Aerospace1

AEROSPACE

UK AdvancedEngineering

Contents CONTEN

TS

ADVANCED ENGINEERING 4

AEROSPACE 7

SPACE 12

AUTOMOTIVE 15

MOTORSPORT 20

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT 22

MINING EQUIPMENT 24

ENGINEERING 27

MATERIALS 34

CHEMICALS 39

Contents3

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAD

VAN

CED

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

Advanced Engineering 4

d the energy ss the world. chieve more.

Advanced engineeringAdvanced engineeringFrom the way we travel to the way we communicate, the products we use and the energy that powers them, engineering underpins every aspect of people’s lives across the world. It enables us to move faster

Today’s advanced engineering industries are the drivers of global innovation. They develop new materials and deploy them in new products. They devise more efficient production processes. And the UK, with our history of innovation and continued thirst for improvement, is at the forefront of this.

For centuries, UK engineering has been a driving force for the world’s industries. As birthplace of the industrial revolution, the UK is home to countless inventions and developments from the steam engine to the jet engine, the telephone to the World Wide Web. The UK is renowned not only as the source of new ideas but also crucially for its ability to translate cutting-edge research into commercial revenues.

With world-leading capabilities in aerospace, the automotive sector and the full range of engineering disciplines – from advanced materials to manufacturing technologies – the UK has the skills and resources needed to compete and thrive in today’s global economy, with productivity levels that are a match for the world’s best. What’s more, the mature operating and regulatory environment ensures businesses based in the UK – whether home-grown or owned overseas – benefit from a wealth of relevant support services including world-leading financial services, creative industries and global logistics.

Together, these factors make the UK an ideal location for advanced engineering companies to develop, grow and operate.

A cradle of innovation

The UK’s status as a hotbed of innovation has been rightly earned over time.

The global industrial revolution was founded on UK engineering and since that time, UK scientists, researchers and inventors have continued to develop new ways to improve products and processes.

Take composite materials, for example, where UK companies are at the forefront of developing lightweight and incredibly resilient carbon composites. These are then used commercially in sectors from aerospace, to reduce the weight of the aircraft wings designed and assembled in the UK by Airbus and its partners, to automotive, to improve the aerodynamic performance of the cars used by the many Formula 1 motor racing teams based in the UK, and even in healthcare to develop equipment – such as replacement joints – that is used by our world-class National Health Service.

UK technology is in orbit around Saturn, Mars, Venus and the Moon.

Established academic links

A key source of that innovation is the UK’s university sector, which is at the forefront of global developments in materials, processes and technologies that underpin advanced engineering. For example, the University of Manchester is home to the Northwest Composites Centre, a leading player in international research into composites, with facilities for rapid processing and impact testing. The centre has strong links to other universities in the region, as well as to local industry.

This pattern can be seen across the UK, with globally renowned institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Loughborough, Bristol, Warwick and Nottingham all maintaining strong engineering research departments with close links to local industry.

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAD

VAN

CED

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

G

Advanced Engineering5

Both Oxford and Warwick have excellent connections to the automotive sector that thrives in the surrounding area, while Nottingham’s Institute for Aerospace Technology reflects the proximity of Rolls-Royce’s aero engines operation in the neighbouring city of Derby.

Locations such as Surrey, with its world-leading satellite and space research centre, Cranfield, home to a global composites centre, and Aston, a pioneer in chemical engineering, serve to show the diversity and depth of the UK’s academic research. This fact is recognised by global rankings, which habitually bracket the UK second only to the USA. A recent study conducted by US News put four UK universities in the world’s top ten.

The UK is ranked first amongst the G8 for research productivity.

Constant commercial focus

Crucially, the research that takes place in the academic world is not left to gather dust. It is conducted with a commercial focus, seeking to identify how innovations can be applied to the business world and benefiting frothe involvement of global business and targeted investment. Universities themselves generate a number ofspin-off companies, but many of the latest developmentcome from industry itself.

The Energy Technologies Institute, for example, is a company formed by BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, E.ON, Rolls-Royce and Shell – with the backing of two government departments – designed to accelerate the development of clean, affordable energy for heat, power and transport. One of its programmes has focused on thedevelopment of electric vehicles, providing the additionalimpetus and industry-wide commitment to take the ideafrom the drawing board to the roads.

Companies like aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, backing a composite materials research centre in Belfast, near its manufacturing site, and chemical industry giant BASF with its product development centre for ink applications, underline the esteem in which UK engineering research is held around the world. Products launched over the last five years from the BASF Global Technical Centre for Ink Applications now account for some 40 per cent of the company’s total sales.

m

s

The UK chemicals industry spends more than £3.8 billion on R&D each year.

Government backing

Engineering also benefits from the commitment of the UK government to research and development. Government funding has helped develop a number of centres of excellence around the country – in areas such as nanotechnology and plastic electronics – as well as providing additional backing for many of the largest new advanced engineering projects in aerospace and the automotive sector.

The Government has recently announced an investment of more than £200 million to establish a network of world-leading technology and innovation centres called Catapults, each focussed on supporting innovation within a specific technology area. The first of these opened in October 2011 and is for high value manufacturing, covering metals, composites, process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing. It incorporates seven partners: the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield), Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Universities of Manchester and Sheffield), Manufacturing Technology Centre (Coventry), Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde), National Composites Centre (University of Bristol), Centre for Process Innovation (Wilton & Sedgefield) and the WMG (University of Warwick).

Working closely with leading representative organisations in each sector, the UK government also supports industry Knowledge Transfer Networks and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, which provide a forum for sharing best practice and innovation.

Experience and skills

Crucial to the UK’s long-term industry success is an ongoing commitment to skills development. The UK government has developed new qualifications such as Diplomas, and has a programme of ongoing investment in Apprenticeships, working with industry, to secure a highly-skilled engineering workforce for the future. And our world-class universities and further education colleges provide a comprehensive range of learning opportunities from advanced research roles through to more operational ones.

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

G

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAD

VAN

CED

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

Advanced Engineering 6

The UK’s engineering heritage has helped ensure an established skills base, particularly in locations and regions traditionally associated with engineering industries. Bristol, for example, has a tremendous history of aircraft production, and now provides the skills for the likes of Airbus and GKN, while chemical industry clusters in the North West, North East, Humber Estuary and in Scotland continue to offer highly-skilled staff to today’s businesses.

In some sectors, these skills have now become the foundation for newer industries. For example, the knowledge that underpinned UK mining has led to the creation of a globally recognised mining equipment industry. In particular, UK companies excel in the communications and safety equipment that help protect miners working deep under the earth. Similarly, companies like Sheffield Forgemasters draw on the area’s heritage to design and develop the manufacturing and production technology that powers volume steel production around the world.

