THE QUarterly journal Issue 9 - April 2014 www.namtec.co.uk Additive manufacture - is it a game changer? Page 14 Page 5 Page 8 Page 12 Page 18 Page 20 Reliance retains SC21 The shale gas boom Engineering skills At the cutting edge High Speed Rail 2 Silver Award in the UK of composites The National Metals Technology Centre, Telephone: +44 (0)114 222 4786 University of Sheffield AMRC, Advanced Fax: +44 (0)114 222 7678 Manufacturing Park, Wallis Way, Catcliffe, Email: [email protected] Rotherham, S60 5TZ Introduction Hello and welcome to the Just recently, the Commons ninth edition of the Quarterly Treasury Select Committee Journal. announced it would hold an enquiry into the availability of “positive feel Easter is almost upon us. Just a finance for small to medium few weeks ago, the NAMTEC companies. team were speaking of how fast 2013 seemed to go with little let Nevertheless, when you take and a more up so far in 2014. We’ve already general manufacturing run two successful events since sentiment, coupled with the our last edition (please take a latest manufacturing figures, this look on the back cover) and all gives a positive feel and a optimistic have an exciting agenda planned more optimistic outlook, so we for the rest of the year, including all look forward to continued Manufacturing 2050 and Latest improvement in 2014. Advances in Arc Welding for outlook”... Industry. In speaking with our various members, I have been pleasantly surprised to hear that many of you didn’t have a quiet end of year as expected – in fact just the opposite. We have also noted an upturn in companies looking to put employees through the AMRC Training Centre's CPD courses. Of course, not all is rosy. Many smaller companies still raise concerns over access to finance. Dr. Alan McLelland Director Above left: Manufacturing 2050, see page 24 Left: High Speed Rail 2, see page 20 Front cover: Electron beam melt pool courtesy of Arcam, see page 14 Contents Members News page 3-5 Case Studies General News page 6-7 Direct Company Support Scheme enhances Bifrangi’s competitiveness page 21 Features Introduction of a flexible 'Lean Warehouse' The shale gas boom page 8-11 facility that moves with the demands Engineering skills in the UK page 12-13 of the customer page 22 Additive manufacture - is it a game changer? page 14-17 New Members page 23 The cutting edge of composites page 18-19 Event Reviews page 24 High Speed Rail 2 page 20 Upcoming Events page 24 THE QUarterly To keep up to date with all Advertising Enquiries journal the latest news and Kirsten Bolton, Marketing Manager The National Metals Technology Centre, Tel: +44(0)114 222 4786 developments please visit Tel: 0114 222 4785 University of Sheffield AMRC, Advanced Fax: +44(0)114 222 7678 the NAMTEC website at Email: Manufacturing Park, Wallis Way, Catcliffe, Email: [email protected] www.namtec.co.uk [email protected] Rotherham, S60 5TZ 2 The National Metals Technology Centre Quarterly Journal Member News Providing heat treatment solutions for UK manufacturers AMRC Forum member company also has access to BOC is part of The Linde leading process innovations in Group, a world leading the heat treatment gases and engineering industry from across company operating in 100 the world, which it brings to the UK, thus countries worldwide. With directly benefiting 14 air separation units local heat treaters. (ASUs) and a network of major production For the heat facilities, distribution treatment market, BOC supplies a centres and retail stores, range of gases BOC, the UK’s largest including nitrogen, industrial and medical hydrogen, argon, gases business, has been ammonia and a producing atmospheric variety of bespoke mixtures. gases, including oxygen, BOC’s heat treatment portfolio nitrogen and argon, for also includes its industry leading over 120 years. Carboflex range of gas equipment and control systems. As companies have moved out With a depth of expertise and a of the recession, BOC have breadth of service across the found they are increasingly nation, BOC is well placed to supporting the heat treatment specifications. Ultimately this basis. The expertise of BOC’s support this essential community within the UK. provides increased reliability, engineers and their familiarity metallurgical sector. Companies are seeking to make productivity, safety, customer with heat treatment processes is For further information please replacements or upgrades to service and, crucially, cost key to the success of its work. contact BOC on 0800 111 333 equipment that may have been effectiveness. UK clients benefit not only from or by email: [email protected] put on hold during leaner times an extensive local support BOC has strong relationships and mention ‘Heat Treatment’ network but also from the but, importantly, are seeing the with a number of world-leading extended support and expertise need to make improvements to heat treaters in the UK and from BOC’s global experts who processes to meet ever more supports them on an ongoing demanding heat treatment are regularly within