News: Rotherham manufacturer bucks trend with year-on-year growth after securing NPIF investment

Rotherham-based manufacturer Casting Technology International (CTI) has bucked the trend with continued year-on-year growth two years on from its management buyout and its significant loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund. The investment was also backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Cti is the world’s leading provider of production, innovation, technology, expertise and services to the cast metals sector.

CTI’s turnover grew from £6m to £7.2m from 2021 to 2022 and is expected to grow significantly by the end of the year, which was driven by new client acquisitions and contract wins.

The company, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year, is also committed to creating more opportunities for women after a new report by Engineering UK highlighted the gender disparity in undergraduate engineering and technology degrees. The report revealed 115,000 more girls would need to study A-Level maths and physics each year to bridge the divide.

Since 2021, the foundry has grown staff numbers by 35 per cent. As part of its plans to address the skills gap in STEM, CTI will look to create 12 new apprenticeship roles in the next three years.

Funding from NPIF was used to bolster its world-class manufacturing facility to produce one of the world’s largest ever titanium parts poured into a ceramic mould for a Japanese customer. The funding also helped boost product development, and to expand its sales and marketing infrastructure and resources.

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To help mark its 100-year milestone, Louis Taylor, the newly appointed CEO at British Business Bank, paid a visit to CTI’s facility to find out more about the firm’s plans in the region.

Louis Taylor, CEO at British Business Bank, said: “CTI is a prime example of high-quality British manufacturing. I am proud that the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, backed by the CBILS guarantee programme, and our fund managers at Mercia have been able to support the management team through a period of exceptional growth. CTI has been a key part of Rotherham’s manufacturing scene for almost a century and has demonstrated true resilience in response to the various headwinds that sector has faced. Its commitment to supporting the next generation of women coming into this sector is remarkable, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the business in the years to come.”

Kevin Parkin, chairman at Casting Technology International, said: “We’ve been at the heart of manufacturing in the UK for 100 years, and funding from NPIF and Mercia has helped ensure that we’ll continue this legacy for years to come. We know the value of future investment into R&D and new technologies which is why we’re focusing heavily on that part of the business this year as we seek out new opportunities to grow. We’re also committed to increasing equality, diversity, and inclusion amongst our workforce, and our pipeline of apprenticeship schemes will be a key part in reaching that goal.”

Paul Taberner, managing director at Mercia, said: “CTI is a great example of the role NPIF and CBILS can play in enabling an SME to achieve its strategic ambitions. Working alongside its primary funders, Mercia was delighted to support the company in achieving the next step in its evolution and is equally delighted to see the progress made since the MBO, in particular the creation of new highly-skilled jobs and the significant investment in research and development.”

Both the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the CBILS guarantee programme are delivered by the British Business Bank. Mercia Asset Management was the fund manager on the deal.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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News: Cti joins the cast at AMRC

Internationally renowned castings company, Castings Technology International (Cti), has become a new partner of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), recognising the ‘synergy’ between the two organisations and the value it will bring to its customers.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Cti is the world’s leading provider of production, innovation, technology, expertise and services to the cast metals sector. Sitting alongside the AMRC on the AMP, Cti provides advanced casting expertise and manufacturing capabilities, including computer process modelling, design for casting manufacture, rapid manufacture of precision castings, additive processes and materials research, for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing industries.

Managing director, Richard Cook, said: “With extensive multi-alloy manufacturing capability, unique consultancy services and a global network of foundry members, Cti is a ‘one stop shop’ for casting designers, users and manufacturers.

“Once a subsidiary of the AMRC, Castings Technology International is delighted to have become a member of this world-leading cluster of research groups. There is a great deal of synergy in what we do, in particular the ability to signpost clients from pure R&D towards the exploitation of newly developed technology and vice versa for those with mature products who are looking for R&D support.

“We relish the continued association with AMRC and the value that it will add to both Cti and our customer base.”