UK manufactured equipment can be found on construction sites in more than 200 countries around the world.

Impressive productivity

Many of the advanced engineering sectors are notable for the high proportion of graduates working within them – and the high levels of productivity and value add they offer. For example, some 36 per cent of UK aerospace jobs are held by graduates and per employee productivity is over £220,000 a year; within the space sector, as many as 60 per cent of employees have a university degree.

But productivity is not just to be found at the high end of development: investments in technology, automation and skills, as well as the increased adoption of business process improvement programmes such as Lean, have allhelped build performance levels across a range of industries. In vehicle assembly, the Nissan and Toyota sites in Sunderland and Derbyshire respectively are two of the most productive plants in Europe. These are two of the companies that have helped the UK to maintain its position as the fourth largest car producer in Europe, and today more than 40 major companies manufacture vehicles here.

The UK advanced materials sector boasts annual sales of £200 billion.

Diverse and vibrant: global leaders and SMEs

The automotive sector is a perfect illustration of the strength and diversity of the UK business community. In addition to the well known and iconic marques such as Bentley, Aston Martin and Lotus, international giants such as BMW, Ford and GM have significant and well-established UK operations. Similar stories can be told of other sectors, with many global names in aerospace, construction equipment, chemicals and plastics all operating from the UK.

70 per cent of UK aerospace revenues derive from export sales.

Equally important, however, is the vibrancy of the UK’s small and medium sized enterprise (SME) landscape, offering expertise in highly specialised fields and high levels of agility and flexibility. SMEs are the heart and soul of UK industry, in some sectors accounting for more than 9 out of 10 companies – many of whom provide products and services to customers around the world, as well as forming a mature and well-integrated supply network for the major names based in the UK.

Investment in recent years has led to a surge in the efficiency of UK supply chains, with online tools supporting administration and enabling a move to Lean and other business improvement models. The aerospace sector is a perfect example: some 400 UK companies supply equipment for the Airbus A380 programme, illustrating both the effectiveness and diversity of the supply chain.

What’s more, there are clear links between sectors: technologies deployed in aerospace, such as ceramic coatings or composite materials, are also used in the automotive industry, construction, power and even healthcare equipment. This cross-sector exchange of ideas is one of the factors that distinguishes the UK’s advanced engineering.

7 Aerospace

Aerospace AEROSPACEThe UK’s annual share of the global aerospace market is around 17 per cent, making it second in size only to the USA. The industry was worth over £23 billion in 2010, of

which exports accounted for some 70 per cent of total turnover.

7 Aerospace

Aerospace 8

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAE

ROSP

ACE

• 400 UK companies supply equipment for the Airbus A380 programme

• The biennial Farnborough Air Show is the world’s largest temporary exhibition space – featuring over 1400 exhibitors from 40 countries and providing the backdrop for billions of dollars of business transactions.

An integrated aerospace supply chainAn undoubted strength of the UK’s aerospace sector is the way in which the prime manufacturers work with the many smaller, specialist companies. This highly integrated supply chain drives value and efficiency for all involved – whether in the UK or internationally.

This is the result of a concerted and collaborative effort, led by industry body A|D|S, to introduce best practice approaches across the aerospace supply chain. Methodologies such as Lean are now commonplace, backed up by strong communication links and extensive use of e-business technologies to exchange information and manage production. The outcome is a more flexible and competitive aerospace industry at all levels.

A perfect example of this is the supply network that supports Airbus. Since the 1970s, the company’s wing design and manufacturing has taken place in the UK. Today, this is split over two key sites that form the Centre of Wing Excellence: design is based at Filton, near Bristol, while assembly is completed predominantly at Broughton in North Wales. Recent developments from the Centre include the A350 and A380, which involves more than 400 UK companies, from stress analysis specialists Strand Engineering to GE Aviation, who provided a high-lift actuation system for the wings.

More than 3,000 aerospace companies operate in the UK, including undisputed global leaders such as BAE Systems, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Cobham, AgustaWestland, Boeing and Bombardier. Working alongside these, the UK aerospace sector has the largest small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) base in Europe, with SMEs accounting for 55 per cent of civil aerospace sales in 2010.

In recent years, there has been significant investment from both the UK government and the major producers focused on optimising the supply chain. This ensures the likes of Rolls-Royce and Airbus can capitalise on the innovation and creativity of these many smaller companies and accelerates development time for new technologies.

This investment has consolidated the UK’s reputation as a global centre of excellence for wing and aerostructure design and production, aero engines and aircraft systems. Aerospace and Defence remains the UK’s second largest private sector investor in research and development. In addition, the UK has a thriving maintenance, repair and overhaul sector, servicing the huge numbers of military and civil aircraft that fly through and from the UK every year.

These strengths in service, design and high-value production reflect the long-established skills in the UK aerospace industry.

• The UK aerospace industry directly employs around 96,000 people

• UK-based companies produce the wings for 50 per cent of all large aircraft in the world

• More than 13,000 UK manufactured aircraft engines were currently in service with more than 650 airlines around the world in 2010

• In 2010, the total turnover for the UK aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul industry was in excess of £6 billion, representing 8% of global market

Aerospace9

AEROSPACE

GKN Aerospace: Leading the way with lightweight composites

The integrated nature of the industry is apparent in the way ideas and technologies are exchanged and applied in different ways, including defence technologies being applied in commercial aircraft. GKN Aerospace is a key partner for Airbus, and indeed is co-located on the same site at Filton. The company developed an innovative composite wing spar for the A400M military transporter, which was the first time lightweight carbon composites were used for a primary structure on a large aircraft wing. Airbus – long a pioneer in the use of composites – then worked closely with GKN to redevelop the wing spar from the A400 for use on the A350 XWB. This was an essential step in ensuring the A350 lives up to its promise of being faster, more fuel-efficient and quieter than any of its predecessors. Bristol is the home of the UK’s National Composites Centre – a £25 million research facility for composite materials, which opened in November 2011.

Cost-effective mid-size jets

This successful track record and technical leadership in the use of composite materials has encouraged others to choose the UK. Canadian company Bombardier, already with a major presence in the UK, is establishing a new manufacturing and assembly site in Belfast that will produce composite wing skins and spars for the company’s CSeries regional passenger planes and Learjet business aircraft, using its unique Resin Transfer Infusion process.

Producing and maintaining aero enginesA similarly efficient supply network exists in support of Rolls-Royce – one of the other pre-eminent names in UK aerospace.

