News: Rotherham college to be part of new specialist centre for defence

The RNN Group has successfully secured a major national defence technology bid, in partnership with the UK Government, to establish a new Defence Technical Excellence College (DTEC).

Part of a £175m national investment in skills, the initiative is being delivered in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education.

The RNN Group is made up of a number of campuses including Rotherham Campus, Dearne Valley Campus and University Centre Rotherham, and will now be at the forefront of strengthening the UK’s defence skills pipeline, supporting the development of advanced technical capabilities critical to national security and economic resilience.

The DTEC will focus on delivering high-quality education and training in key areas including digital technologies and advanced manufacturing, directly support the evolving needs of the UK defence sector and its supply chains, aligning with the ambitions of the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy which set out how government spending on defence can benefit local economies, from highly skilled engineering positions to apprenticeships for young people starting their careers.

A recently announced new £50m Defence Growth Deal is set to help defence companies and boost skills by expanding cutting-edge defence research in South Yorkshire.

By working closely with employers and partners, RNN Group will help develop a highly skilled workforce ready to meet future challenges.

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Jason Austin, CEO & Principal of RNN Group, said: “This is a significant moment for RNN Group and for the regions we serve; securing this bid demonstrates our commitment to supporting the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy through the provision of high-quality technical education.

“We are proud to work alongside the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education to deliver a step change in how defence skills are developed.

“By collaborating closely with SYMCA and EMCCA and our local educational partners and institutions, we are ensuring the development of high-level skills in this area.”

RNN is one of 19 Technical Excellence Colleges that will begin delivery from April 2026, acting as hubs of excellence and working with other providers to raise standards across the country.

John Healey, Secretary of State for Defence and MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, said: "With vital investment, cutting-edge equipment and high-quality teaching, Dearne Valley College and Rotherham College can go on to build the workforce of the industries of the future – right here in Rotherham.

“Well done to the team at RNN Group, who deserve this well-earned recognition, and I can’t wait to see them go from strength to strength as a Technical Excellence College.”

RNN Group website

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News: £50m growth deal to help South Yorkshire build the technologies and innovations of the future

A new £50m South Yorkshire Defence Growth Deal is expected to be operational by the end of Summer 2026.

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, was in Rotherham this week, seven months after the deal was launched.

The Defence Industrial Strategy set out how government spending on defence can benefit local economies, from highly skilled engineering positions to apprenticeships for young people starting their careers.

Initial analysis indicates there could be an additional demand of up to 50,000 defence jobs by 2034/35 with increases in defence spending. Defence Growth Deals will play an important role in capitalising on that skilled employment potential for communities across the UK.

South Yorkshire is one of five deals that will be backed by a total of £250m of defence spending over the next five years.

The Defence Minister discussed the deal with industry at the University of Sheffield on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, and its aim to help defence companies and boost skills by expanding cutting-edge defence research in South Yorkshire.

The targeted funding will catalyse growth across the region by boosting innovative R&D capacity and reinforcing the supply chains that defence companies need to equip our Armed Forces.

South Yorkshire is identified as a key hub for the development and engineering of high integrity, precision materials for the defence sector, including at MOD-owned Sheffield Forgemasters.

The region is also home to the University of Sheffield’s world-leading Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which has multimillion pound facilities on the AMP in Rotherham. A growing defence cluster is being bolstered by BAE Systems new artillery factory in Sheffield with Rotherham companies including MTL Advanced and Magtec already supplying the defence sector.

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Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: This £50m investment will mean South Yorkshire’s superb defence companies can develop innovative new technology, helping strengthen our Armed Forces and keep Britain safe in this new era of threat.

With government, industry and academia – such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre – working hand in hand we are making sure this support is really targeted where it will have the biggest impact.

Through this Defence Growth Deal our government is backing British, and backing South Yorkshire. We’re harnessing the proud industrial base in this area to make defence an engine for growth, delivering new jobs and skills for local people.

The discussion included establishing a South Yorkshire Defence Board, deepening collaboration between the government, South Yorkshire’s mayoral authority, industry and academia, working hand-in-hand on making the Growth Deal as effective as possible while attracting long-term public and private investment.

The University of Sheffield AMRC has recently worked with EY-Parthenon to outline clear actions to unlock growth and secure sovereign defence capability, as well as the central role the AMRC can play in helping the UK to overcome innovation, capacity and capability challenges.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: In an ever more dangerous world, South Yorkshire has a significant role to play in the defence and security of the United Kingdom and our allies.

The £50 million Defence Growth Deal we have been awarded by the government doesn’t simply recognise the expertise and assets we have here today, it will help us to build the technologies and innovations of the future.

That Deal will mean we can continue making things, creating secure, well‑paid jobs, giving people across South Yorkshire the opportunity to stay near and go far. All while helping to keep the UK and our allies safe, secure and protected.

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News: Rotherham firms receive royal visits

Two Rotherham-based companies had the honour of a royal visit recently when Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was in the region.

Last month, Princess Anne visited MTL Advanced in Brinsworth, and was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Professor Dame Hilary Chapman.

The firm, which operates a 387,000 sq ft facility, has over 440 employees and annual sales expected to exceed £64m for 2025. MTL Advanced is recognised globally as a market leader in the processing of armoured steels and complex fabrications. The business has invested more than £15m in additional factory space and state-of-the-art equipment over the past two years.

In addition, over 100 apprentices have now come through the doors of MTL's in-house Academy since it opened its doors in 2015 and the company’s home-grown talent has played a critical role in the company’s recent growth and success.

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After a visit to a nursery and the Baby Basics UK charity in Sheffield, Her Royal Highness then visited Yorkshire Crisps in Rotherham.

The luxury hand cooked crisps and popcorn maker is based at Waleswood where its award-winning produce is made by a small, dedicated team using the finest local ingredients for a local, national and international market.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Crisps said: "It was a truly memorable day for our whole team. Her Royal Highness was a wonderful guest, generously taking the time to speak with colleagues across the site and showing genuine interest in the people and processes behind our crisps. Her warmth and engagement made a lasting impression on everyone she met.