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Formed in 1996, following the merger of the British Cast Iron Research Association and British Steel Casting Research Association, Castings Technology International Ltd moved to a 5,000 m² workshop in Rotherham in 2006. In 2013, the University of Sheffield acquired the company and Titanium Castings UK Ltd to form CTI as a University subsidiary; funding was also secured to expand the facility to 1,200 m² and to house Europe’s largest titanium melting facility.

In 2021, the management team and the University of Sheffield agreed a management buyout with ownership transferred to the company’s existing management team, which operates it as a privately-run business.

Cti has become a Tier 2 member or the AMRC, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which allows it to participate in, and obtain the results of, all generic projects as well as being represented on the AMRC’s industrial board. Membership is open to any company which works in a complementary area or which wishes to participate in the support of the AMRC’s research programmes.

Ben Morgan, AMRC research director, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have Cti formally join the AMRC membership. We have obviously had a very close and successful working relationship in the past and this membership will build on that firm foundation.

“Cti is going from strength to strength and its close integration with AMRC Castings is highly beneficial for both parties as well as the UK economy. Cti will continue to be a key pipeline to translate innovation into industry at this pivotal time in UK manufacturing.”

Founded in 2001 by the University of Sheffield and Boeing on the site of the former Orgreave Colliery in Rotherham, the AMRC now has centres in the North West and North Wales and is a model for collaborative research which is now being applied to the development of sustainable technologies and products to help its 120-plus industrial partners realise the benefits of a green transition.

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News: Cti forge a successful year

Castings Technology International (Cti), is celebrating a successful year, following a management buy-out (MBO) of the business from the University of Sheffield in January.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the company is a world-leading provider of manufacturing, technology, expertise and services to the cast metals sector and global supply chain. It has been perfecting its technology over many years, working hand in hand with multinational blue-chip companies through both research and development and long-term supply agreements. The company now forms a critical player in a supply chain servicing multi-billion-pound contracts.

At the same time as the MBO, the business also secured a £2m fundraising round led by Nucleus Commercial Finance and NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

Since completing the deal, funding raised has allowed the company to expand rapidly. It has invested further into product development; added to its sales and marketing infrastructure and resource; and expanded its world-class manufacturing facility, which is based at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Earlier this year, as a direct result of investments made, Cti produced the largest single component it has cast in its 98-year history. Made from commercially pure titanium, it is believed to be the largest ever titanium part poured into a ceramic mould. Tipping the scales in it’s shipped condition at 320kg (705lbs), with an envelope of 1000mm square by 600mm high, the casting showcases several novel casting techniques developed in-house at Cti, the heart of cast metal innovation.

The casting formed part of an order from an OEM Japanese customer and will be used as a high-pressure pump in a demanding corrosive industrial application. Titanium casting production is complex and requires expertise not only in metallurgy, but foundry methodology.

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The company has casting capabilities in almost any type of metal alloy and has a 1,200kg titanium vacuum melting capability, which ranks it as one of the largest in the world. In conjunction with customers’ design teams, Cti is casting complex components supplied into the aerospace, defence, chemical nuclear and marine markets.

Highly experienced engineer Richard Cook (Managing Director) and local entrepreneur Kevin Parkin (Chairman) lead Cti’s management team. They are supported by a highly experienced Non-Executive Director team that includes world-class foundry innovator Professor John Campbell, Graham Honeyman CBE – former Chief Executive at Sheffield Forgemasters – as well as Brian Robb and Steve Irwin, two highly-experienced castings experts that have worked for many years with Rolls-Royce.

Richard Cook, Managing Director at Casting Technology International, said: “It has been an exciting year for us, as the management buy-out marked one of the most important moments in our 98-year history. In tandem, thanks to the support of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, Mercia and Nucleus Commercial Finance, we have been able to push forward with our growth plans. We are innovators by nature, and this has allowed us to fulfil world-first orders and deliver on contracts for some of the world’s biggest brands.”

