonstrate the efficacy of the system in applications from key end-use sectors. The developments in the 2G-HMS project will provide a step changes in process capability which will enable new markets to be explored which is essential for HMS to gain widespread acceptance and to ensure that the UK maintains a lead in this important technology

The EDEN consortium have developed a highly innovative beverage can end (top end) design with inherent structural strength which saves up to 30% material over the most advanced beverage can end currently on the market. However, to realise this commercially requires a fundamental change to today’s flat sheet aluminium manufacturing processes. EDEN will enable this commercial implementation through the development of highly-innovative, automated, mechanical conversion manufacturing processes for high-throughput: end seaming geometry; laser-based panel scoring, and tab attachment through laser-welding. Successful implementation of the EDEN technology will enable our supply chain to create new manufacturing technologies of UK origin that can be sold globally both directly and under licence. EDEN will lead to significant reductions in materials and energy usage as well as greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product lifetime from manufacture to final use. The commercial and environmental benefits will be achieved globally.

The NEER project will deliver a selective net shape (SNS) powder Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) supply chain to manufacture large civil nuclear components. The NEER projects will develop and innovate in 4 key process areas: 1) Raw Material Development-The atomisation processing techniques for a key civil nuclear material (316L) will be investigated and down selected on suitability for net shape HIP processing as well as development of a ‘next generation civil nuclear alloy’ and HIP processing route. 2) Efficient HIP Tooling- In NEER, specialist low cost, selective net shape (SNS) and reusable HIP tools will be developed with the aid of modern modelling techniques to make efficient use of raw materials and minimise both waste and cost. 3) Design for Manufacture- NEER will demonstrate how civil nuclear sub-components may be formed as one piece by HIP without the need for welding improving the component integrity and reducing the need for inspection. 4) Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) - NEER will develop NDE techniques such as ultrasound and coverage simulation for the inspection and validation of real component geometry SNS HIPed components.

There is an increasing demand for high performance materials most of which are not compactable with conventional cleaning techniques. Cleaning of these materials is essential to exploit their enhanced properties as surface contaminants can initiate premature part failure. The most widely employed cleaning method for engineering parts is acid etching which will be restricted to a large extent under the REACH legislation. In this project a novel adaptive laser cleaning system will be developed which can achieve right-first-time cleaning on most engineering materials.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

This Technology Strategy Board supported project will research and develop an innovative supply chain processes for the production of key components. These components form part of a highly innovative range of products that will support vehicle manufacturers to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The lead industry partner will be Torotrak (Development) Limited supported in the consortium by Advanced Forging Research Centre and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. This group will evaluate and develop the most appropriate steels that suit the innovative forging processes to ultimately reduce post processing and thus costs and the supply chain lead time. The outcome will then enable industry to exploit the new processes and therefore see the CO2 reducing products into market to support the vehicle manufacturers.

Quality verification is a vital part of electronics manufacturing, allowing yields, product lifetimes and failure modes to be controlled. The most critical features are the thousands of solder joints on a typical assembly. However, as the sizes of components and solder joints shrink, verification of solder joint quality is becoming increasingly challenging. The major technology turned to by manufacturers, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) is the subject of widespread dissatisfaction centred on its poor performance, with unacceptably high false call rates, onerous programming, and lack of reference to standards. The A3Di machine works on a fundamentally different principle of 3D shape measurement, allowing circumvention of the technical problems with AOI. This project will develop the A3Di machine into an effective, high throughput and accurate production tool by formulating algorithms to classify solder joint quality, validated using the first ever database of acceptable solder joint 3D shapes. Such a tool has potential to gain large market share and dramatically improve electronics assembly process control, leading to significant reductions in scrap, rework, and returns.

Rolls-Royce has built a technology leading position with its family of Trent engines; resulting in the development of the Trent XWB, the world’s most efficient engine. Building upon the company’s heritage of three shaft engines Rolls-Royce has announced its intent to develop a novel geared engine that will ensure that it maintains its competitiveness into the mid-2020s and beyond. A key feature of this new engine architecture will be the development of a very high power gearbox that can translate power from a high rotational speed Intermediate Pressure Turbine (IPT) to a low speed high propulsive efficiency fan. The gearbox will be required to operate at very high speeds and loads, while still delivering an acceptable service life. To achieve the performance required in this demanding environment will require research into the development of new materials, coatings and oils, and the optimisation of high precision manufacturing processes.