"We are also proud to recognise the outstanding work The Princess Royal continues to do in supporting local industry and championing charities across the UK. Her Royal Highness’s dedication to strengthening communities and celebrating British enterprise is both inspiring and greatly appreciated."

MTL Advanced website
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News: MTL delivers on defence contract

Rotherham-based MTL Advanced, one of the UK’s largest contract manufacturing businesses, has formally handed over the first fully British-manufactured Mission Module for the Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme to KNDS UK.

The firm, which operates a 387,000 sq ft facility at Brinsworth, was chosen in 2022 to supply armoured steel for the production of the MoD Boxer Armoured Vehicle Programme under a £-multi-million, multi-year contract. A year later it added to its current contract to supply armoured steel kits of parts for over 450 Drive Modules to KNDS’s fabrication line in Stockport.

The milestone marks a significant achievement for UK land defence manufacturing and represents the culmination of over two years of close collaboration between the two companies.

The handover ceremony took place at MTL Advanced’s Brinsworth headquarters in Rotherham, and was attended by KNDS Directors Tom Winney and Roland Hoegerle alongside the Secretary of State for Defence and local Rotherham MP Rt Hon John Healey.

This Mission Module is the first to be built entirely in the UK, from raw plate material through to final fabrication, and is part of MTL’s base order with KNDS for over 100 modules, a number expected to grow in the coming years. The order forms part of more than £40m in contracts awarded by KNDS to MTL Advanced to support the UK’s Boxer MIV programme.

Karl Stewart, General Manager at MTL Advanced, said: “This is an incredibly proud moment for MTL Advanced, our people, and the UK defence manufacturing sector. Delivering the first fully UK-built Mission Module demonstrates the strength of our partnership with KNDS and our capability to deliver world-class defence solutions. Our team has worked tirelessly to transfer the specialist knowledge from Germany to the UK, ensuring we can meet the highest standards required for this vital programme.”

MTL Advanced has been a key supplier to the Boxer programme for over 18 years, working with both KNDS (formerly KMW) and Rheinmetall. The company was the first UK business to qualify to the German Bundeswehr TL standards for processing armoured steel.

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The first mission module handover ceremony was followed by a tour of MTL’s facility which included a visit of the company’s award-winning Training Academy where 15-20 new apprentices start their engineering career every year. First Year Apprentices were given the chance to showcase some of their work to the Secretary of State for Defence and esteemed guests from KNDS.

Over 100 apprentices have now come through the doors of MTL's in-house Academy since it opened its doors in 2015 and the company’s home-grown talent has played a critical role in the company’s recent growth and success.

With now over 440 employees and annual sales expected to exceed £64m in 2025, MTL Advanced is recognised globally as a market leader in the processing of armoured steels and complex fabrications. The business has invested more than £15m in additional factory space and state-of-the-art equipment over the past two years, with further investments planned for late 2025.

John Healey MP, Defence Secretary, said: “It was great to speak with the brilliant apprentices at MTL Advanced and to hear how important local home-grown talent has been to the success of the business and the delivery of the UK’s innovative Boxer MIV programme. “In this new era for defence, we are proud to be backing British industry, British innovators and British jobs. Our Defence Industrial Strategy will help keep us safe and make defence an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK.”

The Mission Module will now be integrated into the Boxer vehicles for the British Army, marking another step in bringing advanced armoured vehicle production fully back to the UK.

MTL Advanced website

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News: Defence Growth Deal for South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is set for a boost through the launch of a £250m fund for Defence Growth Deals which will improve collaboration, foster innovation and create jobs in areas with untapped potential.

The Defence Industrial Strategy sets out how gonvernment spending on defence can benefit local economies, from highly skilled engineering positions to apprenticeships for young people starting their careers.

Initial analysis indicates there could be an additional demand of up to 50,000 defence jobs by 2034/35 with increases in defence spending. Defence Growth Deals will play an important role in capitalising on that skilled employment potential for communities across the UK.

South Yorkshire is one of five deals that will be backed by a total of £250m of defence spending over the next five years, underpinned by this Government’s historic increase in defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2027 and the ambition to hit 3% in the next Parliament.

They will forge long-term partnerships between national, devolved and local government, uniting businesses and research institutions to harness local expertise and resources in defence and the dual-use sectors. They will support the UK Armed Forces and deliver benefits for working people through the government’s Plan for Change.

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Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: "The Defence Industrial Strategy will make defence an engine for growth across the UK, backing British jobs, British industry and British innovators.

"Defence Growth Deals offer a new partnership with UK Defence to build on industrial and innovation strengths that regions already hold. Together we aim to drive an increase in defence skills, SMEs and jobs across all four nations.

"We want to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a defence firm and will put Britain at the leading edge of innovation."

The new fund builds on the success of the Plan for Barrow. The deals, created in partnership with industry, local government and other regional organisations, will see investment in that area’s sub-sector specialisms, harnessing their ingenuity and mass, while also launching specific interventions that help support that defence ecosystem and the places themselves, delivering long-term and sustainable regional growth across the UK.

South Yorkshire is identified as a key hub for the development and engineering of high integrity, precision materials for the defence sector, including at MOD-owned Sheffield Forgemasters.

The region is also home to the University of Sheffield’s world-leading Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which has multimillion pound facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham. A growing defence cluster is being bolstered by BAE Systems new artillery factory in Sheffield.

The strategy set out that in South Yorkshire, "we will further leverage the region’s strengths in the research, development and engineering of high-grade components and materials critical to the next generation of maritime, land and air capabilities."

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, said: "South Yorkshire has always been at the forefront of our country's security. We supplied munitions in both world wars, we are the home of the Vulcan and we are helping to build the submarines of tomorrow at Forgemasters in Sheffield. Now, the government has asked us to do even more to keep this country safe as we face up to the challenges of an evermore uncertain future.

"The Defence Growth Deal we've just been awarded isn't just a critical part of the UK's new Defence Industrial Strategy, it's a vote of confidence in the work we do here in South Yorkshire, from quantum computing to material science. That deal will offer very real opportunities for companies across Barnsley, Rotherham, Sheffield and Doncaster. It will mean more secure, well-paid jobs and it will power the growth that will make us all better off."