Sean Hutchinson at the British Business Bank said: “The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is proud to have supported Cti in taking this important step, through NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance. The deal demonstrates the impact that investment can have here in the North of England, helping to facilitate growth and create new opportunities, and we look forward to following Cti’s progress.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund has provided a significant loan to Cti to support the growth business plan, with Andy Tyas and Pete Sorsby from the team at Mercia Asset Management leading on the transaction on behalf of the fund, with working capital facilities provided by Financial Institution, Nucleus Commercial Finance.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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News: AMRC Castings enhances 3D sand printing capability

As one of the first foundries to take advantage of large-scale 3D sand printing technology, the AMRC Castings Group has recently enhanced both its capacity and physical envelope.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Cti was acquired by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in 2014. Since then, it has been split into two organisations; AMRC Castings, which focuses on research and development, and Cti Ltd, which carries out commercial work.

Following a £15m investment, the Castings Group went operational with Europe's biggest aerospace castings facility in 2017.

The centre now has two additive manufacturing machines for the printing of one-piece 3D sand moulds and complex cores that would ordinarily require significant capital investment in pattern equipment and multiple core-boxes to be made and assembled. Complex moulds and cores for oil, gas, aerospace and automotive can be produced without the need for dedicated tooling.

The ExOne S15 digital mould and core making system has recently been upgraded by the Castings Group to incorporate a new, advanced operating system which increases the speed at which printing takes place. This machine has also been modified to run on 100% Cerabead – suited to higher temperature alloys and boasting a build envelope of 1500mm x 750mm x 750mm.

It's sister printer, the ExOne SMax, produces highly complex sand cores and moulds in silica sand which is more suitable and cost-effective for aluminium and cast iron alloys. It also benefits from a larger build envelope of 1800mm x 1000mm x 700mm and two "palletised" job boxes; allowing rapid set-ups outside of the printing process and hence reduced lead times.

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Anthony Kenney at The Casting Group, said: "As before, both machines print 3D sand printed moulds and cores for use in the foundry industry.

"However, due to further investment in process enhancements we have been able to increase capacity, accuracy and further reduce lead times."

Anthony explains that due to the moulds and cores being made as single pieces, castings with a high degree of both accuracy and geometrical relationship can be produced to DCTG7 (casting dimensional tolerance) flexibly, quickly and accurately. Aside from the more obvious benefits, the hydrodynamic balance attainable from this technology is unrivalled.

He added: "This means, regardless of size, moulds and cores can be made with an accuracy of plus or minus 0.3mm and, depending on the print density, the typical turnaround time is between 12-24 hours printing for the SMax and between 24 and 50 hours for the S15.

"This can be transformational for clients, who typically invest tens-of-thousands of pounds in dedicated, inflexible tooling that takes longer alone to manufacture than it takes us to deliver a finished casting. Furthermore, we can easily incorporate minor design revisions without any further costs being incurred."

The group also operates a bureau service, printing moulds for casting by others, directly from a 3D CAD model. Cti can also consult and advise on design and methoding using 3D sand printed moulds and cores, if a foundry has no, or limited previous experience.

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News: Cti's reverse precision engineering

Castings Technology International (Cti) has come to the aid of a multinational company after key component failures impacted production.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Cti specialises in helping castings companies to solve problems and improve production. The organisation also supplies the high value manufacturing sector with low volume, precision steel, superalloy and titanium castings that would otherwise be difficult to source.

Cti was acquired by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in 2014. Since then, it has been split into two organisations; AMRC Castings, which focuses on research and development, and Cti Ltd, which carries out commercial work.

In the latest project, the company called upon Cti to assess how quickly it might be able to make replacement components after stocks of their spares ran out.

It took Cti just three weeks to reverse engineer the component from a high strength steel and manufacture the first of 72 precision engineered castings and, following extensive quality control procedures, the first batch was delivered, replenishing the plant's depleted stocks.

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Richard Gould, commercial manager at Cti (pictured), said: "We worked evenings, Saturdays and Sundays as appropriate to mitigate the client's losses. It exemplifies our ability and willingness to deliver complex castings in a fraction of the lead-time required by traditional foundries when a client hits trouble."

Specialists from Cti's laboratory and testing division used spectroanalysis to identify the material from which the component had originally been made and laser scanning technology to take measurements, which were fed into a Computer Aided Design system to create a 3D CAD model.