With the ever more stringent requirements on improved fuel efficiency and CO2 emission reduction for road vehicles, a key enabling technology is the use of advanced composite materials to significantly reduce the mass of vehicles on the road. Life cycle analysis has shown that approximately 15% of total CO2 emissions results from material and parts production, assembly and disposal. The remaining 85% of the CO2 is emitted during operation and driving. The lighter the vehicle is, the less fuel is burnt and the lower are the CO2 emissions. A 10% reduction in vehicle mass improves fuel consumption by 7%, and every litre of fuel saved reduces CO2 emissions by 2.6kg. Advanced carbon fibre composite materials have higher strength to weight ratios, better chemical and heat resistance and greater design flexibility when compared to conventional automotive construction materials. A consortium, led by an automotive OEM, with partners including a material supplier, high value manufacturing catapult centres and an academic institution, aim to develop technologies that will significantly reduce the cost of utilising these advanced materials in vehicle structures, a traditional barrier to date. Through a combination of reduced material wastage and automated pre-form manufacture, these technologies will have a significant impact on the cost of resin transfer moulded composite components. Not only will they be of benefit to the automotive industry, but also to other industrial sectors such as wind energy, sporting goods and aerospace.

The SHIPSHAPE project unlocks the commercial potential of the Powder-HIP process. In Powder-HIP a sacrificial metal canister is filled with fine metallic powder which is then consolidated at high pressure and temperature, in a Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) vessel, to form a fully dense part. Powder-HIP provides an effective method of producing complex, high performance metal parts, with little or no material waste, making it particularly attractive for processing high value, scare materials (such as nickel superalloys, hardmetals, and Ti64 and Metal Matrix Composites), however the limitations of the current canister manufacturing methods severely restricts its use. In the SHIPSHAPE project a novel electroforming method will be developed to enable complex canisters to be produced quickly and cheaply. Basic proof-of-concept has already been demonstrated and the project will focus on extended the capability to a wider range of powder-HIP materials. In addition key issues such as cost, scalability and productionisation of the SHIPSHAPE approach will be addressed.

This project will deliver a production-feasible waste heat recovery system for urban commercial vehicles, which offers life-cycle CO2 savings of up to 40%, fuel savings up to almost 50%, and potential payback in less than three years. The project uses the Dearman Engine, a high efficiency liquid-air expander that uniquely harvests low grade heat sources and is most effective in urban duty cycles, working with the internal combustion engine as a hybrid. In so doing, more efficient and less transient ICE operation is realised, leading not only to higher efficiency but to potential for improved air quality or simplified aftertreatment. The technology uses readily available materials with low embedded carbon, and operates with commercially available liquid nitrogen which is already produced using off-peak electricity and has great potential for storing “wrong-time” renewables. Bringing together expertise in the Dearman system, industrial gases, IC engines, vehicle systems, legislation and standards and manufacturing, the consortium will advance TRL, MRL and develop an exploitation plan. This will be achieved through an on vehicle demonstration of the system alongside a process of engaging the potential supply, demand and legislative chains. The project creates significant UK advantage in a future urban medium/heavy duty vehicle market of over 3 million units per year.

This consortium will develop manufacturing technologies to challenge the current state of the art manufacturing system for complex landing gear components to achieve Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL6). Funding opportunity with the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) is allowing developing technologies with partners (Academia or other industrials) to keep our competitive edge in the difficult to manufacture materials. MBD is the leader in the design, manufacture and testing of Landing Gears product. By working together with the UK Advanced Manufacturing research centres (AMRC and The MTC), the consortium will provide a powerful team to deliver challenging innovation to benefits UK Aerospace industry.

European legislation (REACh regulations) requires the elimination of hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+), which is carcinogenic, by September 2017. Existing sacrificial coatings, used for corrosion protection in aerospace, all contain Cr6+ and, therefore, must be replaced. Currently available alternatives do not give acceptable performance, so new replacement materials are needed. A complete supply chain consortium, plus academic and CATAPULT support, has been brought together to address this issue. This project aims to formulate a new sacrificial coating for corrosion protection of steel aero-engine components that is free from hexavalent chromium and demonstrate the technology to TRL5. In addition, improved, cost-effective application methodology will be developed, incorporating automation where appropriate, to increase manufacturing rate and capacity and reduce waste. Furthermore, in a field traditionally developed on an empirical basis, this project aims to provide an improved science based understanding of the coating behaviour, which will underpin the innovative sacrificial coating technology being developed.

