26 June 2008

Steel and so much more

Source: The Engineer, 17 June 2008

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), in association with the University of Sheffield, is a golden example of how Yorkshire has retained its status as one of the UK’s engineering hubs by playing to the strengths of its industrial and academic base.

Yorkshire and Humber has built on its traditional industries of metal processing and textiles to remain one of the key manufacturing regions in the UK. The sector accounts for almost 18 per cent of the region's employment, against a national average of 14 per cent.

Robin Watson, regional director for the Yorkshire and Humber Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), said, 'The region is traditionally a very strong manufacturing centre and it's still the most important sector to the local economy.'

According to regional development agency (RDA) Yorkshire Forward, the key clusters for the region are advanced engineering and metals, food and drink, environmental technology, healthcare, digital and new media. The engineering and metals cluster is flourishing, accounting for 35-40 per cent of the region's gross value added in manufacturing. Key local companies include Sheffield Forgemasters, Frith Rixson and Corus, whose Swinden Technology Centre is in Rotherham.

Watson said: 'We've seen a strong move to support the aerospace industry in this region. This has been supported by spin-out knowledge from the universities in materials and machining technology. As new composite materials are being used in aerospace, we're seeing specialist textile manufacturers that previously wouldn't have seen an opening supplying high-end textiles that can form the basis of composites.'

The region boasts a world-class centre of excellence for materials and production technologies in the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which builds on the expertise and innovation within the University of Sheffield's engineering faculty in close partnership with some of the sector's biggest names.

AMRC focuses on machining and cutting and areas such as nanotech and surface engineering. Partner companies include Boeing, Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems.
The organisation houses one of the UK's most significant manufacturing research centres in the form of the Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future. This will bring together research and application with the aim of developing advanced, sustainable manufacturing technologies and processes. Jim Farmery, Yorkshire Forward's head of innovation, said AMRC is an excellent example of how the region is building on its existing strengths.

The healthcare sector is key to the region, and the NHS is its largest single employer. More than 100 bioscience companies are based there, which together employ more than 8,000. Johnson & Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, and heart valve manufacturer Koehler have a presence. The region is also host to several large chemical firms including Syngenta, BP and Novartis, and is responsible for some 10 per cent of the UK's chemical output.

The UK's first food robotics and information centre, CENFRA, has been established in Doncaster. It researches innovative food technologies with giants such as Greencore, Manor Bakeries, Coca-Cola, Youngs, Blue Crest, Cranswick and KP, and also benefits smaller SMEs.