Additive manufacturing set to change industrial operations 28 May 2013

Ian Campbell, Mike Kelly and Dr Bruno Le Razer – all engineers from Warwick – are building a world class centre for additive manufacturing in the West Midlands.

The trio have launched Innovate 2 Make (i2M), which, they say, is all about designing and manufacturing the next generation of components for the aerospace, automotive, motorsport and medical sectors.

To date, they invested £750,000 on premises on Tachbrook Park, Leamington Spa, and the acquisition of a new metal additive manufacturing machine – an EOS M280 400 watt laser melting platform.

Backed by support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), i2M says it is now in talks with several blue chip companies about the possibility of re-designing critical components – so that they are lighter and more cost effective, but also offering long-term performance.

"Additive manufacturing has the potential to cause a paradigm shift in the way we design and make things," insists Campbell, who has worked in air weapons in Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), IBM, TWR and Arrows F1. "It is simple as that."

"We can now manufacture from the inside out and, through the use of layers, achieve angles and shapes that a few years ago would have been impossible," he continues.

"There's a lot of people and universities talking about additive manufacturing or venturing into making the odd prototype. We are looking at this technology with a view to developing techniques and processes that will guarantee high quality components in medium to high volumes."

"You can secure massive weight and cost savings by using alternative materials and embracing additive manufacturing," adds materials scientist Dr Bruno Le Razer, who is responsible for material development at the firm.

"We've already seen the effect of changing airline seat belt buckles from steel to titanium, with a total weight saving of 74kg achieved through this technology. Based on the lifecycle of an Airbus A380, this equates to a 3,300,000 litres fuel saving and 740,000 less tonnes of CO2 emissions."

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Innovate 2 Make Ltd

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