This is a two year programme of work that is aligned to the ATI strategy to Protect, Exploit and Position UK key Aerostructures companies that brings together a consortium of Prime and leading supply chain companies within the civil aerospace sector with the following aim: “To maintain and strengthen UK Aerostructures manufacturing capability for conventional and next generation airframe structures in support of maintaining complete wing capability for UK manufacturing.” This proposal is an integrated part of a seven year strategic target to generate a future factory vision that enables component manufacture, assembly and equipping to be developed and proven in a safe environment in a novel way, before it is applied to the production line, differentiating the future facility from any other global benchmark. The strategic vision will develop a number of key outputs that will define a world class manufacturing facility: Vertical and horizontal integration of the supply chain in the virtual environment to manage logistics, zero variation, and product customisation Low energy facility and technologies to minimise operational costs within the plant A reconfigurable industrial facility to meet operational needs such as surge capacity, rate fluctuation and product mix variation A high level of automated activities to minimise variation, eliminate repetitive and unwieldy tasks, qualify processes and equipment, and realise measurement assisted manufacture to optimise product quality. The project will also generate spin off technologies virtually from the start that can be transferred to production as soon as they are mature enough to begin to deliver benefit on today’s products.

VIEWS is a five year programme of work which brings together a consortium of Prime and leading Tier One supply chain companies within the civil aerospace sector with the followingaim: “To maintain and strengthen UK Aero structures manufacturing capability for conventional and next generation airframe structures in support of maintaining complete wing capability for UK manufacturing.” The VIEWS Programme is aligned to the ATI strategy to Protect, Exploit and Position UK key Aerostructures Tier 1 companies in an already established consortium including GKN Aerospace, Bombardier, Spirit & GE Aviation. VIEWS aims - To help sustain 12,600 aerospace jobs within the collaboration, a key contribution in an existing UK market value of £24Bn and to maintain UK global position as second only to the US aerospace sector. Protection of core capability and investment in future technology is vital to ensure that current eroding 17% market share is increased. By sustaining and growing our knowledge base, manufacturing capability, will lead to new capacity which is essential to achieve growth in new markets where advanced manufacturing technology is a key differentiator.

The HEEDS consortium consists of several leading UK Aerospace component suppliers who deliver complex, high integrity, embedded electronic systems on aviation platforms. The consortium has been loosely formed over 4 years through organisations such as the Electronics National Technical Committee (NTC), linked to the Aerospace KTN to address the increasing requirement for electronic systems to function, survive and meet the life requirements of the systems that they control. The consortia consists of a number of end user companies that deliver the final products together with component and packaging capable organisations and also the link to the High Value Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) where the prototype capability will be develop manufacturing processes and techniques so that final product exploitation can be achieved. This projects strongly aligns to the ATI Lifting Off Strategy and will give the UK a key global advantage for its existing and future industry.

The AMCA project will focus on the research, development and implementation of novel Supply Chain techniques in support of new technology introduction in the GE Electronic Controller and Power business. The project will facilitate a step change in the delivery of manufacturing and test capacity and capability to meet aerospace requirements. The project will include the development of PCB manufacturing test equipment and develop new techniques for the enhancement of high volume complex manufacturing processes. It will also focus on the development of Remote Electronic Units for use in harsh environments that will set requirements for future PCB manufacturing and test capabilities. This work is expected to create additional new jobs by 2014 and sustain manufacturing on the GE site for many years beyond.

The project addresses the need for a controlled process for precisely depositing formulated food products, allowing for optimisation in a sustainable and stable manner. Pinnacle will focus on one key product during the project, chocolate, a complex formulated product consisting of cocoa, fat, sugar and proteins which undergoes crystallization to form the solid product. Deposition of molten chocolate is critical in the manufacturing process to achieve and maintain the crystalline form and is a key element of product formulation and flavour development. Currently, deposition is an uncontrolled, non-scientific black-art with little known about its influence on formulation. Depositing systems are outdated and inefficient, lacking the flexibility required to adapt new global, standardised approaches to chocolate manufacturing and regional variation in formulation. Pinnacle will utilise state-of-the-art simulation techniques, in-process sensing technology and advanced manufacturing processes to develop a step change in depositing technology, capable of monitoring and adapting to changes in the ingredients, providing a foundation for future optimisation of chocolate formulation.

