News: Product design firm raises £750k amidst growing demand for prototypes

A Rotherham company which designs products for many leading consumer brands has raised £750,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

Dinnington-based AME Group will use the funds to create ten new jobs and invest in new equipment to support its growth. As one of the UK’s leading independent product development consultancies, the company works with many high-profile brands such as Hornby Railways, Vax, Jaguar, Smith & Nephew medical equipment, Harris Brushes and B&Q Performance power tools.

In recent years it has also experienced growing demand for its rapid prototyping service, ranging from the creation of one-off models for testing purposes to small-batch production of high-value products such as marine components and medical equipment. It now plans to expand its range of 3D print and low-volume production equipment. The company, which is based on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery, currently employs over 20 staff.

Founder Ian Jones, who is now the company’s Finance Director, said: “Technologies such as 3D printing have opened up new possibilities in product development and testing. As a result, the rapid prototyping market is expanding year on year. This funding will allow the company to benefit from the post-Covid ‘bounce’ and the longer-term growth in demand.”

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Maurice Disasi of Mercia added: “AME has performed strongly since its inception and established itself as one of the leaders in its field. As the company embarks on a new period of growth, this funding will enable it to take advantage of the exciting opportunities in the rapid prototyping market, widen its customer base and develop its own branded products.”

Sean Hutchinson of British Business Bank said: “AME is a growing Northern business working with a strong portfolio of respected brands across a range of sectors. NPIF is proud to play a part in helping businesses like AME reach the next stage in their growth journey. By investing in ambitious successful companies, we are helping to create new jobs, safeguard others and support regional economic growth allowing business communities to fulfill their potential.”

Lucy Holroyd of Schoffield Sweeney provided legal advice to AME on the investment. Caroline Walker and Gareth Saynor of CMS provided legal advice to Mercia.

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.

AME Group website
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News: AMRC engineers' time to shine

A watch-style bracelet made from "space glass" that has a custom, uncut diamond in its crown could be the centrepiece of a new luxury lifestyle brand, thanks to design and machining experts at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

The sophisticated piece of jewellery is the brainchild of entrepreneur and open-banking specialist Steffan van Molendorff, who has taken his passion for motorcycles, engineering and diamonds and used them as inspirational fuel for his adventure lifestyle brand, 6ixt9 (pronounced sixty-nine).

The 50-year-old South African has big ambitions for the brand and one of the concepts he is currently developing is a bracelet which looks just like a regular watch except in the place of a clock face sits a raw, uncut diamond.

The idea was little more than a pencil drawing on a scrap of paper when AMRC machine tool partner Starrag put Steffan in touch with engineers at the AMRC in Rotherham, which is part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult network of world-leading research centres.

It is there that machining research engineer Emma Parkin, together with design and prototyping engineer Valdis Krumins, began work on turning the rough sketch into a reality.

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Steffan (pictured), said: "I knew from early on that one of the products I wanted to do was something really unique and different and aimed at a very niche, sophisticated market. That's how I came up with the idea of taking a rough diamond and putting it inside a watch casing.

“I came to the AMRC and met Emma and Valdis, sharing with them an idea and a simple paper drawing. About two weeks later the first CAD designs came through from Valdis and they were amazing. At that stage I knew we were on to something special and unique.

“Emma spoke so enthusiastically about the machining process and the different materials we could make the watch-case from - that's when she told me about Zerodur, a type of glass-ceramic that can be machined and is used a lot in space applications. I loved the idea of having "space glass" as the material for the watch casing.

“The whole process has been fantastic. Emma and Valdis have been so supportive and creative in coming up with ideas. They have been wonderful to work with. The designs which Valdis completed have now been registered for design protection in the UK and EU and I’m very excited to work with the AMRC team on this project and look forward to an interesting future."

The machining work for the prototype is on hold due to coronavirus restrictions but the extra time has allowed Emma to carry out further investigation into UK suppliers of the material, which is manufactured by international technology group Schott. She is also exploring suitable cutting tools and machining strategies. Three to five prototypes will be made which Steffan can use to market his jewellery idea.

Emma said: "Part of the project will also involve documenting everything we do so we can create a knowledge transfer pack that can be shared with Steffan so he can take that information away with him and know what machines need to be used, which cutting tools, and have a detailed method of manufacture for his product."

With a price tag of between £10k-£12k, and even up to £100k depending on the level of customisation, Steffan's jewellery does not come cheap.

The project, paid for by the AMRC using funds from the High Value Manufacturing (HMV) Catapult, is part of the AMRC’s commitment to supporting smaller and medium sized businesses.

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News: AMRC 3D print protective face shields for NHS workers

Thousands of protective face visors to help keep frontline NHS workers safe in the fight against Covid-19 are being made by a team at the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Engineers from the AMRC's Design and Prototyping Group (DPG) have responded to the national call to produce more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers by using technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting to make up to 1,000 face visors per week.

The shop floor at the centre, on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, has been transformed into an assembly production line and the team worked tirelessly over the Easter weekend to deliver the first batch of 934 protective face shields to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital on Easter Monday. An additional 1,000 visors were on there way to the Northern General Hospital the following week.

Joe Palmer, the Senior Design and Development Engineer who is leading the AMRC's response, said the team had coordinated its efforts with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to ensure visors are being delivered to the local hospitals with the greatest need.

He said: "We know these visors are needed now and not in a few weeks' time, so we’re really pleased that we were able to get almost 1,000 out of the door by Monday and into the hands of the frontline NHS workers who so desperately need them in order to stay protected as they battle this deadly virus to save lives.