Images: BAE Systems / Forgemaster

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News: S2S Group secures investment from Bailie Group to propel growth ambitions

The Rotherham-based S2S Group has received a £500k injection from investment firm Bailie Group.

S2S Group at Manvers is one of the leading players in electronics manufacturing, asset recovery and electronics recycling, specialising in the disposal and management of IT assets at the end of their lifecycle, offering a certified and eco-friendly IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) service.

The Baillie Group, a family-owned group of agencies and consultancies, invests in ideas, people, and properties with the goal of making a positive impact. It has offices in Leeds and Antrim.

The £500k deal sees Baillie Group acquire a 25% stake in S2S and is set to accelerate growth ambitions and develop S2S Group's market share in the defence sector, focusing on key target contracts.

The move builds on a recognition for a strong commitment to sustainable and secure recycling and reuse of end-of-life IT equipment, supporting clients across the defence, finance and education sectors. Significant growth in the last five years has included the acquisition of operations in London and Glasgow in 2023.

The investment from Bailie Group, which owns a portfolio of communications agencies and consultancies, is set enable S2S to accelerate its aims of achieving 21% growth this year, taking annual revenue to £5.8m.

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Grant Barton, CEO of S2S Group, said: “Partnering with Bailie Group is a major milestone for us. Their experience, network, and values align perfectly with our ambitions. With their support, we’re confident we can grow faster, innovate further, and deliver even greater value to our customers.

“After a strong 2024 and a sharpened focus on electronic and remote data‑wiping, particularly in the defence sector, this investment gives us the resources and know‑how to boost our positive impact on data security and create more value for both companies.”

Fergus Bailie, CEO of Bailie Group added: “Bailie Group’s mission is to improve lives by sharing knowledge, and this investment marks our first foray into safeguarding information through secure data disposal. S2S are operating in a critical area where security, sustainability and innovation come together, and we’re excited to support their vision for the future.

“Our commitment goes beyond financing; we’re bringing the expertise, energy and strategic guidance the team needs to scale and thrive. We believe S2S has tremendous growth potential, and by combining our strengths I’m confident we can expand their market share and drive their initiatives forward.”

In 2024, S2S processed a total of 217,329 redundant IT assets – 81% of which were scrapped through recycling and 19% resold, contributing to the circular economy.

S2S Group website

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News: Magtec secures funding for submarine propulsion project

Rotherham-based Magtec, the UK’s leading innovator in electric driveline technology, has secured funding through the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) to deliver a world-first in nuclear submarine propulsion. This game-changing project will push the boundaries of stealth, power efficiency, and operational capability, cementing Magtec’s role in the future of defence engineering.

Through this collaboration with MacTaggart Scott, Magtec will develop Permanent Magnet Motors (PMM) for 26 advanced submarines, drastically reducing engine noise, heat emissions, and overall size. This breakthrough will transform the Royal Navy’s fleet into silent warriors beneath the waves, making detection by adversaries exponentially harder.

Magtec will receive a government grant worth 50% of the project value with the aim of developing innovative new solutions that meet UK defence challenges and increase capability in the UK defence supply chain.

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Magtec is a leading UK designer, manufacturer and integrator of electric and hybrid drive systems for customers in the defence, rail and commercial sectors. The company is a member of the British Army’s programme to develop technologies for battlefield electrification and holds an Armed Forces Covenant Bronze Award in the Employer Recognition Scheme. Founded in 1992, Magtec is privately owned and headquartered at a bespoke design and manufacturing facility in Templeborough.

A submarine’s ability to remain undetected determines its effectiveness in surveillance, deterrence, and combat. Traditional propulsion systems generate noise and heat signatures that can be tracked by enemy forces. Magtec’s next-generation Permanent Magnet Motor technology will virtually eliminate these vulnerabilities, giving UK submarines an unrivaled tactical advantage.

Marcus Jenkins, Chief Technical Officer at Magtec, said: “This isn’t just an improvement—it’s a complete shift in how submarines will operate. Our Permanent Magnet Motors will deliver unmatched power and efficiency while slashing weight, noise, and maintenance needs. This is a monumental advancement in defence technology, and we’re proud to be leading the charge.”

Andy Gilligan, Managing Director at Magtec, added: “Magtec has always been at the forefront of electrification, and this project is proof of our ability to deliver world-class defence solutions. The technology we’re developing will provide the Royal Navy with an operational advantage that was once thought impossible.”

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News: MTL's £10m investment in Rotherham is an investment in the future

MTL Advanced, a leading UK-based engineering and manufacturing company, has completed the build of a new 67,000 sq ft factory adjacent to its existing 300,000 sq ft unit in Rotherham.

This expansion represents a substantial £10m investment towards the future growth of the business, driven by the award of a long term ongoing multi-million-pound contract in partnership with a key customer. The new facility is scheduled to be completed this month, with production set to begin during December.

Coinciding with the launch of the new Brinsworth factory, MTL has also unveiled a complete rebrand, marking a new era for the company. The rebrand reflects MTL’s forward-thinking approach and renewed focus on innovation, quality, and manufacturing excellence.

As part of this strategic investment, MTL has significantly enhanced its manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of several pieces of cutting-edge equipment for this new “factory of the future”. Among the new machinery is a large format LVD press brake, which will enable the precise bending and forming of large metal components, increasing MTL’s capacity to handle complex and heavy-duty fabrication tasks.

The company has also invested in two Doosan auto pallet horizontal machining centres, designed for high-speed, high-precision milling and drilling of complex parts. These machines are equipped with automatic pallet changers to minimize downtime, boosting productivity and operational efficiency.

Additionally, MTL has installed seven Yaskawa robot welding centres, which feature fully automated welding technology, ensuring outstanding repeatability, speed, and precision in welding operations. This advanced setup will allow MTL to maintain high production volumes while adhering to the highest quality standards. As part of this investment, MTL also installed a state-of-the-art fully automated welding line for high volume and complex high strength steel structures.

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The expansion is not only a significant step towards enhancing MTL’s production capabilities but it also has a positive impact on the local community through job creation, fostering economic growth in the region.

The company is actively recruiting, with 100 new staff expected to join the business over the next 12 months, including 24 apprentices who just started their careers at MTL early September 2024, and 30 new staff scheduled to join the business in quarter 4 to coincide with the opening of the new Advanced Manufacturing Centre.