Cti designers used this 3D CAD model to produce drawings of an undamaged component and process modelling techniques to add a feed system, creating a pattern for a mould that would fill with molten metal at the optimum rate to make perfect castings.

Data from the CAD drawing was fed into Cti's additive manufacturing technology, which uses stereolithography to make replica patterns out of epoxy resin or moulds out of sand. The resin system incorporates a laser that traces the shape of the component in a bath of resin, becoming solid where the light strikes it, whilst the additive mould system binds sand together utilising a highly specialised chemical process.

Cti then used its patented Replicast process to manufacture two batches of the components, which involves dipping each epoxy resin replica in a tank full of a special slurry to create a ceramic shell with an excellent surface finish. In the case of sand-print the molten metal is poured directly into the mould itself.

A £7m government grant as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership is funding a new facility, close to completion on the AMP, which will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture large scale titanium castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad.

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News: William Cook joins the cast at AMRC

William Cook, the UK's largest steel casting group, has joined the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) as a partner.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) and a partner in the HVM Catapult (the government's strategic initiative that aims to revitalise the manufacturing industry), the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

With factories in Sheffield, Leeds and Co. Durham, William Cook can trace its history back over nearly 175 years. The group manufactures sophisticated components, assemblies and systems for a wide range of applications, has substantial research, development and design resources and includes global energy, transport and defence groups among its clients.

The decision to join the AMRC follows the University of Sheffield's acquisition of Castings Technology International (Cti) in 2014. Since then, it has been split into two organisations; AMRC Castings, which focuses on research and development, and Cti Ltd, which carries out commercial work.

Cti developed a speciality in helping castings companies to solve problems and improve production. The organisation also supplies the high value manufacturing sector with low volume, precision steel, superalloy and titanium castings that would otherwise be difficult to source.

AMRC Castings develops new castings technologies and provides design and manufacturing consultancy services.

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Andrew Cook CBE, chairman of William Cook, said: "I was surprised and encouraged to see the level of practical help the AMRC can give companies that are keen to explore the possibilities of working with new materials, in new sectors and with new technologies.

"I'm looking forward greatly to William Cook playing a part in the AMRC's world class centre. We are keen to utilise AMRC Castings' research facilities and also the AMRC Training Centre."

Prof Keith Ridgway CBE, Executive Dean of the AMRC, added: "We are delighted to welcome one of the UK’s most successful steel founders and engineers as a partner.

"In the recent past William Cook has invested substantially in research and technology that has allowed it to move into more challenging, higher value markets. By mobilising AMRC Castings' expertise, we hope to help the group build on that achievement by further increasing its competitiveness and expanding into even more technically advanced areas."

William Cook prefers to design and manufacture its products in-house. It supplies extreme specification, heavy duty safety critical components to the energy sector, including wellhead and down-hole equipment for the oil and gas industry, and nuclear reactor and steam turbine components. It also supplies the defence and rail sectors.

Membership of the AMRC is open to any company which works in a complementary area or which wishes to participate in the support of its research programmes. Tier 1 membership costs £200,000 per year and gives partners an individual seat on the board and the opportunity to influence the direction of future research. Tier 1 members participate in, and obtain the results of, all generic projects. Tier 1 members can also propose specific projects which are presented to the board for approval.

Tier 2 membership costs £30,000 per year and members participate in, and obtain the results of, all generic projects. Tier 2 partners are represented by a single board member.

A £7m government grant as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership is funding a new facility, currently under construction on the AMP, which will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture large scale titanium castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad.

The biggest furnace for casting Titanium aerospace components in Western Europe is to be installed at AMRC Castings' headquarters later this year.

William Cook website
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News: Replicate success at AMRC

AMRC Castings has installed a new piece of kit at its state of the art facility that will provide the opportunity to radically reduce the time it takes to produce large scale, highly accurate castings with a high quality surface finish that does not need machining.