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"When the visors were delivered to the medical stores department at the Hallamshire Hospital, everyone there was really appreciative and that was a real boost for our team.

"The AMRC is so grateful to those who have stepped up to help. It's not just been technical staff from the design team - we’ve had everyone from receptionists, composites engineers and senior project managers volunteer to help with the assembly.

"The manufacture of these visors has required an enormous amount of effort from a great many people and I want to thank everyone involved. People have been working in shifts for the past 12 days, working over the Easter weekend and on Easter Monday to make sure we could get this crucial kit to healthcare workers. It certainly would not have been possible without such a great team."

Craig Roberts, Head of the Design and Prototyping Group, added: "My hat goes off to everyone involved. The team has done a fantastic job and it's very humbling to see how quickly, safely, and effectively the AMRC can rise to a challenge."

The request for help to make face visors came less than a fortnight ago as demand for vital PPE kit for healthcare workers continued to grow nationwide.

Joe, who also teaches the next generation of engineers at the AMRC Training Centre, also on the AMP, quickly pulled together a team to see how the AMRC could help meet the national need by using advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing, also known as additive manufacture (AM).

But before they could fire up the printers and begin the rapid manufacture and assembly of face shields, they first had to choose a suitable design, carry out test prints, source material and transform the workshop into an assembly line - all while maintaining the necessary social distancing and personal hygiene measures for coronavirus, as well as the usual fire marshal and first aid cover.

Another problem was getting hold of the clear film material for the actual visor, called PETG.


Last week Rothbiz reported on the AMRC's key role in the national response to Covid-19, helping Ventilator Challenge UK to produce an additional 50,000 ventilators for the NHS.

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News: Rotherham-based former soldier getting ready to launch satellite system

A former soldier in the Parachute Regiment has taken a giant leap towards creating a novel launching system using balloons to put satellites into space following a collaboration with design engineers at the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Sean Ardron set up Rotherham-based Arkeik in 2017 to explore how high altitude balloons could be used to take a small payload up to an altitude, where they could be orientated and then launched into Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

With the help of the AMRC, he now believes his innovative High Elevation Launch Platform (HELP) could be operational within 12 months and might even replace ground-based rockets to give UK industry a doorway into space exploration.

With multimillion pound facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) and the project was paid for using funds from the HVMC as part of a commitment to working with small and medium-sized manufacturers.

Sean Ardron, founder of Arkiek, said: "Although my background is not in this industry, I had worked on land based projects with BAE Systems while I was in the military, but I could not have got to this stage without the support of the AMRC in visualising the idea behind the launch system.

"High altitude balloons using the free lift with lighter-than-air gas had not been looked at for a long time because the surrounding technologies to make them efficient just wasn't available. Recently, there has been a massive increase in small technology for the use of rotary drones so we have repurposed a lot of that for what we need.

"I just needed to develop a computer system that can take a small payload up to a certain altitude, orientate and then launch into LEO."

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Arkeik has already carried out test flights reaching 5km above sea level and the next step is to create a working prototype, which starts with a design the company can show to potential investors.

Billy Redpath, senior project manager at the AMRC's Design and Prototyping Group, said: "The system Sean has is similar to a weather balloon which has a drone attached to it. It gets to an appropriate altitude, orientates, launches a satellite and then you guide it back to the ground.

"The designs they were using for presentations to potential funders had been created in-house and didn't necessarily convey the project accurately, so we visualised it for them."

Billy and his team of engineers were not given specific dimensions or criteria for designing the prototype, but they were able to use a healthy dose of artistic license to capture the essence of the novel launching system.

The images will form an important part of Arkeik's marketing strategy as the company applies for funding and grants to pay for research into housing larger payloads, building fully reusable ballonets and developing their Unmanned Aerial System.

"I am really pleased with what Billy and the AMRC have produced, I wouldn't have had the capacity to do what they have done. Quality designs are something you really need for projects, especially when you are trying to get people to fork out money," said Sean.

"We know all the individual parts work, we have tested them, we just need to get a working prototype that hopefully looks like the design created by the AMRC. That is what the investment will help us with."

The ability to put satellites into orbit is limited due to the necessity of ground launching from a rocket. Small satellites, such as the ones Arkeik hope to work with, are classed as secondary cargo which means they cannot commission a rocket nor dictate the orbit that they launch to.

At present, that means companies using micro-satellites must either compromise on their preferred orbit or wait an undetermined amount of time until the right rocket launches.

Sean continued: "We can certainly sell this technology. Currently, the UK doesn't have a launch capability which means companies here have to send their satellites to India or piggyback off rockets in the USA.

"A standard cube satellite is 13x10cm and weighs a kilogram so I can quite confidently say we could launch them from HELP. Once operational, it would be weather dependant, but we could send a platform up to the right altitude and launch all in just three hours.

"If everything went perfectly and we got the money we needed, we could quite easily have this operational within 12 months. Eventually, it could replace ground-based rockets and give UK business and industry a doorway into space exploration."

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News: Xeros deal to make revolutionary domestic washing machine a reality

Rotherham-based Xeros Technology Group plc has taken another step towards commercialisation by signing an agreement with a prominent Chinese manufacturer to develop and design a prototype.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), Xeros is a Leeds University spin-out that uses polymer technology to significantly reduce the amount of water used in a number of major applications. The AIM-listed firm is moving to "IP-rich, capital-light" business models.

Xeros has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Wuxi Little Swan Company Limited, a subsidiary of Midea Group, the Chinese manufacturer of home appliances. Midea is one of the world's largest manufacturers of domestic washing machines.

