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, 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.”

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