Rolls-Royce is the world’s second largest aircraft engine manufacturer and a byword for excellence within the industry. Rolls-Royce engines are currently used in aircraft including the Boeing 787, Airbus 330, 380 and 350 XWB, and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The sheer volume of engines produced by Rolls-Royce creates opportunities for the many component manufacturers operating in the UK, who work as part of their supply chain: even for items as seemingly small as engine bearings, Rolls-Royce sources from a range of UK-based companies including SKF, titanium specialists Timet and the UK division of NMB-Minebea.

Crucially, the presence of Rolls-Royce also ensures an ongoing demand for excellence in servicing and maintenance of aircraft engines: indeed, Rolls-Royce itself currently provides its TotalCare service to 90 per cent of the 2,000 Trent engines in use with airlines around the globe1. It also works with a number of partners across the UK to provide specialist services, such as TM Specialist Engineers

– which is regularly required to modify Rolls-Royce engines for pre-flight testing.

Overall, the UK has a 17 per cent share of the $45 billion global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry.

Innovation in engine maintenance: Metrology Software Products

As well as these more traditional hands-on skills, UK companies are also at the forefront of innovation in engine maintenance. One of the ongoing costs of aero engines is replacing and refurbishing turbine blades. Engines are typically overhauled after 30,000 hours of operations and blades repaired wherever possible. However, more than half of blades are scrapped, increasing the cost and making maintenance a longer process.

A partnership between UK-based Metrology Software Products (MSP) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University has developed a breakthrough alternative that promises to automate the repair process. The key is a software solution that measures exactly the dimensions of every part of the turbine and so optimises the machine tooling that refurbishes the blades. Maintenance company Hong Kong Aero Engines (HAESL), has already signed up to use the solution for its turbine blade refurbishment.

AEROSPACE

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

Aerospace

AERO

SPAC

E

10

AERO

SPAC

E

Enabling precision: Renishaw Metrology

In the 1970s, Renishaw Metrology’s first product was a unique touch-trigger probe, invented to solve a specific inspection requirement for Concorde’s engines. Today, the company remains an integral part of the global aerospace supply chain, providing precision measuring and inspection tools that help ensure the quality of vital aircraft components. It works with the likes of Spanish component manufacturer Mecanizados Escribano to accelerate inspection and quality control, as well with UK company TODS Aerospace, which uses Renishaw tools in its helicopter part production sites.

Aircraft systemsMany pioneering advances in aircraft performance and safety are based on UK innovation, and today’s aircraft systems, engineers continue to build on thatheritage. The UK is home to companies working in every aspect of aircraft systems, with a strong emphasis on R&D.

UK areas of expertise include:

• Actuation

• Airframe equipment

• Anti-icing

• Avionics

• Communications equipment

• Computer systems and software

• Ejection seats

• Environmental control and life support

• Flight and fuel systems

• Landing gear

• Noise and vibration control.

The systems technologies developed in the UK are put to use in military and civilian aircraft being designed and manufactured around the world. At centres like Nottingham University’s Institute for Aerospace Technology, academic researchers are focusing on newpower systems and improved fault diagnostics, while commercial companies are also investing extensively indevelopment and testing.

This diverse range of skills and expertise is helping UK companies respond to a fast-evolving international aerospace industry, where – as in other areas of the global economy – countries such as China, India and Brazil are becoming increasingly important both as markets and sources of investment.

Aerospace11

AEROSPACEAEROSPACE

Supporting aircraft design for Embraer

No company embodies this change as visibly as Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. It sold its first commercial aircraft in the mid 1980s, and since then production levels have soared to the extent that Embraer is now delivering more than 240 small and mid-size commercial planes a year.

An essential part of its growth has been the ability to develop new models swiftly – and it relies on a UK company to do this. Universal Tool-Kit from j2 Aircraft Dynamics provides Flight Mechanics analysis for Embraer’s new products, and the company also plans to use j2 as the main simulation software on an ongoing design project.

New partnerships with China

Recent years have seen new collaborations with the growing Chinese aerospace industry – such as the link between the Aircraft Research Association, which specialises in aerodynamic modelling and wind tunnel testing, and its Chinese equivalent AVIC ARI.

Defence aerospace: ongoing excellence

Defence remains an integral element of the UK’s aerospace capability, as a source of innovation as well as generating high export revenues. In addition to BAE Systems, a number of other major players are based in the UK such as Cobham, the world leader in air-to-air refuelling equipment. The company also develops communications and navigation systems, and its antenna equipment was chosen by Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd for its new military helicopter. This follows previous collaborations between the two companies on Korean Aerospace Industries’ KT-1 turboprop trainer and T-50 supersonic advanced jet trainer/fighter.

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAE

ROSP

ACE

12

Over recent years, the space sector has become a central part of the global economy, not least through its pivotal role in supporting international communications, global navigation and national security. The UK has been at the heart of this, with deep rooted strengths in space technology and a strong record in groundbreaking systems exploitation.

Since 2006, the space sector in the UK has enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 10 per cent, and in 2008/09, the 260 companies in the UK space sector had a total space-related turnover of over £7.5 billion.

The most commercially advanced UK space sub-sector is satellite communications, which accounts for some 80 per cent of the UK space sector’s annual revenue – the majority of which is generated from exports. EADS Astrium – the world’s largest satellite company

– currently builds one quarter of the world’s telecommunications satellites in the UK, with particular emphasis on the critical payload and mechanical systems.

As well as established global leadership in satellite manufacture, the UK is renowned for its software design and systems integration capabilities. These have been key factors in the rapid growth of the UK space industry, building on long-established technical leadership, and are proving invaluable as governments and businesses look to use the power of satellites in a range of other ways.

SpaceSpace is one of the fastest growing, most highly skilled and most productive sectors of the UK economy. The UK accounts for 6 per cent of the global space marketplace, and leads the world in the development and production of microsatellites: UK technology is in orbit around Saturn, Mars, Venus and the Moon.

SPAC

EAE

ROSP

ACE

Space

For example, satellite navigation – long an essential tool for the maritime industry – is now used extensively for road traffic management, with the EU committed to developing the GALILEO system as an alternative to GPS, while the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is now increasingly used in the aviation sector. Satellites are also used in earth observation and mapping, for issues ranging from security to climate change, where the UK has a strong track record. They have proved particularly valuable in disaster monitoring.