The scope of the non-exclusive JDA is to develop and design a prototype including Xeros' technologies. If successful, the agreement allows for both parties to enter into commercial discussions under a separate agreement and timetable.

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In 2017 Wuxi Little Swan Company sold 12.4m washing machines in China giving it a 28% share of the retail market. It also exported 3.87 million washing machines.

Mark Nichols, chief executive of Xeros, said: "Our strategy is to license our technologies to major OEMs who have significant market presence around the world. Following our agreement last July to license our commercial washing machine technology in China, this JDA represents a major step forward for Xeros in the domestic washing machine market."

Setting out plans to raise a further £20m, Xeros discussed a project which enables Xeros technology to be embedded in the production lines of existing domestic washing machine manufacturers. Xeros will look to receive up-front payments and a royalty per machine sold.

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The JDA follows on from licensing deal signed with a subsidiary of the market-leading Chinese commercial washing machine manufacturer Jiangsu SeaLion Machinery. It will see SeaLion integrate Xeros' technology in its commercial washing machines and sell them though its own extensive distribution network in China on an exclusive basis.

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News: Footwear carrier design given a leg-up by AMRC

Whilst its work with the likes of Boeing, Rolls-Royce and McLaren may get the headlines, the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing continues to work on projects with SMEs - the latest helping to develop a luxury sports shoe carrier for injection moulding manufacture by reducing the number of components by half.

With a base on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world leading model partnership between industry and academia that focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

Its Design and Prototyping Group (DPG), develops everything from conceptual designs, to fully functional prototypes for a range of industries and Infinite Kreationz approached them to further develop a proof-of-concept model by identifying design changes to make it manufacture ready.

DPG design engineer, Valdis Krumins, looked at the handle design, an alternative to using straps for securing footwear in the carrier, as well as the hook and stand design.

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Dee Warburton, creative director of Infinite Kreationz, provided a Selective Laser Sintered (SLS) model to demonstrate the concept which the DPG then refined, creating a carrier made up of just three parts rather than the six in the proof-of-concept model. This meant just two injection mould tools would be needed for manufacture because two of the three parts share the same geometry.

John Spencer, senior project manager at the DPG (pictured, right), said: "One of the main barriers for start-up companies launching a plastic moulded product is the initial investment in tooling. We were able to review Dee's initial design with a view to reducing the number of components and simplifying their geometry, without compromising the functionality of the product. This led to a reduction in the complexity and number of injection mould tools that would be required to manufacture the suite of components, optimising the assembly for volume manufacture."

Dee, who is the brains behind the Footloose Footwear Carrier, said help from the AMRC to further develop his design and prototype not only resulted in the overall original design being successfully reduced but the final product remained fully functional, practical, innovative and more environmentally friendly.

Dee (pictured, left) said: "The Footloose Footwear Carrier, which was inspired during my time touring Europe in the early 1990's as a professional street dancer for Warp Records, is aimed at the fashion-conscious, luxury sports footwear market, alongside footballers, tennis players and other active lifestyle users wanting to carry their footwear in style.

"The advice provided during the one-to-one meetings was invaluable and the technical CAD services were of the highest quality and second to none in professionalism and expertise.

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"I would highly recommend the services of the University of Sheffield AMRC to anyone requiring advanced manufacturing research or design services - they exceeded expectations and provided the high quality services needed to develop, produce and market new products successfully.

"I'm now in the process of finalising the design to progress onto the next product development stage of tooling and production in England using recyclable and sustainable environmentally friendly materials."

Dee is aiming to fund the next stage of the Footloose Footwear Carrier's development via an online crowd funding campaign and a feature on BBC 2's Dragons' Den.

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News: AMRC at the cutting edge

Experts at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, has demonstrated the use of advanced 3D printing technology for the traditional knife-making industry in Sheffield.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world leading model partnership between industry and academia that focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

Its Design and Prototyping Group (DPG), develops everything from conceptual designs, to fully functional prototypes for a range of industries and recently joined forces with a highly respected Sheffield knife maker to design and develop a bespoke, 3D printed titanium chef's knife.

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Stuart Mitchell, 48, has been making knives for more than three decades, cutting his teeth in the trade as a keen ten-year-old at his father's knee. His bespoke blades are made using many of the same tools his dad used before him in the same red-brick workshop his family took on in 1980.

Despite his feet being firmly rooted in tradition as a craft maker, Stuart's curiosity about additive manufacturing made him want to find out whether the advanced 3D printing technology could be combined with his top quality knife making skills to create something truly beautiful and unique.

The project has allowed Stuart to compare and contrast the end product with his own handcrafted knives.

Andy Bell, design strategy manager for the DPG, said: "This is design-led disruption in the truest sense of the word; a craft maker applying advanced manufacturing technologies and exploring how this could change their business model now and in the future."

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Stuart - whose knives are used across the world in Michelin star restaurants and by members of the Royal family - took receipt of the AM knife at his workshop in Portland Works at the end of summer. He was struck by the quality of the piece.

"I was impressed by the profile of the blade – it replicated very well what I would do by hand, particularly the taper from the spine to the edge," said Stuart. "It did need a degree of grinding to apply an actual cutting edge but the tolerances of the edge were good to start with, very fine. I didn't realise it would print that fine.

"I love the AM knife, it's different and hasn't been done before. Working in that very traditional way and to have something brand spanking new in the workshop is great - what's not to like? What it perhaps also shows, particularly with all the advances in AM, is that there is still a place for what I do as well - an ideal product would perhaps marry the two."

Stuart accessed the expertise and state-of-the-art capabilities at the AMRC and benefitted from a grant-funding scheme run by the AMRC specifically to help small to medium enterprises fund research projects, under the Catapult SME assistance scheme.