This will take MTL’s headcount past the 400 staff mark in 2025, including over 10% of apprentices, which represents another exciting new milestone reached by the Brinsworth-based company.

Karl Stewart, General Manager of MTL Advanced, said: “This £10m investment is a major milestone for MTL Advanced, reinforcing our commitment to long-term growth and stability. Our new Advanced Manufacturing Centre and state-of-the-art equipment will not only expand our production capabilities but also strengthen our ability to meet the growing demands of our customers.

"This new business has been won on the back of excellent quality, outstanding on-time delivery performance and a collaborative approach to customer service. We are delighted that our valued customers continue to trust our ability to deliver. Securing contracts such as this, alongside our recent other successes within Defence, Rail, and Construction is an endorsement by our customers of MTL’s ability to add value to their supply chains. It’s taken years of hard work from all our team to build that trust with our customers and our main focus remains on building a strong and sustainable order book, ensuring long-term stability for MTL and the skilled workforce that supports us.

"Our complete rebrand marks an exciting new chapter for MTL Advanced, aligning our brand with our vision for the future. It represents our commitment to innovation, quality, and our role as one of the leading contract manufacturers in the UK.”

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News: Defence Secretary impressed by Magtec's cutting-edge electric technologies for battlefields

The Secretary of State for Defence has visited Magtec in Rotherham to see the company’s cutting-edge hybrid drive systems for battlefield electrification, stealth mobility and improved sustainability.

The Rt Hon John Healey MP toured the company’s design and manufacturing facility in Templeborough and met with company directors, senior engineers and apprentices.

Magtec demonstrated the drivability of its hybrid MAN support vehicle for creating and distributing power networks across battlefields. It showcased its hybrid Foxhound vehicle for light infantry and specialist troop operations. The company highlighted its advanced capabilities for other defence applications, such as replacing big diesel motors with small silent technology. Additionally, it displayed its raft assembly for the UK’s largest fleet of heavy electric vehicles.

Magtec is a member of the British Army’s programme to develop technologies for battlefield electrification and deliver multiple technical and operational enhancements.

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John Healey said: “This is a deeply impressive company with the long established manufacturing skills and the creative flair to improve the battlefield performance and the environmental performance of military vehicles. I am proud to see such stand-out British engineering based in Rotherham.”

Mr Healey is Member of Parliament for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough and served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 2020 until 2024. He was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in July 2024.

Andrew Gilligan, managing director of Magtec, said: “The Defence Secretary’s visit enthused the whole team and we were thrilled to have had the opportunity to show him around our facility. Magtec is a UK company at the forefront of electric technologies for the battlefields and disaster zones of the future, strengthening the UK’s sovereign capability and creating skilled jobs in South Yorkshire.”

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News: MTL Advanced secures £40m defence contracts

Rotherham-based MTL Advanced has been awarded additional multi-million, multi-year defence contracts from KNDS for the UK’s Boxer programme.

The leading contract manufacturing and fabrication specialist, which operates a 300,000 sq ft facility at Brinsworth, was chosen last year to supply armoured steel for the production of the MoD Boxer Armoured Vehicle Programme under a £-multi-million, multi-year contract.

MTL Advanced is adding to its current contract to supply armoured steel kits of parts for over 450 Drive Modules to KNDS’s fabrication line in Stockport.

In addition to this existing contract, MTL has now also been awarded a further contract to undertake the full fabrication and assembly of Mission Modules - the kits that can be interchanged on the vehicle depednding on the mission.

These contracts, which have a combined value in excess of £40m over the next eight years, mark another significant milestone for MTL Advanced and demonstrate customers confidence in MTL’s abilities and reputation as the leading supplier of complex armoured fabrications to the defence industry.

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Karl Stewart, general manager of MTL Advanced, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these prestigious contracts. This achievement not only reinforces our position as a trusted partner in the defence industry, but also reflects the exceptional capabilities of our factory and our team. We are proud to be contributing to the production of the UK’s Boxer vehicles, which will play a vital role in enhancing the operational capabilities of the British armed forces.

“Contracts of this type allow the business to grow its workforce in both skilled labour and invest in the future through our award-winning apprenticeship scheme. Based on this and other contracts which MTL has won over the last six months, the company is expecting to hire over 50 additional staff during 2024 and create opportunities for a further 15 apprenticeship positions per year.”

On the back of these recent contract awards, MTL Advanced has invested over £2.5m during 2023 in new equipment and during 2024 will be making further significant investments in new equipment and the manufacturing footprint.

Ian Anderton, managing director of WFEL Ltd (a company of KNDS) said: “KNDS demands the highest quality components and service levels from its sub-contractors and as MTL meets these rigorous requirements, we are pleased to welcome them to our UK supply chain. Partnerships like this highlight our commitment to a long-term collaborative approach supporting co-investment in delivery, innovation and manufacturing in the UK.”

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News: MTL Advanced wins armoured steel contract

Rotherham-based MTL Advanced has been chosen to supply armoured steel for the production of the UK’s MoD Boxer Armoured Vehicle Programme, under a £-multi-million, multi-year contract awarded jointly by WFEL and parent company KMW.

The armoured material will be used in the Boxer vehicle hull assembly, which will be fabricated at WFEL’s specialist Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Stockport.

MTL Advanced have invested in excess of £2m in new capital equipment to help support this project and meet increased demand. The new investments have been spread around the various manufacturing cells of the Rotherham business, to provide an enhancement in capacity, in line with the production schedules for the UK Boxer vehicles contract.

MTL operates a 300,000 sq ft facility at Brinsworth.

In a major boost to the local community, this contract award has contributed to the creation of 30 new jobs at MTL Advanced, who have also welcomed 12 new Apprentices to their Engineering & Welding Apprentice Academy during September, demonstrating MTL’s on-going commitment to train the next generation of Engineers. MTL Advanced says that investing in the next generation of talented engineers is critical to their ongoing success.

The company has also recruited an additional four young job seekers as part of the nationwide KickStart campaign and new Graduate schemes have also been brought forward, to upskill MTL’s staff and provide them with further education and career progression opportunities.