the UK. The Brand new £5m facility located MG Sanders rebrand in Stafford to MGS Precision Formed in 1971, initially as an antenna design and manufacturing company, MG Sanders are noted machinists of specialty metals and exotic alloys as well as their own in-house produced ‘Densamet’ tungsten alloy. MGS Precision new facilities April 2014 will see the company tungsten alloy and its associated additional processes such as sustained growth will need to be re-brand as “MGS Precision” components. In terms of magnetic particle NDT being underpinned by further and they are looking forward to a capability, MG Sanders have added to their current capability, developments in powder brand new £5m facility located in already made significant as well as additional machining metallurgy and material Stafford, which will see further investment in 2013 with the capacity. production, further investment in developing addition of NADCAP approved complemented by new and Rapid growth over the past few capability from being solely NDT facilities and an aerospace innovative manufacturing years has driven the company to “build to print” machinists, into components painting facility at processes, to support the the current expansion of manufacturers of large diesel their current factory in Stone, demands of the modern capacity. However, the company engine components, whilst Staffordshire, and this will aerospace, nuclear and power is quick to recognise that continuing as producers of continue throughout 2015 with generation industries. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)114 222 4786 www.namtec.co.uk 3 Member News ...coating new The company which has long “When we listened to what our awarded a landing strips 25 years in the metal been recognised as one of the customers wanted, offering the prestigious contract for the runways at spraying sector. country’s premier industrial greenest solution was just as by the Marwood Heathrow and Managing Director - paint applicators for steel important a factor as cost” said Group for coating Gatwick. Nik Vjestica said fabrications is currently Ian Hartley - Surface Coatings new landing strips for “New technology and expanding their services to Manager. the runways at Heathrow products are important to provide a range of thin film “We are very pleased to be and Gatwick. The landing strips our customers, but so are our coatings including Xylan, working with Chemetall and will be thermally sprayed with a relationships, we focus on both Everslik and PTFE for precision utilising their latest low new anti-slip alloy coating customers and suppliers and engineered components. temperature nickel free zinc manufactured by Metallisation are committed to developing The company is working in phosphate solution to meet Limited. This new contract long term partnerships with close partnership with that market aspiration.” continues to reinforce the them. We are convinced that Chemetall to create a brand The surface coating division strong relationship between the this closer working approach is new eco-friendly zinc are also pleased to announce two companies which have the way forward for British phosphating facility opening at that they have been been working together for over companies to compete at the Easter this year. international level.” Austin Hayes: coating runway strips Austin Hayes breaks new ground Austin Hayes Limited, the Leeds based surface coating specialist continues to break new ground by focusing on new products and technology in the metal finishing industry. “Drilling Hardide Coatings activity is taking place in deeper & more demanding develops conditions than groundbreaking ever before” technology for TSP diamonds Hardide Coatings has extremely abrasive wear and so the new coating application will carbide based adhesive and developed an innovative erosive conditions such as reduce expensive maintenance protective coating which coating to extend the life and horizontal and directional drilling, and down time costs of drilling chemically bonds to diamond and improve the performance of as well as fracking. Improved tool projects. This will in turn boost the has good wettability with brazing drilling tools operating in performance will enhance the economics of smaller and more alloys. extremely abrasive viability of more challenging or mature oil and gas fields, such as Hardide-D is the latest addition to environments. This is the first marginal oil and gas reserves. those in the North Sea.” the company’s family of tungsten successful high performance Hardide Coatings CEO Philip Diamonds are notoriously difficult carbide-based chemical vapour coating for TSP (thermally Kirkham said: “Drilling activity is to attach and are prone to deposition (CVD) coatings that are stable polycrystalline) taking place in deeper and more oxidation and graphitisation, deployed in extremely harsh and diamonds which can demanding conditions than ever limiting their hardfacing use to aggressive environments to withstand the higher before and tools need protection date.