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News: Wilson Benesch on the AMRC's AM wavelength

Engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Rotherham continue to collaborate with a Sheffield-based high-tech audio company to develop parts for some of its luxury products.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world leading model partnership between industry and academia that focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

Its Design and Prototyping Group (DPG), develops everything from conceptual designs, to fully functional prototypes for a range of industries and was approached by local firm Wilson Benesch to use its additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities to realise a selection of new titanium components.

Founded in 1989 and owned and directed by Craig Milnes and Christina Milnes, Wilson Benesch is a globally recognised brand, designing and manufacturing, high-tech luxury home consumer audio products. Loudspeakers, turntables and Hi-Fi furniture are built from advanced materials technology, such as carbon fibre composites.

Wilson Benesch, who have worked with the AMRC on a number of developments, recognised the considerable potential for creating highly optimised structures that benefit from both advanced materials technology and manufacturing processes. The net result has been the development of highly functional, but also aesthetically striking components to give Wilson Benesch the edge over its competitors.

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Project engineers from the DPG, Abdul Haque, Luke Hill and Daniel Tomlinson worked on the project alongside project manager Marcus Crossley and James Hunt, head of strategy for near net shape processing at AMRC.

The team were given a clay model of how the company envisioned the tonearm mount could look and were then able to reverse engineer this by using a CT scanner to create a scan image that was uploaded onto a computer and interpreted to create a new CAD part geometry.

Luke said: "The initial challenge was to try and work with the complex organic tonearm surfaces that director Craig Milnes wanted based on the clay model. When we created a form Craig was happy with and that we were confident could be manufactured using additive manufacturing (AM) processes, we could continue with the detailed design work ensuring the tonearm would fit the Wilson Benesch system requirements. We used the capabilities of selective laser melting AM with Ti-6Al-4V powder to create an internal through channel to feed a wire through the back of the tonearm.

"This is something unique, and as far as performance goes is an ideal solution because Wilson Benesch wanted to create a vacuum within the tonearm. They also specified a tight tolerance between the component and the mounting point, but they needed to feed a wire through somewhere, so this was a perfect approach. The internal wiring keeps the tonearm aesthetic uninterrupted and organic and the wire is not trailing about so it will not get tangled or spoil the appearance."

AM is a sound choice where there is a high degree of complexity in a part or to add functionality into an assembly – like the tonearm mount. The advanced technology also meant the mount's part count was reduced from fifteen down to just two.

The 500g steel spheres were also redeveloped, stripping away material and weight but at the same time improving performance. Through-channels were added to high-stiffness titanium alloy material.

Luke said: "Additive manufacturing brings the flexibility desired by manufacturers because of the ability to quickly and iteratively make design improvements without requiring tooling changes or involving different processes, but simply changing the CAD model and sending it to print on the machine."

James added: "A lot of the approaches we have taken here are making the best of additive manufacturing.

"That's why we were interested in taking up this project because it allowed us to demonstrate a number of processes, techniques and technologies that we are using within additive manufacturing that could be applied to anything.

"In having the facilities here available for companies and SMEs to come and try, it allows them to de-risk the activities so they don't have to go and buy a piece of equipment at £500k or they don't have to even go as far as paying someone to make parts for them.

"As can be seen through this process, it's not just a case of sending a drawing and someone printing it off, there is a development cycle that in turn feeds an understanding of how the process works so that the new parts fit the process better. So having that as an available service is of great benefit to companies."

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Craig Milnes, design director of Wilson Benesch (pictured top, right), added: "James and Marcus, along with the DPG engineers, Abdul, Luke and Daniel have been invaluable in this project, allowing Wilson Benesch to push through design concepts into finished prototype components that extol all of the virtues of the Wilson Benesch brand. That is to say, conceptually unique, technologically and materially advanced, aiding the ultimate goal of advancing the state-of-the-art in audio design and high fidelity music reproduction."

Christina Milnes, managing director of Wilson Benesch (pictured top, left), said: "Wilson Benesch have collaborated consistently with centres of excellence in engineering, design and manufacturing since the foundation of the company. Indeed this is one of a number of projects that we have worked on with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) since the centre was established in 2001. Having access to this kind of technology is a major asset to the Sheffield City Business Region and manufacturing centres that serve it."

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News: AME Group has designs on further growth

AME Group, a leading prototype manufacturer that is based in Dinnington, Rotherham, is set to create new jobs having secured a £100,000 loan.

The innovative company combines a team of creative designers and technical designers who work on new products and create high-specification prototypes using 3D printing technology for customers including Dyson, GlaxoSmithKline, Hornby, Morphy Richards and Unilever.

The business was founded in 1997 after managing director Ian Jones - a mechanical engineering graduate, who cut his teeth working at the Selby coalfield - was made redundant from his job with British Coal.

Now based on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery, AME has secured the funding from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Fund Managers and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Based at the British Business Bank in Sheffield, the £400m NPIF works with ten Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), combined authorities and Growth Hubs, as well as local accountants, fund managers and banks, to provide a mixture of debt and equity capital to northern-based SMEs at all stages of their development. NPIF is providing funding to fund managers who will offer Microfinance, Business Loans and Equity Finance.

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AME now employs over 20 staff and has a turnover of around £1.5m. It is one of a few firms of its type outside London with a blue-chip client base and the company also offers in-house rapid prototyping using the latest 3D print technology.

The company now plans to strengthen its design team by creating multiple roles over the next 12 months.