In each case, the UK is extensively involved in both the development of the satellites themselves, but also the on-board optical and power equipment and essential on-ground software that support them and ensure they function effectively. As well as having the essential academic and research links to generate new ideas, the UK space sector is also characterised by a strong small and medium-sized enterprise base, which offers a wealth of experience in developing innovative commercial models and adopting risk-sharing approaches to development.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has recognised this with the establishment of a permanent presence at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire as part of the International Space Innovation Centre.

13

Highly skilled and productive: the UK space sector

• The UK space sector directly employs 24,900 people and supports a further 60,000 jobs across a variety of industries

• 60 per cent of these have a university degree – making it the most highly skilled workforce in the UK

• The space sector is six times more R&D-intensive than the economy as a whole investing 12 per cent of its added value in R&D

• GDP per worker is £138,000 – nearly 4 times higher than the UK average.

Leading the way in satellite development

The biggest name in small satellites is Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) a company originally from the University of Surrey Space Centre and now owned by EADS. SSTL developed some of the prototypes used in the EU-wide Galileo satellite navigation programme, and in partnership with German manufacturer OHB System has now secured the contract to produce the first fourteen full operational capability satellites.

SPACEAEROSPACE

Space13

SSTL satellites play a vital part in the global Disaster Monitoring Constellation, providing high quality images rapidly in the event of a natural disaster to help co-ordinate the aid and recovery efforts.

The company has extensive links around the world: in 2010, on behalf of the Nigerian government it launched a satellite which will provide satellite imaging and mapping of the country. The launch took place at a Russian space station. SSTL also maintains its strong links with the University of Surrey, continuing to collaborate on development.

Improving space exploration

Satellites are of course unmanned technology, so rely on advanced onboard software to control their orbit and operations, as well as maintaining communications with the ground. This is an area where the UK has particular strengths and a good example is SciSys, a company based in the South West of England.

AERO

SPAC

E

Areospace 14

Contacts:

Aerospace Wales Forum Ltdwww.aerospacewalesforum.com

ADS (for the aerospace, defence, security and space industries)www.adsgroup.org.uk

Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC)www.fac.org.uk

Invest Northern Irelandwww.investni.com

Midlands Aerospace Alliancewww.midlandsaerospace.org.uk

NDI UKwww.ndi.org.uk

North West Aerospace Alliancewww.aerospace.co.uk

Scottish Development Internationalwww.sdi.co.uk

UK Space Agencywww.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency

West of England Aerospace Forumwww.weaf.co.uk

AUTOMOTIVE

AutomotiveWorth over £6 billion annually, the UK’s automotive sector is diverse, vibrant and world-class. Home to some of the most productive vehicle plants in the world, it produces more than 1.3 million cars, 200,000 commercial vehicles and 2 million

engines a year.

15 Automotive

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

16Automotive

AUTO

MOT

IVE

The UK is the fourth largest car producer in Europe, accounting for 2.4 per cent of worldwide vehicle output, and 8.7 per cent of European assembly. Eleven of the world’s volume vehicle manufacturers have a UK presence, and automotive is the number one manufactured export from the UK.

One of the fundamental reasons for this is the productivity of the automotive sector in the UK. The Nissan and Toyota plants in Sunderland and Derbyshire respectively are two of the most productive plants in Europe, and are recognised by the manufacturers as amongst their most efficient plants worldwide. More than 40 major companies manufacture vehicles in the UK, ranging from volume producers like Honda, Ford, Vauxhall and BMW to premium and sports car brands including Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Lotus, McLaren, MG, Rolls-Royce and Morgan – names which speak of the UK’s rich heritage in automotive design and development.

The UK itself is Europe’s third biggest automotive market, buying over 2 million new cars in 2010. It is also the gateway to the European marketplace. The UK automotive sector exports over 70 per cent of its products. The BMW Mini, manufactured in Oxford, is exported to over 80 countries, and Nissan’s Sunderland plant now ships one of its models back to Japan. Jaguar Land Rover has also achieved significant sales growth in 2009/10 in China, Russia, North America and Europe.

But while the large volume of cars that roll off the UK’s production lines are the most obvious symbol of a thriving automotive sector, the strength of the UK automotive industry is in its diversity, creativity and mature supply chain. These vital characteristics are what have continued to attract manufacturers to invest and helped secure the UK’s position at the forefront of low carbon motoring – with innovations in fuels, drivetrain and advanced structures all promising to transform the motoring industry of tomorrow.

• The UK automotive manufacturing sector employs around 300,000 people

• It is the UK’s 4th largest contributor to R&D

• Vehicles produced in the UK are shipped to over 100 countries worldwide.

To maintain the UK’s leadership in the automotive sector and ensure a strategic, continuous conversation between Government and the automotive industry in the UK, in 2009 the UK Automotive Council was established. Co-chaired by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and with members representing many of the largest organisations in the industry, the Automotive Council is working to transform the business environment for the automotive industry in the UK, develop an even more competitive supply chain and provide a stronger public voice for the industry.

Powering production: UK enginesThe UK’s established automotive supply chain of more than 2,000 component makers ensures that manufacturers are able to source top quality parts from global names and innovative newcomers, quickly and efficiently. 19 of the top 20 auto parts makers have a manufacturing presence in the UK, including Bosch, Calsonic and GKN.

Few links in the automotive supply chain are as important as the engines, and the UK has long been a leader in engine production. In 2010, almost 2.4 million units were produced here – despite the impact of the global downturn on automotive manufacture worldwide

– including a quarter of all Ford engines.

The home of Ford engine development

Ford maintains two engine production plants in the UK: its petrol engine plant at Bridgend in South Wales is on schedule to produce a million units annually by 2010.

Automotive17

AUTOMOTIVE

UK-based catalytic convertor manufacturer Johnson Matthey is one of Ford’s main suppliers, and is currently working alongside Ford in a consortium which is seeking to re-design the internal combustion engine and exhaust system to minimise CO2 emissions. Other UK partners in the consortium include ITM Power, Revolve Technologies and the Universities of Liverpool, Bradford and Birmingham.

High performance engines: Ricardo

The UK is also home to Ricardo, now recognised as a global leader in high performance engineering and powertrain systems. It has three technical centres across the UK focused on engine development, transmission systems and vehicle control systems, and has recently opened an assembly plant in Shoreham in Sussex to produce the engines for McLaren’s groundbreaking MP4-12C sports cars.

Ricardo maintains its independence from major manufacturers, enabling it to partner effectively on advanced engineering programmes with the likes of Bugatti – where it developed the transmission for the Veyron supercar. Ricardo also worked with JCB on the development of the engines which powered the Dieselmax – holder of the land speed record for diesel engines and the development of the new Ecomax engines.