Castings Technology International (Cti) was acquired by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in 2014. Since then, it has been split into two organisations; AMRC Castings, which focuses on research and development, and Cti Ltd, which carries out commercial work.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Cti developed a speciality in helping castings companies to solve problems and improve production. The organisation also supplies the high value manufacturing sector with low volume, precision steel, superalloy and titanium castings that would otherwise be difficult to source.

AMRC Castings develops new castings technologies and provides design and manufacturing consultancy services.

Thanks to backing from the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK, and the Aerospace Technology Institute, AMRC Castings has been able to significantly increase the size of replica patterns and moulds it can produce using CNC technology.

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In the past, the maximum size of a single mould component AMRC Castings could make has been limited to 2600x1500x850 millimetres.

That has now been radically increased to 2600x4000x2000 millimetres, following the installation of a bespoke CMS Poseidon 5 axis CNC machine.

The specifications of the CMS Poseidon have been tailored to machining dimensionally accurate replicas from polystyrene which are coated in ceramic to create the moulds used in AMRC Castings' Replicast and MEGAshell process. It has also been designed to machine sand moulds for AMRC Castings' Patternless Process , which makes mould and cores by using CNC technology to mill them out of blocks of bonded sand.

A £7m government grant as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership is funding a new facility, currently under construction on the AMP, which will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture large scale titanium castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad.

The biggest furnace for casting Titanium aerospace components in Western Europe is to be installed at AMRC Castings' headquarters later this year. The facility, which has also received support from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, is designed to enable UK companies to break into global markets for near net shape large-scale titanium aerospace engine and structural components weighing up to 500kg.

Richard Gould at AMRC Castings, said: "Any UK company wanting to break into the market would have to develop the know-how themselves, but we aim to build up the know-how for the benefit of the UK advanced manufacturing and aerospace industries.

"The new CMS Poseidon machine is very fast, while retaining a very high degree of accuracy and will be ideally suited to making moulds for marine propellers, large scale valves and other critical components for the oil and gas, renewables and wider energy markets, as well as aerospace.

"Within renewables alone, applications could include tidal energy systems that incorporate functional performance related hydraulic passageways that need to be made to tight tolerances, with an as cast working surface geometry."

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News: CTI use cutting edge techniques to recreate historic engines

Skills and hi-tech equipment employed by Castings Technology International (CTI) in Rotherham is putting historic racing cars back on track and opening up new opportunities for today's engine designers.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, CTI is a member-based organisation with unrivalled capabilities in casting design, materials development and selection, specifications, manufacturing technologies, quality control, testing and performance.

CTI's capabilities were called upon to recreate two historic racing engines: an engine built by Peugeot in 1913, which is believed to be the first ever engine with four valves per cylinder; and the Alfa Romeo 158 engine that took Juan Fangio to the World Championship in 1951.

Laser scanning and reverse engineering techniques were used to create CAD models of the engines from damaged cylinder blocks and, in the case of the 1.5 litre straight eight Alfa Romeo engine, original cloth drawings. Full process simulation modelling was then used to check how the iron for the Peugeot, and the aluminium alloy for the Alfa, would flow and cool before using additive manufacturing technology to 3D-print the sand moulds for the castings.

Finished castings were put through a full NDT inspection, including radiography, to ensure the cylinder blocks were dimensionally accurate. In this case, the technologies were used to recreate engines for two multimillion pound historic racing cars and were restored by Jim Stokes Workshops, experts in the restoration, re-creation and re-design of historic cars.

Richard Gould, commercial manager at CTI, said similar techniques can provide a series of benefits for developers of modern engines. Benefits include reducing the time and cost involved in developing a new engine. "Because you are 3D printing the moulds from a CAD drawing, you don't have to go to the expense of making and storing expensive wooden patterns," he said.

The organisation had previously produced titanium exhausts, steering racks and gearboxes for modern day Formula One teams.

Gould added: "Modifications to the initial design are comparatively easy and cheap to make. You can iteratively manufacture and test parts very cheaply and quickly, as there's no need to make expensive time consuming patterns or tools.

"Simulation technology means you can have confidence that the engine block will have the material properties you want. You can test a component, tweak it and print it again without wasting money on tooling – and, once you have completed the design and moved into production there is no need to store legacy patterns, you just need to keep the CAD models."