Pete Sorsby, investment manager at Mercia Fund Managers (pictured, left), said: "AME has built its business on the strength of its product design process and is regarded as one of the UK's leading and most innovative product design consultancies. The business has helped to bring creativity to the former colliery site and generate new jobs. This funding will help to support its growth and expand the team."

Grant Peggie, director at British Business Bank, added: "SMEs like AME Group form the foundation of the region's future growth and we are pleased to be able to support these businesses by providing the growth finance required. We will continue to work with our fund managers and the wider business communityto support creative and innovative businesses across the Sheffield City Region."

In 2016, AME secured a £20,000 business loan from Finance Yorkshire to enable the group to expand its team and improve marketing. The company also put to use a £30,000 business loan from the regional funding body in 2013.

Last year, the designers at AME won a prestigious Red Dot product design award for their work on JigTech Pro, an innovative device that enables door handles to be fitted in minutes.

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News: AME Group looks ahead as it celebrates 20 years in business

AME Group, a leading prototype manufacturer that is based in Dinnington, is looking to develop its product design business as it celebrates 20 years since starting up in a concrete outbuilding at founder, Ian Jones' Rotherham home.

The innovative company combines a team of creative designers and technical designers who work on new products and create high-specification prototypes using 3D printing technology for customers including Dyson, GlaxoSmithKline, Hornby, Morphy Richards and Unilever.

The business was founded in 1997 after managing director Ian Jones - a mechanical engineering graduate, who cut his teeth working at the Selby coalfield - was made redundant from his job with British Coal.

Seeing the potential of 3D printing technology for prototyping, Ian drew up a business plan and raised enough money to buy an early print machine.

"When it arrived, it was absolutely rubbish," Jones recalls. "I am not sure it managed to produce one successful part. It was very slow and, in retrospect, had been launched too early. The positive side was that it opened a lot of doors to prospective clients and ultimately led me to discover other more reliable technologies and partners that were already using them."

One of AME Group's first clients was Stanley Tools, and the success of the partnership resulted in AME investing in new technology and premises.

Ian's long-standing friend and MBA qualified manager Paul Howell joined the business as joint managing director and co-owner and the Dinnington headquarters were built on the site of a former South Yorkshire colliery in 2006. The premises house a growing design team and state-of-the-art prototyping workshop.

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Jones (pictured, right) said of the growing business: "We had become highly skilled at prototyping but we knew there was an opportunity to move upstream and get closer to our clients by using our expertise in product design. Securing work from globally renowned manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble showed that our approach was right."

Showing that the business is "not just about drawing pretty pictures," several innovative start-up businesses have been incubated at the AME Group who helped them to turn their ideas into commercially successful and market leading products. One example being the Identicom product, now the UK's most widely deployed dedicated lone worker device, that saw SoloProtect (formerly Connexion2) grow from Dinnington to new purpose built premises in Sheffield following a multimillion pound takeover.

AME employs 22 people and has a turnover of £1.5m. Having started out as a prototyping specialist, the future for AME Group is focused on developing its product design business. "We want to increase our design revenues over the next three to five years," says Ian "and continue to deliver the very best in innovative product design services, developing market leading products solutions for our clients, helping their businesses experience commercial success."

The quality of the work produced was recently recognised with a prestigious Red Dot product design award for its work on JigTech Pro, an innovative device that enables door handles to be fitted in minutes.

Jones concluded: "I'm proud of the fact that we have traded very successfully throughout the ups and downs of a changing economy but, most of all, I'm proud of the way the business has developed its staff. Several people have been with us for more than 15 years. Paul and I are not micro managers. We give freedom to the team to grow.

“We are not a massive company but we have a highly credible and experienced team that inspires confidence from a diverse portfolio of clients that see us as a strategic product development partner."

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News: AME Group wins Red Dot product design award

AME Group, a leading prototype manufacturer that is based in Rotherham, has won a prestigious Red Dot product design award for its work on JigTech Pro, an innovative device that enables door handles to be fitted in minutes.

The innovative Dinnington company combines a team of creative designers and technical designers who work on new products and create high-specification prototypes using 3D printing technology for customers including Dyson, GlaxoSmithKline, Hornby, Morphy Richards and Unilever.

JigTech Pro was developed in partnership with Dale Hardware. The innovative system allows a full set of standard or privacy levers and latch to be installed in under five minutes compared to the current standard method that takes over 25 minutes per door. Saving 80% of the time it would usually take, JigTech is aimed at professional joiners.

The device incorporates an adjustable latch bore and self-centring clamp system that guides the user when drilling, eliminating the need to measure and mark by hand.

AME Group developed JigTech Pro from concept through to prototyping, testing and volume manufacturing, using its experience of developing tools for the DIY sector - from power tools for B&Q to paint brushes for LG Harris.

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The Red Dot Awards are the most prestigious international honour for product design and date back to 1955. This year saw more than 5,500 entries with large companies and independent designers from across the globe grabbing their chance to prove their design ability in an international comparison with renowned designers and up-and-coming talents.

A spokesperson for AME Group said that they were "thrilled to bring an award to Yorkshire in our 20th anniversary year."

Daniel Monaghan, joint managing director of Dale Hardware, said: "JigTech is a simple solution to an everyday industrial challenge. AME came up with an innovative and visually appealing design that has a unique mechanism. We are delighted with the end result and the Red Dot award is the icing on the cake.

"We have been visiting trade shows asking tradesmen to take on the JigTech Challenge and the feedback has been excellent."

Former coal miner Ian Jones established the company in 1996 and it now employs 22 people and has a turnover of £1.5m. Its growth has been fed by demand for the rapid production of prototypes and replica models that can be exhibited at shows and tested before they enter mass production.