Forward thinking: automotive design, research and developmentResearch and development is a major part of the UK automotive sector, with a host of world-leading centres of excellence. Over £1.5 billion is invested in the UK on automotive R&D: Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Nissan all have R&D centres in the UK, while a number of universities have specialist automotive research centres. Tata Motors established its European Technical Centre, a key part of its global product development, at the University of Warwick in 2005.

UK automotive engineering specialists such as Prodrive and Lotus Engineering work closely with major manufacturers to develop innovative technologies, often drawing on ideas first applied in motorsport. Global names such as Mahle also have a strong UK presence, with an R&D centre in Northampton.

The UK is also home to two of the most celebrated automotive test and development facilities in the world: Millbrook, a 285 hectare multipurpose site near London which is used by cars, trucks and military vehicles, and MIRA, home to innovITS ADVANCE, the world’s most advanced test facility for intelligent transport systems.

But crucially, some of the greatest assets to the automotive sector come from other industries: innovative materials developed in aerospace or healthcare equipment are also put to use in vehicle production; the UK’s renowned creative industries provide a major source of ideas for manufacturers.

Best of British design

Nissan decided to base its new European design headquarters in Paddington, Central London because of its multi-cultural backdrop and access to important and influential sources in contemporary art, architecture, fashion and design movements. The futuristic studio houses 60 international designers, modellers and support staff, who work on projects for European and global markets.

18Automotive

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAU

TOM

OTIV

E

‘London is at the centre of everything, and that’s where we want Nissan to be.’ David Godber, Former General Manager, Nissan Design Europe

Specialist courses in automotive design are provided by a number of higher learning centres such as Coventry University and the Royal College of Art, who work closely with industry partners to ensure an ongoing stream of highly qualified, innovative and commercially astute graduates for the global automotive sector.

Advanced materials

Drawing on inspiration from the aerospace sector, Jaguar’s XJ6 uses lightweight aluminium body technology that means the car weighs at least 136kg less than its luxury competitors. Not only does this improve power performance, it also means the car needs less fuel to run. What’s more, the XJ6 is made with 50 per cent recycled material, which further reduces its carbon footprint by as much as three tons of CO

2 per vehicle manufactured.

Companies like Cheshire-based Mitras and Amber Composites of Nottingham are enabling vehicle manufacturers to capitalise on the lightness and durability of carbon composites for a range of parts, from bodywork to brake ducts, while TWI has provided expert insight on how to join composites to aluminium and other materials.

Low carbon motoringAs the first industry to produce a sector-wide sustainability report, the UK automotive industry is taking a lead in the development of low carbon vehicle technologies – investing heavily in new fuels and electric and hybrid systems as well as lightweight structures and improvements to internal combustion engines.

The pan-industry commitment, and government backing, has helped accelerate not only the development but also the adoption of new technologies. In 2009, the UK launched the world’s largest electric car trial, providing a forum for testing not only the vehicles but also the necessary infrastructure including charging points.

Current government investment is focused on research into hybrid electric vehicle subsystems, the use of recycled and recyclable materials in automotive manufacturing and further developments to optimise the performance of power electronics.

The Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) Low Carbon Vehicles Integrated Delivery Programme is a key tool that the UK will use to achieve its goals over the coming years. The programme has about £250 million of joint government and industry investment, and co-ordinates the UK’s low carbon vehicle activity from initial strategic academic research through to industry-led collaborative R&D.

Many leading UK universities are also at the forefront of low carbon motoring, such as Nottingham University’s Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) Group and Loughborough University, where Intelligent Energy first developed its advanced proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack technologies. These were used to create the world’s first purpose built hydrogen fuel cell motorbike, the ENV. The ENV is fueled by pure hydrogen and the only emission it produces is pure water. It can be refilled with hydrogen in less than 5 minutes, makes virtually no noise, has a top speed of 50 mph and a range of 100 miles.

Working with Suzuki, Intelligent Energy has developed the Suzuki Burgman motor scooter which has become the world’s first hydrogen vehicle to achieve European whole vehicle type approval.

Intelligent Energy’s fuel cells have also helped create a zero emissions London taxi, with a top speed of over 80mph. The company is working in partnership with vehicle manufacturers including Suzuki and PSA Peugeot Citroën to bring its technologies to market.

Automotive19

AUTOMOTIVE

Fuelling change: Lotus Engineering

Sustainable alcohol-based fuels have the potential to reduce the overall C02 footprint of internal combustion engines towards zero. Lotus Engineering, the independent engineering arm of Group Lotus which includes high performance sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars, is committed itself to working towards low carbon vehicles, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels for both its cars and its engineering clients.

Working collaboratively with Queen’s University Belfast and Jaguar Cars Ltd, Lotus Engineering undertook research to understand the combustion process involved in running an engine on mixtures of alcohol-based fuels and gasoline. The results were the new Omnivore engine, a flex-fuel engine designed to maximise fuel efficiency when running on renewable fuels or gasoline.

Better than a battery: Williams Hybrid Power

Williams Hybrid Power Ltd is a company with its roots in racing: the Williams Formula 1 team. It developed an electromechanical flywheel system for energy recovery and storage – effectively increasing the fuel efficiency of an engine. The technology was first deployed in the Formula 1 cars, but has enormous potential in hybrid passenger vehicles. It has now been used by Porsche in its hybrid 911: compared to a battery, the flywheel generator has the advantage of storing and delivering high amounts of energy considerably quicker, offering excellent performance and acceleration.

As well as passenger cars, it has potential uses in buses and rapid transit systems, and even in large-scale uses such as intermittent renewable energy generation.

MOT

ORSP

ORT

20Motorsport

As a world leader in high-performance engineering, UK motorsport has a dominant role in Formula 1 and other international racing series. Eight out of twelve F1 teams

– Red Bull Racing, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, AT&T Williams, Lotus Renault GP, Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team, Sahara Force India F1 Team, Team Lotus and Marussia Virgin Racing – are based in the UK, while UK-produced equipment and components are also at the heart of many rally cars, superbikes and even American NASCAR vehicles.

A wealth of world-class design, precision and high-performance engineering companies act as the global centre for the production of performance cars’ chassis, engines, braking, suspension, transmission and telemetry components. Around 4,500 companies work in motorsport in the UK, and the sector supports 38,500 jobs, of which 25,000 are qualified engineers. The sector is also renowned for its enormous investment in R&D

– equivalent to 30 per cent of its turnover, dwarfing the proportions spent by the UK pharmaceutical and IT industries. More than 15 universities in the UK now offer motorsport engineering and management degrees.