CTI was acquired by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in 2014. Since then, it has been split into two organisations; AMRC Castings, which focuses on research and development, and Cti Ltd, which carries out commercial work.

A £7m government grant as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership will fund a new facility at CTI which will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture large scale titanium castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad.

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News: Clegg awarded AMP construction contract

Clegg Construction has been awarded the £3m tender from the University of Sheffield to build the latest project on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

A 13,000 sq ft extension to the existing Casting Technology International (Cti) facility is being planned so that it can become the only place in the UK that can produce large scale titanium castings for the next generation of aircraft.

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It acquired internationally renowned Cti and Titanium Castings (UK) Ltd, the subsidiary that manufactures castings from titanium alloys, in 2013.

A £7m government grant as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership will fund the new facility at Cti which will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture precision castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad.

A planning application for the latest development was approved in April. Designed by Sheffield architects, Bond Bryan, the extension will be used to house a new large titanium furnace and workshop space for all the required ancillary operational facilities. On the western end of the existing building, the 65 ft high extension needs to be able to accommodate the furnace and crane facilities above it to transport two tonne castings around the building. The existing building is 41 ft at its highest point.

The extension will cost around £2m with the furnace set to cost around £4.5m. It will enable The AMRC to carry out the flexible, "fast make" manufacturing of large scale, one-off aerospace pieces.

The extension is 26.9% of the existing building area and will employ an additional 25 staff. It will be built directly adjacent to and completely cover the western façade of the current building.

The new facility will be able to cast large structural parts with a poured weight of up to 1,000kg. All investment casting producers in the UK are currently limited in component size to 50kg - 100kg as a maximum poured weight.

Nottingham-based Clegg Construction, a nationwide operation with a turnover in excess of £100m per annum, has been awarded the contract for the construction of the Cti extension.

As the AMRC pushes forward for its "AMRC 2" campus over the Parkway on Sheffield Business Park, one further project on the AMP could see its AMRC Training Centre doubling in size.

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News: Casting call for Cti expansion

The University of Sheffield has begun the tender process for its latest expansion on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

A 13,000 sq ft extension to the existing Casting Technology International (Cti) facility is being planned so that it can become the only place in the UK that can produce large scale titanium castings for the next generation of aircraft.

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It acquired internationally renowned Cti and Titanium Castings (UK) Ltd, the subsidiary that manufactures castings from titanium alloys, last year.

Also based on the AMP, Cti is a member-based organisation with unrivalled capabilities in casting design, materials development and selection, specifications, manufacturing technologies, quality control, testing and performance.

A £7m government grant as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership will fund the new facility at Cti which will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture precision castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad.

The UK metal casting industry is a key player in the global market, adding £2.6bn a year to the UK economy. The Sheffield city region has a high concentration of foundries and the Cti investment will ensure that the UK's aerospace supply chain can develop new capabilities to produce large thin-walled titanium castings, and win a significant part of the growing global market for these components.

The extension will cost around £2m with the furnace set to cost around £4.5m. It will enable The AMRC to carry out the flexible, "fast make" manufacturing of large scale, one-off aerospace pieces.

The new facility will be able to cast large structural parts with a poured weight of up to 1,000kg. Cti's current facility can make parts of 90kg poured weight. The extension will provide accommodation for new process equipment including a Titanium VAR Skull Melting Furnace, with associated infrastructure and external works.

Lighter than steel, titanium can withstand comparable loads better than aluminium, has minimal fatigue concerns, and is highly resistant to corrosion. There is a big opportunity for structural components to replace forgings in airframes and titanium use has been expanded on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to roughly 14% of the total airframe.

The process for large scale, high performance castings is not well researched and The AMRC believes that it offers major opportunities to develop new intellectual property.

Called "MEGAshell," Cti's process uses expendable polystyrene patterns which can be machined out of a single block or built up from machined polystyrene parts. Replacing traditional sand moulds, castings can be manufactured to the integrity normally associated with the lost wax process, but of a size and weight far beyond the capability of a process with a pedigree of manufacturing civil aero-engine blades and vanes.