Nathan Bestwick who grew up in Rotherham and studied at Sheffield Hallam University, won a Red Dot award in 2012 for his Millmii salt and pepper mill that can be used by people who have limited strength or dexterity in their hands.

AME Group website
JigTech website

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News: Rotherham-based AME Group set for expansion thanks to £20,000 business loan

A prototype manufacturer based in Rotherham that develops and tests products including kitchen gadgets and paintbrushes is growing its design team following a funding boost from Finance Yorkshire.

The innovative Dinnington company combines a team of creative designers and technical designers who work on new products and create high-specification prototypes using 3D printing technology for customers including Dyson, GlaxoSmithKline, Hornby, Morphy Richards and Unilever.

Former coal miner Ian Jones established the company in 1996 and it now employs 22 people and has a turnover of £1.5m. Its growth has been fed by demand for the rapid production of prototypes and replica models that can be exhibited at shows and tested before they enter mass production.

AME has recently secured a £20,000 business loan from Finance Yorkshire to enable the group to expand its team and improve marketing. The company put to use a £30,000 business loan from the regional funding body in 2013.

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Ian Jones, managing director of AME Group, said: "We have developed a niche as an engineering company that offers a fast turnaround and high quality. This has enabled us to build a strong base of long-term customers.

"As the economy has picked up, our design revenues have grown so we have hired two people into that team. While technology continues to evolve, design skills remain crucial to the process. Our strategy is for our design revenues to catch up with those of our prototyping division."

Melanie Reynolds, portfolio assistant at Finance Yorkshire, added: "AME Group has carved out a reputation for speed, quality and value for money which means it is trusted by an impressive portfolio of brands. The loan will help AME to enhance its already impressive design offering."

AME Group has worked closely with leading consumer product company, Proctor and Gamble, and has worked on more than 100 of its brands from designing the packaging of Pringles Crisps to developing the lid dispenser on Ariel detergent.

It has also developed children's toys, for example Scalextric cars and Hornby trains, as well as medical equipment and electronic beauty products.

Finance Yorkshire has invested over £105m into companies in Yorkshire and Humber having secured extra support from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Originally a £90m fund, it operated three investment teams - Seedcorn Finance, Business Loans and Equity Linked Investments. It secured £45m from the European Investment Bank, together with £30m investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £15m from the Government via Yorkshire Forward.

AME Group website
Finance Yorkshire website

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News: New targets for PES

Performance Engineered Solutions (PES), engineering design specialists based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, has added a new service to its portfolio which can help companies to identify business efficiencies, reduce their business costs and increase profits.

PES Ltd was established based on the F1 concept of driving innovation in multiple sectors. It specialises in enhancing the performance of components, products and systems by delivering integrated engineering thinking alongside innovative design, materials, manufacturing and testing technologies.

The innovative company has a track record in cutting edge sports technology including those used to gain a competitive advantage in cycling, skeleton bob, Moto GP and golf.

PES has added the new service after receiving enquiries about operating costs from many of its manufacturing clients. The new service covers value engineering with part of the process reviewing major expenditure and operating costs.

Neville Snell (pictured) has now joined the PES Performance team as director of Business Cost Solutions, which covers areas such as energy, telecoms, insurance, vehicles and staff.

Mike Maddock, managing director at PES said: "A key focus of PES Performance is the delivery of performance enhancing solutions for our clients using our design and engineering support to optimise the efficiency and performance of their business. This can be through more efficient manufacturing processes or employing new technologies to their equipment, processes, products or all three.

"Our work is ultimately to help clients make their business more competitive within their market and maximise bottom line profits utilising all the tools and applied technologies available to us. More and more we are being asked to support clients to review and optimise manufacturing process and carry out a value engineering review.

"After the challenges business have had to face over the past six years, when we have delivered a project for our clients to optimise the design or manufacturing process they often discuss the challenges they face of high operating cost proportionate to some of their competitors, and this is an area we are now looking to address for them with this new service."

Since the launch, PES has not only supported businesses in its network but also outside of the engineering and manufacturing sector, having recently working with a Schools Academy and achieving savings in excess of £29.5k.

PES Performance website

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News: AMRC engineers switch focus to unmanned aircraft

Engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Rotherham have successfully printed a 1.5m-wide prototype unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for a research project looking at 3D printing of complex designs.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world leading model partnership between industry and academia that focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It employs around 200 highly qualified researchers and engineers from around the globe, who have worked on manufacturing challenges for likes of Airbus, Boeing and GKN Aerospace.

Small fixed-wing remote-controlled aircraft – often known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – have a host of applications such as aerial surveys, photography and environmental monitoring. Many different designs are already available, but most are expensive and time-consuming to produce. For some important applications, such as helping search for survivors in disaster areas, UAVs need to be quicker, cheaper and easier to make and fly.

Engineers in the AMRC with Boeing's new Design & Prototyping Group set themselves the challenge of proving that a viable UAV could be made using relatively simple additive manufacturing technologies.

The AMRC team chose a fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology and aimed to design each part of the airframe structure so that it can be printed without any need for support material.

John Mann, development engineer at the AMRC, who created a number of conceptual models for the project, said: "The whole airframe was designed specifically for additive manufacture. The optimum configuration for the diverse requirements of aerodynamic performance and FDM manufacture appeared to be the blended-wing body. This type of design has a number of advantages and, most importantly for this project, lends itself to FDM technology due to the smooth leading and trailing edges over each half-span."

Designed specifically to be 3D printed, the structure took 24 hours to manufacture. Before design for additive manufacture optimisation, this airframe would take over 120 hours to produce.