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MTL Advanced General Manager, Karl Stewart, said: “We are really excited to have been awarded this major contract, which will give us the opportunity to work in partnership with WFEL and KMW on such an important UK Defence project. We look forward to engaging closely with WFEL and KMW’s engineering teams and leveraging our armour manufacturing expertise to help make this Boxer Vehicle programme a great success for the British Army.

"As a company located at the heart of the Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing corridor, the region that was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, we are immensely proud to be able to bring such a prestigious multi-year contract to Rotherham for the benefit of our local community.”

This is the latest sub-contract to be awarded by WFEL, a key partner in the manufacture of the Boxer Armoured Vehicles for the British Army, under the $2.3 bn contract signed in November 2019 between ARTEC and the UK MoD.

The company will be attending a KickStart recruitment event on Wednesday January 12 at the Youth Hub at Rotherham United Community Sports Trust, New York Stadium. Local individuals will be presented with the opportunity to apply to one of the newly created positions and work on exciting contracts, such as the UK Boxer Programme.

MTL Advanced will also be hosting an open evening during National Apprenticeship Week 2022 on Thursday 10th February, where local school leavers and anyone interested in starting a career in engineering will be welcome to discuss the company’s apprenticeship opportunities for September 2022.

MTL Advanced website

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News: £2m investment and huge recruitment drive at MTL Advanced

MTL Advanced, a division of one of the largest engineering groups in Europe, has made a further investment £2m in new capital equipment in its Rotherham facility to meet the demands of a series of new high-profile contract wins for the Defence and Construction industries.

The new investments have been spread around various manufacturing cells of the business including large format Laser Cutting, Large Folding, and CNC Machining to provide a much-needed capacity increase in line with the company’s growing order book.

The latest machinery arrival has seen MTL commission their brand new 6m x 2.5m Trumpf 10kw 3060 TruLaser large format fibre laser earlier this month. This was a welcome addition to the company’s already extensive large profiling cell, which comprises of 2 other 6m x 2.5m lasers, a 20m x 3.2m bevel laser and a large 25m x 5m high-definition plasma cutting machine on top of 4 other laser cutting machines.

This new 10Kw fibre laser will provide the company with a significant boost in productivity and allow MTL to offer better laser cutting lead times and improved contour quality to their customers for large profiles of up to 30mm in thickness.

The new fibre laser has come on the back of another major investment in September, which has seen MTL acquire a 4.5m wide x 640 tonne Ursviken press brake. Now boasting three 640 tonne capacity large Ursviken presses including two 7.2m wide presses, MTL have strengthened their position as the go-to contract manufacturer for large cut and fold requirements in mild steel, wear resistant steel, aluminium, stainless steel, and armoured materials.

Recent investments have not been limited to MTL’s profiling bay however, as the company has also purchased two new Hartford machining centres earlier this year to boost their CNC Milling capacity, resulting in many additional job vacancies across the business.

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Karl Stewart, General Manager at MTL Advanced stated: “Investing in the very latest technology continues to strengthen our position as one of the UK’s leading contract manufacturers and we are extremely pleased with our recent purchases as this reinforces our ability to handle large multi-million pounds projects. We have just secured new long-term orders in excess of £10m this month, with production starting in the new year, and these new additions to our machinery line-up will enable us to meet the demands of these contracts. These are really exciting times for MTL as we approach 2022 with a very strong order book and this has created many exciting new vacancies to join our operations here in Rotherham.”

MTL Advanced have just advertised around 40 new vacancies on the back of these recent investments and contract wins, with many opportunities to join their 300,000 sq. ft. Brinsworth facility. These include seven laser operators and general operatives, four welders / fabricators, four CNC millers, two press brake operators, two paint sprayers, two material handlers, as well as various project engineers, supervisors, training officers, and sales estimator positions to name but a very few.

These new job roles come in addition to MTL’s recent major apprentice recruitment scheme, which has already seen MTL hire 12 new commercial and technical apprentices in September as well as four new recruits as part of the nationwide KickStart campaign, a national scheme aimed at getting 16–24-year-olds who were previously at risk of long-term unemployment into work.

Stewart added: “Investing in the next generation of talented engineers is critical to our ongoing success and we now have dedicated trainers in the factory whose sole purpose is to mentor and upskill our home-grown workforce. We are now gearing up our operations ahead of these major future contracts, and our recent investments in training and modern machinery will enable us to proactively plan our forward growth and attract the required new talent into the business.”

MTL Advanced website

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News: Magtec opens new factory for electric and hybrid vehicle drive systems in Rotherham

Magtec is opening a state-of-the-art factory for the design, manufacture and integration of its world-leading drive systems for electric and hybrid vehicles in Rotherham.

The company has commissioned a 65,000 sq ft facility at Templeborough to scale up production and meet growing international demand for its innovative technologies.

Founded in 1992, Magtec designs and manufactures components for a wide range of applications including trucks, buses and military vehicles.

The privately-funded move represents a multi-million pound commitment and creates 30 highly skilled new jobs for engineers to work on projects at the cutting edge of transportation.

Magtec, founded by chief technical officer Marcus Jenkins, is delivering best-in-class electric and hybrid drive systems for buses, commercial vehicles, special vehicles and trains.

The company employs 125 people including six apprentices and has been operating from two sites in Sheffield and Rotherham.

Managing Director Andrew Gilligan said: “We are delighted to be opening our new factory in South Yorkshire and proud to be investing in the future of high-tech design and manufacturing in the UK.

“Fears over a climate emergency are driving change across the global transport industry and Magtec is absolutely at the forefront of the technology needed to make it happen.

“Our new factory gives us the space to grow, increase production volumes and fulfil our potential in this exciting sector.”

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Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “I’m excited that this new factory is opening up in Rotherham, creating highly-skilled jobs in the local community as part of the growing electric vehicle market.

“This is a perfect example of how our transition away from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles can create jobs and attract investment, all while cutting emissions so we can end our contribution to climate change.”

The new site at Magna 34 Business Park, close to the M1, is spread across two buildings.

Magtec One houses the Centre of Excellence for engineering and a cellular manufacturing facility for motors and gearboxes, test rigs for production and development work and a machine shop with the latest equipment.