German giant, Siemens used the process to make components for industrial gas turbines called "spoke frames." The frames are the first parts of the engine to encounter the exhaust gases after combustion and play a critical part in the engine's performance.

Using the technology developed by Cti allowed Siemens to make shapes that were not previously manufacturable. That resulted in a 40% reduction in the spoke frame's weight, minimising manufacturing costs, improving performance and reducing CO2 emissions by 113 kilo tonnes.

Cti's additive manufacturing technologies have also helped global pump specialist Sulzer create rotating components for use in a major oil pipeline and to create sand moulds using reverse engineering techniques that enabled a company that rebuilds historic cars to recreate the engine of a 1927 Alfa Romeo158.

Richard Gould, commercial manager at Cti, said: "Improved performance, reduced energy consumption and lower costs are essential if manufacturers are to be competitive and meet new challenges.

"Cti is proud that it has been able to develop the technologies that make that possible for companies ranging from Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to global giants."

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News: New £7m Rotherham facility for titanium castings

Castings Technology International (CTI) in Rotherham, part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, is set to become the only place in the UK that can produce large scale titanium castings for the next generation of aircraft.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It acquired internationally renowned CTI and Titanium Castings (UK) Ltd, the subsidiary that manufactures castings from titanium alloys, last year.

Also based on the AMP, CTI is a member-based organisation with unrivalled capabilities in casting design, materials development and selection, specifications, manufacturing technologies, quality control, testing and performance.

A £7m government grant will fund a new facility at CTI that will allow companies within the aerospace industry to develop the capability to melt and manufacture precision castings in the UK instead of this work being carried out abroad. With up to 27,000 new planes needed between now and 2030, this represents a huge potential growth area for the UK.

The new CTI facility will be able to cast large structural parts with a poured weight of up to 1,000kg. CTI's current facility can make parts of 90kg poured weight.

Lighter than steel, titanium can withstand comparable loads better than aluminium, has minimal fatigue concerns, and is highly resistant to corrosion. Titanium use has been expanded on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to roughly 14 percent of the total airframe.

The Rolls-Royce wide chord fan blade is perhaps the best example of the application of titanium, coupled with advanced processing techniques, to give a significant service advantage.

By acting as a technology demonstrator for UK manufacturers, this investment will ensure that the UK's aerospace supply chain can develop new capabilities to produce large thin-walled titanium castings, and win a significant part of the growing global market for these components.

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, founder and executive dean of the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: "The 1,000kg titanium casting facility will be unique in Europe and will enable UK companies to explore the opportunities and benefits of making large, near-net shape complex castings."

The funding is part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which provides a single, national focus for technology research and facilities in the sector. £2 billion funding has been provided by government and industry to support the strategy with the creation of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) at its heart.

Earlier this month it was announced that the AMRC and the University of Sheffield will join a number of partners to carry out research and development to reduce carbon emissions by using lightweight composite materials to make Rolls-Royce engines. Research will also focus on changing parts of the engine design to make engines more efficient and reducing the time it takes to manufacture them.

CTI website

Images: Rolls-Royce

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News: Cti announce plans for further expansion in Rotherham

Castings Technology International (Cti) has announced plans for further expansion on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham – two years after relocating its headquarters to the Park from the now sold, East Bank Road site in Sheffield. Construction has commenced on a 40,000 sq ft building adjacent to the existing headquarters building. Three acres of land have been purchased as part of a £4.7m project that will increase the workspace occupied by Cti to 90,000 sq ft. A further 30 jobs are expected over the next 3 years. Cti provides research and development, product and market development, and consultancy services in the field of metal castings to all market sectors. The new facility will be a major investment in state-of-the-art facilities and will house additional R&D equipment and production-scale 'technology demonstrators'. Cti’s Chief Executive, Mike Ashton, said: “The confidence to undertake another major investment on the AMP so soon reflects the success we’ve achieved in recent years and especially since we moved onto the Park."

Casting Technology International website

AMP website

Rotherham

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