The final airframe design comprised just nine parts – two wings, two elevons, two spars, two wing end fences and a central spine – all of which were manufactured using the FDM process without any support material. The fewer number of parts also helps reduce the time for manufacture.

The nine airframe parts were designed to clip together and the finished aircraft has a wingspan of 1.5 metres, weighs under 2kg, and can be easily split into two halves around the central spine for easy transport. The last challenge for this proof-of-concept project was to show it could fly – so, after fitting out the airframe as a radio-controlled glider, the team took a trip out into the Peak District.

Dr Garth Nicholson, who led the project, said: "Following successful flight testing, we are working to incorporate blended winglets and twin ducted fan propulsion. We are also investigating full on-board data logging of flight parameters, autonomous operation by GPS, and control by surface morphing technology. Concepts for novel ducted fan designs are also being investigated."

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News: Fripp gets a break in the advertising industry

When you work at the cutting edge of design and prototyping, sometimes the projects you work on have to remain top secret. That's why it's taken a year before Fripp Design and Research can discuss its involvement in Nestlé's "We Will Find You" ad campaign.

One of the UK's leading product design, research and business consultancies, Fripp is based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

Experts in all areas of product design and industrial design with customers ranging from blue chip companies, to leading UK universities, to individual inventors and entrepreneurs, Fripp were approached in December 2012 by a collaboration that included Nestlé and a market leading promotional company with an urgent requirement. The team had conceived a new promotional campaign but technical issues had presented an unexpected challenge in delivering it.

As part of the first-of-its-kind-promotion in the UK, in a number of winning products, bars had been replaced with GPS devices. When the customer opened the winning wrapper and activated the GPS device, a reward response team was dispatched with prize money of between £10 and £10,000 and set out to find the winners in just 24 hours.

Once the location system was developed, Fripp was challenged to package these in such a way that, from the consumers perspective, they looked and felt like the real thing in terms of dimensions, weight and strength whilst protecting the health and safety of the consumer in a robust and tamperproof manner.

Steve Roberts, non executive director at Fripp Design and Research, explains: "This was demanding in its own right, but this was not the major challenge; that came from the timescales involved. Nestlé were committed to the project, so we needed to commit to their very tight deadline; which of course we did."

The project made use of Fripp's experience in reverse engineering, 3D computer aided design (CAD), prototyping and project management.

Roberts added: "Our solution was both elegant and simple using accurate reverse engineering and 3D CAD as well as both in house and the best of breed 3D printing technologies to manufacture lightweight, strong and accurate components for all devices that made it very difficult to detect the contents.

"This unique application of modern design and production helped to maintain the project deadline and deliver a successful UK wide promotion."

This in not the first high profile client for the company. Fripp Design was involved in the design of the Comic Relief "Honkus" Red Nose and have appeared on Channel5's, the Gadget Show. Clients also include; Fellowes, Rolls-Royce, Proware Kitchen, Sagentia Group, and The Wellcome Trust.

Fripp Design and Research website

Images: Lono Creative / Fripp

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News: AMRC's showcase of good design

The DPTC is the latest acronym to open at The AMRC on the AMP.

The latest investment from the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is the Design Prototype & Test Centre (DPTC) that is currently being filled with new 3D printing and machining equipment, ahead of an official opening.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the 2,700 sq m extension to an existing building will bring together design and prototyping with structural testing, key areas in the research of high-value manufacturing sectors such as aerospace, energy, motorsport and medical technology.

More than doubling the size of the original building that opened in 2004, the centre has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund and High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

The AMRC is a world-class centre for innovative research and focuses on advanced machining and materials research. All research is led by industrial partners, ensuring that work provides lasting value. The adjacent Nuclear AMRC provides a focal point for the bulk of the UK civil nuclear manufacturing industry supply chain.

The new facilities provide state of the art means, methods and skills to validate engineering materials, components, assemblies and full products. Certification and product validation are critical to the adoption of new manufacturing methods and technologies.

The new facilities also provide the Design & Prototyping Group, that has over 40 highly qualified design engineers, with a large prototyping workshop.

Over 50 delegates from around the world recently attended the two-day conference to showcase the work undertaken at the centre, including representatives from Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Goodrich, Spirit AeroSystems and Sandvik Coromant.

Adrian Allen, commercial director at the AMRC with Boeing, said: "It's hugely important that we run conferences like this – being able to showcase the results of what we are doing is vital.

"While much of our work is commercially sensitive and we can't shout about it in the public arena, our goal is and will always be to create jobs and wealth for the UK economy by undertaking the highest level research to create sustainable wealth for all."

Constructed at a cost of £4.3m by Miller Construction, the centre was designed by Bond Bryan to achieve a BREEAM rating of "very good" as it is linked to the centre's existing ground source heat pumps and wind turbine systems.

The architectural firm has an office in Sheffield and has played a significant role in shaping the world-leading advanced manufacturing facilities on the former Orgreave colliery site at Waverley. Bond Bryan has again been chosen by the University to work on designs for the AMRC's proposed Factory 2050, the £43m state-of-the-art research factory that is currently out to tender.

The AMRC Training Centre, the AMP's £20.5m centre also designed by Bond Bryan, has a launch event later this month.

AMRC website
Bond Bryan website

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News: Recruitment begins for Medical AMRC

Work is continuing to replicate the model for the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in the healthcare technology sector.

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.

The university secured funding earlier this year to develop the model into new areas – healthcare technologies and the creative and digital sectors. This is intended to stimulate growth in the Sheffield City Region, which has one of the UK's highest concentrations of medical device companies.