The result is a highly integrated end-to-end motorsport design, construction and service industry, where new innovations can become prototypes almost overnight and then be deployed in the most demanding racing environments within months.

Motorsport Valley™

A large part of the industry remains clustered in ‘Motorsport Valley’ – an area of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Warwickshire, Oxford Brookes and Northamptonshire centred around the world-famous Silverstone circuit. The region also benefits from the motoring heritage of Oxford and the Midlands (where the likes of Jaguar and Aston Martin have product development centres) and the input of leading universities, including Oxford Brookes, Warwick and Oxford.

Together, this creates a community of motorsport knowledge and expertise unparalleled in the world. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and leading motorsport teams are sited in close proximity to not only each other, but also an astounding range of supporting companies, producing high-performance engines, revolutionary lightweight materials and aerodynamic design services.

The Mercedes name embodies the strength, power and history of the German automotive industry. But when it comes to F1, the company relies on UK engineering skills. Its Formula 1 car is built in Brackley, using engines and new energy recovery systems designed just twenty miles away in Brixworth.

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAU

TOM

OTIV

E MotorsportWith its firms commanding 80 per cent of the global market, the UK motorsport industry is leading the way in providing performance engineering solutions. The sector has an annual turnover of £6 billion, of which more than 60 per cent comes from export.

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GM

OTORSPORTAUTOM

OTIVE

Motorsport21

Control systems: McLaren Electronics

McLaren Electronics is the part of the McLaren Group focused on electronic control systems for motorsport. Based in Surrey, it already has a strong presence in Formula 1, not only for reliability but also safety, and has now been selected as the official engine control unit supplier for NASCAR, providing fuel-injection systems that will replace traditional carburettors.

Greener racing

Working with Aston Martin Racing, Barwell Motorsport developed a new fuel system that successfully converted a petrol fuelled Aston Martin DBRS9 to run on bioethanol. The bioethanol fuelled car delivered all the sound, performance and excitement of a racing Aston Martin, and performed faultlessly for the whole of its first season, even notching up an outright win for the team at British GT Championship in 2007 the first ever UK national series race victory for an alternative-fuelled car.

Oaktec, based in the North West of England, has been working in close partnership with Honda to produce the world’s first hybrid rally car, providing ultra low exhaust emissions and high fuel efficiency. Back in 2005, the company developed a Honda Insight Hybrid CVT for special stage rallying, and has since built on this to the extent that in 2009 the Oaktec Honda Insight Hybrid won class B2 of the Formula 1000 rally championship, beating many conventional rally cars of higher classes with larger engines.

From track to road

The UK motorsport industry offers global manufacturers a unique platform on which to establish their reputation. Here, marques such as Subaru capitalised on their world rallying success to increase road car sales in the UK, and the relationship between McLaren and Mercedes-Benz led to the development of the McLaren Mercedes SLR road car. There are also spin-off benefits to the mainstream automotive industry where companies such as Prodrive have moved from its roots in motorsport to offer wider design engineering and development services.

Motorsport technology saving lives

It’s not just the mainstream automotive industry that has benefited from the UK’s motorsport base: the defence, marine and aerospace sectors all use technology developed in motorsport. For example, Portsmouth based Formaplex – which specialises in rapid product development and gains 20 per cent of its revenue from UK-based Formula 1 teams – is now leading the project to develop a new army patrol vehicle that provides the highest-ever level of protection from roadside bombs. Formaplex is working hand in hand with UK companies Force Protection Europe and Ricardo.

22Construction Equipment

CON

STRU

CTIO

N E

QUIP

MEN

T

Construction EquipmentThe UK is the fourth largest manufacturer of construction equipment in the world, producing around 3,000 vehicles a year and employing some 50,000 people. Around 75 per cent of those vehicles are exported – meaning the UK is the world’s second largest net exporter of construction equipment and the industry is worth more than £8.5 billion a year to the UK economy. UK manufactured equipment can be found on construction sites in more than 200 countries around the world.

The county of Staffordshire alone has an output higher than any other European country. The reason? It is home to JCB, one of the biggest names in construction equipment worldwide. Today, the company produces a range of over 300 different machines and has operations in 150 countries in 4 continents.

It remains at the cutting edge of engineering, and has recently developed a revolutionary new engine for off-road use which is recognised as the cleanest in the world. The JCB Ecomax T4 – the latest evolution of the Dieselmax engine which holds the world diesel land speed record – enables significant reductions in fuel consumption and slashes emissions. It is available in a range of sizes from 55kW to 129kW. OEM demand globally has been considerable.

Staffordshire is also home to the likes of ACB Hydraulics, a specialist manufacturer of cranes for construction and marine use, and Abiljo Excavator Services, who produce a range of buckets, grapples and shovels for use on large plant and equipment. Established over 30 years, Abiljo’s tools can be used not only in near neighbour JCB’s equipment but also that of other companies around the world.

The UK is at the forefront of producing equipment for both the extractive industries and construction sites. Particular fields of expertise include:

• Backhoe loaders

• Compaction equipment

• Crushers

• Dump trucks

• Excavators

• Site dumpers

• Skid-steer loaders

• Telescopic handlers

• Wheel loading shovels.

Perkins engines are used in construction equipment around the world. The company’s global headquarters are in Peterborough, where it was founded 75 years ago, but it also operates a large engine manufacturing site in Stafford. Producing diesel and gas engines for off-highway use from 5hp to around 250hp, Perkins provides the power for more than 1,000 major equipment manufacturers in the construction, power generation, materials handling, agricultural and general industrial markets. It has recently opened a second manufacturing line at its plant in Jiangsu Province, China, which now produces 88,000 engines a year with further expansion planned.

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAU

TOM

OTIV

E

23 Construction Equipment

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GCON

STRUCTION EQUIPM

ENT

AUTOMOTIVE

Inward investment from overseas leaders

Perkins is now owned by the Caterpillar group, itself a significant presence in the UK with more than 10,000 staff – Caterpillar’s largest base outside the US. Its first manufacturing facility in the UK was opened in Leicester more than 50 years ago, and the company continues to depend on UK engineering and manufacture. Leicester is where Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products – smaller wheel loaders and mini-excavators for construction sites – are assembled, while the cutting, welding and machining of the major parts takes place at Stockton in the North East. At its nearby Peterlee site, a highly automated plant produces articulated trucks for delivery around the world.

The North East is also where Japanese construction equipment giant Komatsu has its UK operation. The Birtley plant, established in 1985, produces large and medium-sized hydraulic excavators.