Advanced Laser Manufacture for Emissions Reduction (ALMER) This program of work is designed to capitalise on the rapidly emerging technology of Powder Bed Direct Laser Deposition (PBDLD). This technology will enable conceptual design freedoms not available to conventional methods used for the manufacture of aerospace Combustion components. Advanced cooling technologies and lighter components will be manufactured using PBDLD. To achieve this, a consortium of companies of varying sizes, research organisations and academic Institutions will deliver material data for categorisation in a known high temperature alloys, which will enable components to be designed and validated for use. Software is also being developed as part of this program, to exploit this manufacturing technology for the design of components with minimum weight, whilst retaining the desired strength and functionality. This work will ensure that the UK remains at the leading edge of PBDLD, and is able to exploit the benefits in terms of reduced emissions. This will enable compliance with ever increasingly stringent aerospace legislation.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

AUTOMAN will develop and demonstrate advanced manufacturing processes and novel systems deploying intelligent automation technologies - digitally re-configurable tooling, robotic manipulators integrated with computer vision and artificial intelligence simulation software. The new systems will be for producing high-quality customised 3D functional and complex structural parts of lightweight vehicle body panels, high-performance building cladding facades and large integral components. Through the use of intelligent robotic machinery, the proposed automated manufacturing approach will enable rapid fabrication and flexible processing of large compound or freeform customised components in new advanced metallic alloys and hybrid reinforced composites for cross-sector applications - in short, Lean, Agile and Adaptive manufacturing. Industrial sectors benefitting from this work will include the automotive, aerospace, railways, marine, energy, construction, materials processing and tooling industries.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

A key target of the ACARE Flightpath 2050 vision for aviation in Europe is that of reducing CO2 emissions by 75% (relative to 2000 levels), a key contributor to which will be a reduction in aircraft drag. Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) offers the potential for significant drag reductions – in the order of 5% of overall aircraft drag – by extending the surface area over which the boundary layer flow remains laminar, driving down the level of skin friction drag. However, delivering an NLF wing concept in the context of a commercial transport aircraft presents significant challenges, not only for the aerodynamic design of the wing shape, but perhaps more importantly for the structural design and manufacture of the wing, including the integration of all the necessary sub-systems (high-lift devices, ice protection systems, ...); and the subsequent in-service operation. Building upon and continuing the work performed under the APART and SAWOF programmes, ALFET will enable the consortium to improve the understanding and develop the relevant design tools and philosophies in respect of:- 1) NLF aero wing shape for new wing planforms adapted for the technology, including robustness to the effects of surface imperfections and the definition of surface tolerance requirements 2) The structural design and manufacture of a cost-effective NLF wing concept, delivering the required aero performance particularly in terms of surface quality during the life of the aircraft 3) The conceptual design of new wing planforms to maximise the benefits of NLF, integration at an overall aircraft level, including fuel planning, in-service operability and assessments of net benefit The overall objective is to deliver the capability – i.e. the tools, processes, philosophies and underlying understanding – to perform the multi-disciplinary, integrated design and manufacture of a Natural Laminar Flow wing aircraft concept; essentially to bring the NLF technology towards TRL6 maturity.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, raising the UK’s competitive advantage by validating and implementing concepts identified from primary research. The aim of this £15m project undertaken by the MTC was to establish a national Aerospace Research Centre, which would enable leading edge aerospace research and projects between MTC engineers and industry experts to define aerospace technologies for the future. The Centre forms part of the MTC’s research and development campus which includes the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, established to address the manufacturing skills shortage. The 8,000-square foot Aerospace Research Centre on the MTC campus is a facility which will provide a hub for the development of new aerospace manufacturing systems to full industrial scale. Current projects are investigating processes and technologies to reduce carbon emissions from engines with research focusing on tooling for assembly, additive manufacturing and automation to improve engine design, making them more fuel-efficient and reducing the time to manufacture. The Centre is working on next generation innovations such as improved assembly technologies to improve laminar wing flows and reduce surface contamination to reduce drag and enhance aircraft performance. Digitising manufacturing and other big data technologies are already being adopted by aerospace with many aerospace companies investing significant resources in this area, aiming to deploy it within many of their operations. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is driven by advances in sensor technology, connectivity and data analytics and the Centre is a partner in leading the UK strategy for this. The Centre was formally opened at the MTC in Coventry in 2015. The opening ceremony was performed by Anna Soubry MP, who was the Minister for Small Business Industry and Enterprise.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has the potential to revolutionise the design, production and supply of parts, but exploitation has been limited. A major challenge for industry is to understand the true capability of the new techniques - especially making comparisons between machine platforms. The ANVIL project will overcome this issue, by bringing together key end-user sectors and AM experts to develop a standard way of assessing the capability of metal powder bed fusion processes. This approach will be used to compare the latest machines and the information generated will form the basis of an interactive design for AM guide. Application demonstrators will be designed using this guide and manufactured to provide case studies for promoting the effective use of AM technology. An AM-OLR (On-Line Resource) will be established to disseminate the findings and encourage sharing of data across the UK AM sector.