ADVANCED FORMING RESEARCH CENTRE Inchinnan, Renfrewshire Bill Ion Operations Director

1. ADVANCED FORMING RESEARCH CENTRE Inchinnan, Renfrewshire Bill Ion Operations Director

2. Advanced Forming Research Centre Visualisation of the AFRC

3. The AFRC • A research centre supporting fundamental and applied research in forming and forging • Setting new standards for the design and forming of high integrity, high value added products • Dedicated building, staff and equipment • A key member of a global network of advanced manufacturing research institutes • Established August 2009 • Target growth within 5 years to; • Over 45 staff members • Over 20 industry members • Sustainable Research/KT portfolio of over £2.2M per annum

4. High Value Manufacturing Characteristics • “Manufacturing matters, it creates wealth, sustains jobs and is central to economic success” • High research and technology content • Profound understanding of the customer • Exploitation of intellectual property • Well developed systems integration capability • Data informed responses to complex events • Rapid development from concept to exploitation

5. Forged/Formed Components Finish Machined Parts 737 APU Exhaust Fan Blade Aircraft Wheel 787 Nose Cone Compressor Rotor

6. Forging Challenges • Higher quality material • More uniform • Understand the distribution of properties • Location specific properties • Improved tooling • Higher precision • Longer tool life/better lubricants • Improved process control • Press instrumentation • Equipment layout and process flow • Automation • New techniques • Novel forming processes, net shape forming • Novel heating methods, e.g. microwave Main landing gear legs

7. AFRC - the Challenges • To conduct research into key forming and forging ‘challenges’ and to provide industry with ‘useable’ knowledge. • Materials utilisation for economic and environmental benefit • New materials with improved metallurgical properties • New product designs demanding ever more accurate and repeatable formed components • Mass customisation requiring adaptable and flexible processes • To take low maturity technology from a university environment and deploy it in a manufacturing facility

8. AFRC Capability Pipeline 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 INDUSTRY KTP TSB AFRC MCRL/ TRL EPSRC 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 YEARS

9. The AFRC Model • ‘Traditionally there has been no effective route to transform early research into industry ready applications – a new model was required’ Rolls-Royce • Industry scale technology ‘Sand Pit’ • Mutually beneficial public/private partnership • OEM, supplier and academic collaboration • Strong industry pull from partners • Industry scale equipment and real parts • Dedicated high calibre team focused on solution delivery • Focus on technology transfer and exploitation

10. Partnership Model • Cross-sectoral collaborative partnership between leading academic institutions, government, equipment suppliers, OEM’s and other major industrial companies. • Rapid “technology pipeline” from concept – demonstration – exploitation.

11. AFRC Capability Pipeline 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 INDUSTRY KTP TSB AFRC MCRL/ TRL EPSRC 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 YEARS

12. Current Membership Tier 1 Aubert &Duval Boeing Mettis Aerospace Rolls-Royce Timet Tier 2 Bodycote EKES Fanuc GKN Houghton Microsoft Mitutoyo Renishaw

13. AFRC Key Activities • Core Research programme • Funded through membership fees – two membership levels (Tier 1 and Tier 2) • Informed by members • Members share access to IP • Research support • Direct company research support • Research council funding – gearing member fees • Technology Fore-sighting • Roadmapping the next generation of processes, materials etc • Informs the AFRC research agenda • Information Management • Databases • State of the art reviews • Knowledge Exchange • Seminars and short courses • KTPs • Events

14. Developing Mutual Understanding • Interaction with industry partners develops; • Good understanding of each company’s ‘vision’ and the research and KE roadmaps that can help them get there • Leads to targeted collaborative activity • Robust funding applications • Higher funding ‘success rate’.

15. Enhanced University/Industry Staff Interaction • Industry partners • Facilitators/Coordinators based in the AFRC • Member companies represented on AFRC Board and Technical Board • Other industry staff based in AFRC for short periods • Regular throughput of company personnel • provides a mechanism for inter company communication • AFRC • AFRC staff secondments to companies • Regular interaction with staff in partner companies both in the AFRC and on company premises

16. AFRC Membership • Tier 1 • £200k per annum – cash • Contribution funds core research programme • Minimum 3 year commitment • Seat on AFRC Board and Technical Board • Key role in steering the research agenda • All members have access to IP generated though core research • Tier 2 • £25k per annum – cash or donation (equipment/services) • Minimum 3 year commitment • Single Tier 2 representative on Board and Technical Board • All members have access to IP generated though core research • Non members • Projects undertaken on an individual basis • No direct access to core research programme IP

17. Operations commenced August 2009 26 dedicated AFRC staff in place (end June 2010) University staff team engaged in support of AFRC Industry membership recruitment ongoing Core research programme, industry funded projects, KTP and PhD studentships underway Funding; Research/KE (EPSRC, TSB, KTP, company) - £4.3M Member fees Start up funds (Scottish Enterprise) New Building occupancy - June 2010 The AFRC - Current Status

18. AFRC Building and Equipment • Building • Workshops, laboratories, staff accommodation, seminar/exhibition space • Equipment being procured • Industry and laboratory scale • Partnership with key technology providers and OEM partner supply chain Building November 2009

19. 2500m2

20. The Rolls-Royce AxRC Network • The AFRC as a part of a global manufacturing research and KE network