Based in the newly operational Design, Prototyping & Testing Centre on the AMP, the Medical AMRC will ensure the results of internationally significant research are developed into products and brought to market quickly and cost effectively.

The new centre will sit alongside the current AMRC and will be able to access all the current resources but with a dedicated team which will specifically focus on the medical technologies sector.

Recruitment is underway for design engineers to join the new Medical AMRC team, who will be responsible for generating innovative, practical solutions to a range of engineering design problems.

The AMRC is a multimillion pound partnership between industry and academia that has become a model for collaborative research centres worldwide and now boasts 75 partners, including Boeing and Rolls Royce.

The AMRC secures funding from a range of organisations; through winning competitive calls for research from the Technology Strategy Board and Research Councils; research projects commissioned by business; and through Tier 1 and Tier 2 sponsors.

Funding to expand is coming from the Higher Education Funding Council For England's (HEFCE's) £50m Catalyst Fund.

Just as the AMRC has been the catalyst for attracting aerospace and nuclear manufacturing companies to the AMP, it is anticipated that the Medical AMRC will be the catalyst for the establishment of new medical technology companies. Representatives from the Sheffield City Region's inward investment have been getting this message across at MEDICA 2013, the world's largest medical trade fair, held recently in Germany.

AMRC website

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News: AMRC offer free design, prototyping and testing for SMEs

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, is offering Yorkshire SMEs two days of cost-free business support from its new Design Prototype and Test Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.


Set to open soon, the 2,700 sq m extension to an existing building will bring together design and prototyping with structural testing, key areas in the research of high-value manufacturing sectors such as aerospace, energy, motorsport and medical technology. The AMRC works with companies along the supply chain to identify and resolve advanced manufacturing problems.

More than doubling the size of the original building that opened in 2004, the centre has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund and High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

To launch the new centre and demonstrate support for local business, the AMRC is offering small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Yorkshire & Humber region two days of free business assistance.

The programme gives qualifying companies free access to the AMRC's multi-disciplinary team of design and testing engineers, to help companies develop new products or improve current capabilities.

Derek Boaler, head of design at The AMRC, said: "The new AMRC Design Prototype & Test Centre will be a national hub for design engineering, and we're delighted to give Yorkshire businesses the opportunity to take advantage of our expertise.

"We can help manufacturers move innovative new designs from first concept through to fully tested pre-production prototype, and create high-value products that are designed, tested and made in Britain. If we can help your business, we want to hear from you."

AMRC website

Images: AMRC / SCR LEP / Twitter

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News: World class design centre nears reality

The latest development by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, the Design Prototype & Test Centre, is on track to open this autumn, offering a host of services to manufacturers in the energy sector.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the 2,700 sq m extension to an existing building will bring together design and prototyping with structural testing, key areas in the research of high-value manufacturing sectors such as aerospace, energy, motorsport and medical technology.

More than doubling the size of the original building that opened in 2004, the centre has secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund and High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

The AMRC is a world-class centre for innovative research and focuses on advanced machining and materials research. All research is led by industrial partners, ensuring that work provides lasting value. The Nuclear AMRC provides a focal point for the bulk of the UK civil nuclear manufacturing industry supply chain.

The AMRC's Advanced Structural Testing Centre (ASTC) provide means, methods and skills to validate engineering materials, components, assemblies and full products.

Certification and product validation are critical to the adoption of new manufacturing methods and technologies. One high profile project was the testing of lugs, actuator rods and braces in innovative landing gear systems, as part of a large collaborative research programme led by Airbus.

New resources include a 10m x 10m strong floor, which will significantly expand the centre's abilities to test large and high-load components or assemblies by allowing the creation of bespoke reaction frame rigs.

Four new high-power actuators, for applying loads during the testing of structures, will also be installed, providing the capability to achieve 800 tonnes of tensile/compression loading.

Phil Spiers, head of the Advanced Structural Testing Centre (ASTC), said: "This is an increase in capability that allows us to start testing large complex nuclear components. It takes us to the extreme end of aerospace and the low end of nuclear, and into other areas like oil and gas pipelines.

"We are positioning ourselves to meet the requirements of nuclear. As the requirements come in, we will tool ourselves up to meet that in terms of load and test type."

The new facilities will also provide the Design & Prototyping Group, that has over 40 highly qualified design engineers, with a large prototyping workshop offering a range of flexible machining and 3D printing equipment. The team is currently supporting Nuclear AMRC researchers on various projects, such as designing and producing bespoke fixturing for machining research.

The next development for the AMRC is Factory 2050, the £43m state-of-the-art research factory to meet the future needs of aerospace and other high-value manufacturing industries.

AMRC website

Images: AMRC

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News: Focus on Dinnington's AME

The Star Business focuses on AME Prototypes and AME Design of Carrera Court, Dinnington in Rotherham. The excellent feature highlights the advanced techniques used by AME in rapid prototyping such as laser technolgy and using advanced polymers and nylons. The design aspects of AME are also discussed with the company designing new products every day and boasting a group of people designing everything from perfume bottles to brush handles and automotive products. AME founder Ian Jones is proud of the skills of AME staff and the fact that most of its competitors are in London and the South East, telling The Star: "I don't think we shout about it as much as we should. Creative people can and do live in the north." The company has grown to an international group employing 40 staff, including graduate designers, skilled craftsmen and apprentices with clients in Malaysia, continental Europe and the UK, including Formula 1 teams, Dyson, Unilever, Hornby and Smith & Nephew. The group has also spun off its own award-winning creation, the Identicom name badge, into a company called Connexion2, also based at its new headquarters at Dinnington's Carrera Court business park.

AME website

The Star article

Rotherham

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