Magtec Two houses the battery build section, raft build production lines for electric vehicle and hybrid drive systems for road and rail applications, a controller build section, an environmental test chamber and vehicle integration section. It will also serve the company’s growing business re-powering buses for transport groups.

Last year, Magtec was awarded £3m via the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) for a project which aims to utilise the latest automation technologies and establish the company as a tier one supplier to the global transport industry.

Magtec website

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News: MTL Advanced investing in Rotherham facility

MTL Advanced, a division of one of the largest engineering groups in Europe, has made a further investment in its Rotherham facility.

It is also on a recruitment drive for new apprentices.

Since being taking over by the WEC Group, the contract manufacturing specialist has gone from strength to strength - winning orders and taking on new staff. It processes in the region of 25,000 tonnes of material annually and are capable of handling all sizes and types of work from carbon steel to aluminium.

MTL Advanced has made further investments in the latest machining technology and purchased an additional state-of-the-art Machining Centre. This will run alongside a Double Column Vertical Machining Centre which was commissioned in November 2020.

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MTL said that the investment has come off the back of an extremely successful Q1 in 2021, despite the challenging industrial conditions over the past 12 months. It is the second investment to increase machining capacity in seven months and the new Machining Centre arrived at the Brinsworth site in early May.

The new 2m x 0.8m 3 AXIS Machining Centre will provide an increase in machining capacity and better lead times for our customers. The additional demand for machining services has also created new job opportunities, as well as four CNC Machining Apprenticeship positions to join in the firm's September 2021 intake.

MTL currently has over 40 job opportunities available including 18 Apprenticeships.

Karl Stewart, general manager at MTL Advanced said: "After a successful Q1, we continued investing in the latest technology to add value to our customer’s supply chain. The addition of the new Machine is part of our ongoing investment plan and is strengthening our position as one of the UK’s leading contract manufacturers."

MTL Advanced website

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News: AMRC keeping the space industry at the cutting edge

Composite engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) were singled out for praise by Airbus Defence and Space bosses for the speed, efficiency and accuracy of their work on critical satellite components which helped "keep UK industry moving" during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Kevin Clynes, who heads up Research and Process Technology Engineering for the Airbus division, said the complex machining operation on the base cone for its new satellite was done "during a very difficult time with speed, efficiency and accuracy" by engineers from the Composite Centre at the AMRC in Rotherham.

The AMRC Composite Centre is a state-of-the-art facility for advanced composite manufacturing research and development, based in a dedicated extension to the AMRC Factory of the Future, which is on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

"Despite the restrictions and challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown, it was crucial to Airbus Defence and Space to continue with operations,” says Kevin. "This was not only about keeping our business going but also about keeping our customers, partners and suppliers operating as well.

"When we contacted the AMRC, it was clear they wanted to assist us with this project to keep our business plan on schedule. This was very much appreciated and successfully demonstrated how we could work together, communicating remotely, to achieve this. The AMRC showed great effort and commitment to keep UK industry going during this challenging time."

This work forms the latter stages of two years of research collaborations between Airbus Defence and Space and the AMRC that initiated the establishment of a method to machine aluminium honeycomb with composite skins with zero defects.

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Dr Kevin Kerrigan, who heads up composite machining research at the AMRC, said: "It was an honour for the AMRC to be able to support the team at Airbus Defence and Space during these challenging times and to witness translational research deliver value back to UK manufacturing."

The cone is a key component of the Eurostar Neo, a new high performance communication satellite developed by Airbus Defence and Space that combines increased payload capacity, more efficient power and thermal control systems with faster production time and reduced cost.

Due for launch in 2021, the cone forms the central structure and base of the service module of the satellite, which houses the propulsion tank. It is made from aluminium honeycomb, which is sandwiched between an inner and outer skin made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP).

The AMRC team took on the challenge to machine 288 holes and three larger access panels, whilst achieving tolerances smaller than the diameter of a human hair into the already high-value-add component. Further machining work included machining flats on upper and lower rings that had been bonded to the cone.

John Halfpenny, technical lead at the AMRC Composite Centre, worked with AMRC machine tool operator Lewis Nicholson to carry out the complex job; operating under strict lockdown conditions and stringent health and safety guidelines, and all while maintaining the necessary social distancing measures.

"This project was a little bit special because we had to come in under lockdown," explains John. "We knew it was important because Airbus had been given permission from the government to do the work during lockdown as it is industry specific and critical to their work packages.

"The cone itself is quite large, 1.3m high, but a very lightweight structure; to give a sense of size, four people could stand inside it.  It is a typical sandwich structure with three layers - carbon fibre on the outer and inner surfaces, with aluminium honeycomb layer in the middle - and quite difficult to machine without damaging the super lightweight, high-value structure."

John explained that while carbon fibre is a strong and light composite material, it is very easy to damage the component when machining features. "The carbon fibre has a tendency to splinter and break away if machined incorrectly," he said. "Airbus had a zero defect feature requirement, which meant no splintering on entry and exit of all features. This is critical to the component, so the AMRC developed techniques to eliminate all delamination.

"Also, another requirement was the honeycomb structure had to have a clean burr-free cut. If machined with conventional tools and drills, it would be very easy to damage the thin sandwich structure so specialist tools were sourced, that were capable of producing a really fine, neat edge on the honeycomb."

After every ten holes, a visual inspection was carried out for delamination and measurement of diameter. This was to ensure tool wear had no effect on the quality of holes.

John explained: "OSG, a tier one research partner, was the tool supplier on this project and they have worked with us to develop the process. We carried out some machining trials with their tools and found they were really good; they are solid carbide diamond coated tools which are very hard-wearing and the geometry of the tools is unique as well."

The machining work was performed using the Starrag STC 1250, 5-axis machine tool which Kevin Clynes says was perfectly suited to the task.

"The holes have a very tight tolerance requirement on diameter size of ±0.015mm, as well as positional accuracy requirement of ±0.05mm.The AMRC’s Starrag machine gave us the required volume and accuracy to carry out these machining operations."

Once complete, the cone was delivered to Airbus' Stevenage site, where metal inserts were accurately bonded into the carbon holes machined by the AMRC to give precision fixing points for brackets and panel attachments.