Industrial product group Terex now has one of its most important plants worldwide at Motherwell in Scotland’s industrial heartland. The plant produces the company’s TA300 articulated track, which features innovative independent front suspension. Launched in 2010, it offers exceptional performance as well as ergonomic cab design for operator safety. The entire truck is manufactured in Motherwell.

Terex also has operations elsewhere in the UK, including the headquarters and main manufacturing plant of its Powerscreen subsidiary, which specialises in the design and manufacture of mobile crushing equipment, mobile screening equipment and mobile washing equipment. Powerscreen has been based in Dungannon in Northern Ireland since the 1960s.

As these examples show, the construction equipment sector is a genuinely UK-wide operation and its global reputation is second to none. That’s why Australian company Digga recently chose to set up its European operation in Andover, in the South of England, to capitalise on the skills and established supply network here.

24Mining Equipment

MIN

ING

EQUI

PMEN

T

Mining EquipmentThe mining and extraction industries underpinned the UK’s industrial growth, and developed some of the pivotal and pioneering mining techniques that are now used around the world. While the UK’s own mineral resources are now severely reduced, the expertise and innovation remain – which is why UK mining equipment, and the design and installation services to support it, is in demand the world over.

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GAU

TOM

OTIV

E

UK companies are regularly appointed to provide turnkey solutions for new extraction projects across the world. Specialist engineering consultancies like Wardell Armstrong are commissioned by the likes of Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and De Beers Group to advise on all aspects of exploration and extraction, from defining and valuing assets through to process design and operational issues. With offices in Kazakhstan and China as well as the UK, Wardell Armstrong combines not only strong commercial and technical input but also a sound understanding of corporate social responsibility, environmental legislation and labour laws – making it an ideal partner for mining companies and government institutions seeking to maximise the value of their mineral assets.

Robertson Consulting specialises in opencast mining, with particular expertise in optimising drilling and blasting processes to increase efficiency and safety. This has led to a number of projects in West Africa from Namibia to Senegal. Many other major mining consultants operate from UK offices, including Turgis Consulting, ACA Howe and SRK.

Mining safety equipment

From the Davy lamp to the safety fuse, UK engineers have played a vital part in increasing the safety of mining and miners. Today’s advanced technology has helped move safety forward, offering enhanced communications with the surface – and between miners in different areas underground – as well as highly acute sensors that can indicate the presence of harmful materials at the earliest possible stage.

Stockport-based Trolex has been providing gas detection systems since 1959. Today it offers a comprehensive range of products from individual personal gas alarms

– designed to be worn on the belt and provide an instant alert if flammable or toxic substances are detected – to monitoring systems for an entire area. Trolex also creates pressure, temperature and vibration sensors with a range of different alert systems, and its award-winning Sentro 8 SensorStation provides an integrated monitoring system in a single device. Its clients range from Serbia to Norway to the USA, Ukraine and Australia.

25 Mining Equipment

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GM

ININ

G EQUIPMEN

TAUTOM

OTIVE

As any miner knows, roof supports are a vital part of operating safely underground. The roof supports provided by global leader Joy Mining Machinery are designed, tested and assembled in the UK. Wigan in the North West serves as the design and test centre, while the company’s Worcester plant does the manufacturing. Recent investments at Worcester have seen 30 per cent productivity increases. Joy also relies on UK suppliers, such as Wath Rubber and Plastics and Times of Wigan, recent winners of its supplier of the year awards.

Partnering for mining research

New mining technologies are often developed to reflect new approaches, and the presence of the Camborne School of Mines gives UK equipment providers an early insight into the latest research. Now part of the University of Exeter, Camborne School of Mines is world-renowned for its work on applied mineralogy, mining and geomechanics and mineral process technology. It is also at the forefront of international research into responsible mining and sustainable development. Its industry partners have included Rio Tinto, Anglo American and the Mines RescueService.

Mutech, from Manchester, is an electronics manufacturer which subcontracts in a range of sectors, as well as designing fit-for-purpose products. One of its core markets is intrinsically safe electronics products for use in mining. These are electronic devices that will not be affected in the event of an explosion or collapse – so reducing the potential risks of any such occurrence. Key products include intrinsically safe battery power supplies for underground lighting and tools.

GAI-Tronics, a division of Hubbell Limited, has become renowned as a world leader in exceptionally robust communication systems. Its equipment, including emergency telephones, VHF radio systems, amplifiers and conveyor signalling and control systems can operate in a range of hostile environmental conditions such as explosive, wet or saline atmospheres. The company is based in Burton-on-Trent in the Midlands, but supplies customers in China, Russia, Poland, India and Australia. It has recently developed the first Voice over IP telephone suitable for use in hazardous environments.

26Automotive

AUTO

MOT

IVE

Contacts:

ABMEC (The Association of British Mining Companies)www.abmec.org.uk

Cenex (Centre of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies)www.cenex.co.uk

Construction Equipment Association (CEA)www.coneq.org.uk

Low Carbon Vehicle Partnershipwww.lowcvp.org.uk

Mining Association of UKwww.mauk.org.uk

Motorsport Industry Association (MIA)www.the-mia.com

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)www.smmt.co.uk

ENGIN

EERING

EngineeringEngineering is the discipline that underpins advanced manufacturing, which is a UK Government

priority for growth and innovation. It encompasses the cross cutting technologies applicable to many different manufacturing sectors such as materials, processes, manufacturing technology and a

wealth of specialist equipment required to produce specific end products.

27 Engineering

28Engineering

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

UK engineering companies have weathered many economic cycles and as a result many have refined their offer and have become high added value companies that are geared up to assist manufacturers across the world with inventive, bespoke and turnkey solutions to advanced manufacturing challenges.

Today manufacturing has moved to a system of global supply chains. This together with shortening life-cycles and time to market for product and services, increased environmental pressures and sustainability issues are key drivers of change. Globally there is an increasing requirement for quality products based on innovation, high functionality and precision manufacturing – all areas of UK strength, and all areas where the UK’s engineering expertise has a critical role to play.

One of the characteristics of UK engineering is its vibrant small business sector, with companies working in almost every sub-sphere of the engineering world, supplying into a wide range of industrial sectors.

This means that the UK’s engineering sector is highly agile and end-user focused. New initiatives and solutions are developed and operationalised swiftly, with specific commercial uses in mind. Increasingly, UK engineering works as the enabler of increased productivity or performance in key global sectors: developing composite materials that are transforming aircraft construction, designing and manufacturing the advanced metalworking equipment for the world’s largest steel mills or producing powerful nanotechnologies to support industries from consumer electronics to healthcare.