The cone project is the culmination of two years of "small steps" of incremental research and development carried out by the AMRC for Airbus Defence and Space in which various-scaled cones were machined using a newly established machining process developed for Airbus Defence and Space as part of its manufacturing development programme.

John said: "We got the order for the cone before Covid; it was a critical project for us to complete and to help the industry keep moving during lockdown. We knew that if this wasn't machined on time it could have delayed the final assembly process. The satellite is due to launch in 2021 - slots for launches like this are booked years in advance, so we knew there were deadlines to meet. That's why, as an organisation, we were determined to deliver and make sure we could complete the machining to keep Airbus on schedule."

The Eurostar Neo product line has been developed in the frame of ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, in cooperation with space agencies from ESA Member States, particularly CNES and the UK Space Agency.

AMRC website

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News: MoD becomes Metalysis customer

Metalysis has secured a deal with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), to supply titanium powder through the Materials for Strategic Advantage research programme.

The Manvers company holds the worldwide exploitation rights to the FCC Cambridge process which sees specialist powder metals created in a simple, cost effective process with significant environmental benefits. It is in the process of commercialising the technology to produce titanium, tantalum, and related high value alloys. These are used increasingly by major worldwide industries such as aerospace, marine, medical, chemical, automotive and electronics.

The order is the first that Metalysis has announced from its industrial plant, known as Gen4, housed within its Materials Manufacturing Centre in Rotherham.

Gen4 recently commenced commercial production at Manvers. It is the first facility of its kind in the world.

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The MoD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) provides UK Government with sensitive and specialist research, advice, analysis, technical and systems risk management and assurance. Based in Porton Down it has already revolutionised the production of titanium by reducing the 40 stage process down to just two steps and potentially halving the cost. It is based on the FASTForge project being carried out at the University of Sheffield which relies on Metalysis technology.

Dr Dion Vaughan, CEO at Metalysis, said: "Naturally, we are pleased to welcome Dstl as the first announced customer from our newly operating industrial plant.

"Commencing production from Gen4 marked a positive outcome following years of technological development. Dstl is a global leader in recognising and supporting scientific breakthroughs, and an ideal customer for Metalysis.

"We look forward to continuing to work together. Separately, we anticipate reporting positive outcomes from other customer discussions in coming months."

Backed by investors and grants the Cambridge University spin out has secured over £30m of investment and opened a Materials Discovery Centre in a 22,000 sq ft unit on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), also in Rotherham.

At Manvers, Metalysis has successfully produced both of its intended Gen4 launch products - titanium family alloys and an aluminium-scandium master alloy.

Metalysis website

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News: Investment in Rotherham continues at MTL Advanced

Manufacturing specialist, MTL Advanced, has commissioned a large fibre laser cutting machine for its Rotherham premises following the award of multiple multi-million contracts for its blue-chip OEM customer base.

Rothbiz reported last month that MTL had launched a recruitment drive having secured several defence contracts across Europe. With a 300,000 sq ft base in Brinsworth, the firm is a project manufacturing specialist in the metal sector and supplies leading names in sectors such as defence, construction, offshore and renewable energy, recycling and rail.

Alongside the new vacancies, MTL has commissioned a new TruLaser 5040 fibre laser cutting machine, the second addition of its kind in the past nine months.

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Karl Stewart, general manager of MTL Advanced, said: "This new investment in state-of-the-art technology will enable us to take on more business and improve our service and lead times to customers.

"We are focused on expanding our customer base to fuel our company's continued success and have recently started a major recruitment drive to create 59 new positions in order to consolidate our position as a leading contract manufacturing business."

The 8KW 5040 Trumpf TruLaser comes fully fitted with an automated LiftMaster and is one of the fastest laser cutting machines in the UK, offering high speed nitrogen cutting on a large range of materials as well as the ability to cut up to 40mm stainless steel, 25mm mild steel and aluminium. The machine also has the ability to cut copper and brass up to 10mm.

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The company-wide investment and expansion plans for 2018 mark a stunning turnaround since the company went into administration in 2015 and were taken over by the WEC Group.

Michael Ellmore, head of sales at MTL Advanced, said: "Investment into the latest technology, such as the addition of this new fibre laser cutting machine, is a vital part of our plans for continued growth as it enables us to increase productivity across the entire parts spectrum and maintain our commitments to providing the highest quality turnkey service.

"The new laser takes the total of laser cutting machines at our Rotherham site to eight, and 26 in total within our whole Group, which indisputably makes us one of the largest laser cutting operations in Europe."

MTL Advanced website

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News: Recruitment drive at Rotherham manufacturer

Rotherham manufacturing specialist, MTL Advanced, is launching a recruitment drive having secured several defence contracts across Europe.

Since being taking over by the WEC Group, the firm has gone from strength to strength - winning orders and taking on new staff. This week, 48 new vacancies have been announced at its Brinsworth base.

A project manufacturing specialist in the metal sector, the firm carries one of the largest stocks of armour material in Europe and is capable of handling all sizes and types of work from carbon steel to aluminium. It supplies leading names in sectors such as defence, construction, offshore and renewable energy, recycling and rail.

With a focus on on the supply of military vehicles, structures and infrastructure protection, MTL said that it is set to play a major role in the upcoming UK defence programmes.

MTL Advanced has created numerous new positions across all areas of the business including a further 20 apprenticeship vacancies starting in September. The company has seen a 38% increase in staff over the past 12 months with an additional requirement for 28 permanent staff needed to support future growth.

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Karl Stewart, general manager at MTL, said: "MTL Advanced is continuing to demonstrate year on year our ability to adapt to the ever-increasing demands of our client base, by investing in people and new equipment which allows us to maintain our position in the market place. This is thanks to the hard work and commitment of all the team.

"As a company we are increasing our focus on the development of the next generation of skilled personnel. We have been running a comprehensive apprenticeship scheme for some time now and are proud of our relationship with the local schools and colleges. This year we will be taking on our largest number of apprentices to date and we plan to continue this initiative into the foreseeable future."

Rothbiz reported on major defence contracts last year including a multi-million pound contract by an OEM to supply armour kits for a large overseas vehicle programme and another for the serial production of armoured steel hulls for one of the largest defence OEM's in Europe.

Michael Ellmore, head of sales at MTL, said: "The past 18 months have been incredibly successful for MTL Advanced and we are now looking forward and preparing for what we anticipate to be our busiest spell to date. Our track record of successfully delivering complex programs coupled with our in-depth knowledge of defence platforms, makes us the ideal partner for global defence companies.

"Whilst apprenticeships remain a central part of our future growth plans, we are also preparing to launch a campaign which aims at recruiting ex-armed force veterans. As a veteran myself, I'm keen to boost the number of applications we get from this pool of highly skilled labour and add their skill set to help improve our business and to fulfil the current job openings.

"MTL's expertise has, for many years, lied in the manufacture of armoured steel, aluminium and titanium sub-assemblies as well as fully fabricated, painted and assembled vehicle hulls. The company's Design for Manufacture team has over 30 years' experience and with our capabilities to complete blast & ballistic validations, allows us to stand apart from the competition."

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MTL has been at the forefront of developing new capabilities for the processing of metallic materials for many years. It was the first company to develop a repeatable process for the forming of Ultra High Hard steels and has been successfully doing this for over eight years. It has worked on projects for clients such as BAE Systems, Rheinmetall, and General Dynamics.

The Rotherham firm is set to be at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) Show at Millbrook later this month. Bringing together industry and defence in the land equipment sector, the event is jointly sponsored by the Army Headquarters and Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence which had a 2017/18 budget of over £14bn.

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News: Lombard-backed Newburgh invest in Rotherham

Rotherham precision engineering specialists, Newburgh Precision Ltd, has secured funding packages from Lombard Asset Finance to reinvest in and refurbish its machinery assets.

With state-of-the-art premises at Templeborough, Newburgh Precision has unrivalled expertise in machining precision components and supplies the oil & gas, power generation, defence, rail and aerospace sectors.

It specialises in manufacturing "cells" that include dedicated groups of resources operated by a team of multi-skilled individuals that are committed to producing a product or products for one customer.

The investment will increase the company's capabilities and ensure maximum productivity. Part of the funding has facilitated the refurbishment of an Asquith Butler Gantry Mill, used to machine various products for the defence and nuclear sectors, saving at least £500k in comparison to the cost of replacing the existing machine.

Further funding has allowed the company to renew the contracts for two other machines – a small Robodrill, employed to make large volumes of small parts, and the KAFO, which is used for the precision machining of Helipads.

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The company currently employees 75 staff with ambitions of becoming a 90-strong team by 2019. Plans for further investment in existing machinery and facilities are already underway, with another machine currently on order and installation planned for February 2019.

Chris Staves, management accountant at Newburgh Precision, said: "Our business has grown considerably over the past four years but in order to maintain this growth it is important that we invest in our existing machinery to ensure maximum efficiency.

"The funding from Lombard Asset Finance has enabled us to renew contracts and refurbish important machinery to increase our capacity as a firm. We look forward to taking delivery of a new machine in February and expanding our capabilities further."

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Veronica Wales, senior relationship manager at Lombard, said: "Newburgh Precision Limited's loyal customer base and future order book is evidence of its efficiency and strength as a business. Our funding will help the company continue to operate profitably and we look forward to supporting Chris and the team through further expansion."

Lombard, one of the UK's leading asset finance providers, can trace its roots back to the North Central Wagon and Finance Company which was founded in Rotherham in 1861.

Newburgh Precision website
Lombard website

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News: Metalysis and the Ministry of Defence

Metalysis, the Rotherham-based innovator, is playing a key role in helping Britain's Armed Forces to save time and money in their use of titanium in important defence applications.

The Manvers company holds the worldwide exploitation rights to the FCC Cambridge process which sees specialist powder metals created in a simple, cost effective process with significant environmental benefits. It is in the process of commercialising the technology to produce titanium, tantalum, and related high value alloys. These are used increasingly by major worldwide industries such as aerospace, marine, medical, chemical, automotive and electronics.

Backed by investors and grants the Cambridge University spin out has secured over £30m of investment and opened a Materials Discovery Centre in a 22,000 sq ft unit on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), also in Rotherham. It is also scaling up production of titanium at its Farfield Park premises.

The MoD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down has revolutionised the production of titanium by reducing the 40 stage process down to just two steps and potentially halving the cost. It is based on the FASTForge project being carried out at the University of Sheffield which relies on Metalysis technology.

The current $10 billion titanium market size is constrained by the cost of the metal and is poised to expand rapidly if the cost can be lowered. Titanium is as strong as steel and half the weight - but around ten times the cost.

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The Metalysis technology, which produces metal powder directly from oxide using electrolysis, has the potential to significantly increase production volumes. The process uses less energy and also means that innovative alloys can be tailored to have the desired properties for specific applications.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Our Armed Forces use titanium in everything from cutting-edge nuclear submarines and fighter jets through to life-changing replacement limbs - but production time and costs mean we haven't always used it. This ground-breaking method is not only faster and cheaper but could see a huge expansion of titanium parts and equipment throughout the military. It is a clear example of how our world-class scientists are working behind the scenes to help our Armed Forces as well as bringing prosperity and security to Britain."

Titanium's high strength, light weight and corrosion resistance sees it widely used in defence, in military aircraft and submarines, but its high production costs make it difficult to justify in all but essential areas.

Dstl has invested almost £30,000 in the new research project at the University of Sheffield, which led to the development of the new ground-breaking manufacturing process.

Dr Nick Weston, research associate at the University of Sheffield, said: "FAST-forge is a disruptive technology that enables near net shape components to be produced from powder or particulate in two simple processing steps. Such components have mechanical properties equivalent to forged product. For titanium alloys, FAST-forge will provide a step change in the cost of components, allowing use in automotive applications in automotive applications such as powertrain and suspension systems."

Funded by Innovate UK, the university is working with Metalysis, the Dstl, the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) and Safran Landing Systems.

In the laboratory, Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST) or Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) exploits the Metalysis process and has been used to produce a shaped preform billet that is finished to near net shape using a one-step forging operation.

Metalysis website
University of Sheffield website

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