An integral part of the global manufacturing infrastructure

Crucially too, this diversity ensures the independence of UK companies within global supply chains. Even when associated with larger conglomerates, UK businesses provide vital components and capabilities to others. A perfect example is Lotus Engineering.

Though perhaps best known for its input into the high-performance Lotus sports cars, Lotus Engineering has a worldwide reputation for innovation in its own right, delivering pioneering work in lightweight architectures, driving dynamics and powertrains that has put the company ahead in greener motoring. For example, it is leading the way in developing a tri-fuel car

– an important transitional vehicle from traditional gasoline to tomorrow’s sustainable fuels – while its Range Extender Engine is transforming the performance of hybrid electric vehicles.

Such technologies are adopted by leading vehicle manufacturers around the world, as well as being put to use in Lotus’ own concept vehicles, such as the City Car, and its eco versions of the company’s famous Elise and Evora. Lotus Engineering was also a key partner in the first fuel cell taxi to hit the streets of London – a zero emission black cab.

Planning for manufacturing growth

In its Plan for Growth, the UK Government set out four aims:

• To create the most competitive tax system in the G20

• To make the UK the best place in Europe to start, finance and grow a business

• To encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy

• To create a more educated workforce that is the most flexible in Europe.

Engineering29

ENGIN

EERING

Advanced manufacturing is recognised as an integral part of this growth, and in October 2011 the High Value Manufacturing Catapult opened its doors for business.

Seven partners are working together to form the new Catapult centre, bringing together their expertise in different and complementary areas of high value manufacturing.

The new centre provides an integrated capability and embraces all forms of manufacture using metals and composites, in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing. The High Value Manufacturing Catapult will draw on excellent university research to accelerate the commercialism of new and emerging manufacturing technologies. The seven partners are:

• Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde)

• Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield)

• Centre for Process Innovation (Wilton & Sedgefield)

• Manufacturing Technology Centre (Coventry)

• National Composites Centre (University of Bristol)

• Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Manchester and Sheffield)

• Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick).

By incorporating the seven institutions, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult will support a number of different industries including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, food and beverages, healthcare, automotive, energy, chemicals and electronics.

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult will commercialise business-led research and innovation that will help UK manufacturing businesses become more competitive on a world stage. As well as receiving funding from the Technology Strategy Board, direct contracts with UK business will form a significant part of the overall funding for the Catapult Centre.

The Catapult Centre will also be well positioned to secure funding from competitive Research and Development (R&D) grants, including EU funding. The Catapult Centre will draw on university research to accelerate the commercialisation of new and emerging manufacturing technologies, including bioprocessing, as well as advanced composites and metals, with new and existing portfolios of partner companies. The Catapult Centre will be the first of an elite national network that will work in partnership with universities and businesses to help commercialise the results of research in specific technology areas where there are potential multi-billion pound global markets.

These initiatives will be overseen by the Technology Strategy Board, a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy.

The UK’s cross-cutting engineering capabilities can be divided into three fundamental areas:

• Manufacturing technologies – driving productivity and efficiency in manufacturing worldwide

• Manufacturing processes – improving the way ‘inputs’ are handled and managed, and finished goods are packed and transported

• Advanced materials – developing new high-performance materials and finding innovative ways to produce and use more traditional ones, such as metals and ceramics.

30Engineering

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

World-class manufacturing technologies

From precision instrumentation and control systems to systems integration for advanced industrial robotics and powerful cutting tools and turning machines, UK companies excel in the design and production of world class manufacturing technologies. These technologies are harnessed not only by UK companies in a range of different manufacturing sectors but also by businesses round the world.

UK manufacturing technologies have made exciting advances in new materials, software and manufacturing methods, enabling gains in productivity, flexibility and quality which manufacturers need to stay competitive.

Key UK strengths include:

• Direct or rapid manufacturing

• Metrology

• Precision machining

• CAD/CAM software for the three-dimensional design, manufacture and inspection of complex shapes

• Special toolholding solutions

• CNC metalforming machinery

• Systems integration, successfully interfacing CNC power presses with micro processor or PLC-controlled handling and feeding equipment

• Tube forming.

For example, Delcam’s computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technology CAD/CAM is now used by 35,000 customers across 90 countries to increase both the productivity of manufacturing equipment and the quality of output. In particular, the company has a strong presence in China, with a head office in Beijing and seven regional offices.

When it first started working in Asia over twenty years ago, Delcam’s core business was in the mould and die and toolmaking sectors. Today, it also works closely with leading aerospace companies, such as Harbin Aircraft Industry in China, which uses three separate Delcam software applications in its aircraft component manufacturing. The company’s CADCAM tools are also used in the automotive sector, healthcare and consumer goods, and its turnover is around £35 million a year.

East Midlands company Winbro is also a vital supplier to the aerospace industry, working as a key partner for the world’s leading aero engine manufacturers. Winbro specialises in producing the essential cooling holes and forms in, and on, turbine engine components.

Engineering31

ENGIN

EERING

It designs, manufactures and supplies the machine technologies and tools that engine manufacturers need, and offers drilling and machining – using laser, electro discharge machining, electro chemical machiniand other technologies – as a service, through its in-house equipment.

The company, which provides the same services and products on a larger scale for industrial gas turbine manufacturers, is growing fast, and has recently openeup a new facility in the US as a centre for machine saland service, with its in-house equipment coming fromthe UK. Though it sells machine technologies to countries around the globe, including Russia, China anJapan, Winbro maintains its core machine tool manufacturing site in the UK.

The UK automation sector is driven by systems integrators who buy robots and manipulators and then design, manufacture, install and maintain turnkey systems for their clients.

Key UK strengths include:

• Flexible automation systems for the life sciences industry

• Design and development of advanced robots for military applications and the energy sector.

Instrumentation and advanced control systems are important in a wide range of fields including industrial automation, process measurement and control, environmental analysis and monitoring, laboratory work and electronic and electrical test and measurement.

ng

d es

d

Instrumentation and advanced control systems underpin industry sectors such as engineering and manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, automotive, aerospace, security, defence, semiconductors, micro and nanotechnology and scientific research. They also help address major challenges such as reducing energy consumption.

Key UK strengths include:

• Advanced instrumentation

• Technology consultancy

• Engineered drive systems and integrated control-drive-motor packages

• Equipment and protection systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres

• Sensors and transducers for measurement and control

• Control systems and software.

Managing inputs, enhancing outputs

UK expertise in manufacturing processes can be harnessed at every stage of production, from improving the way inputs – bulk materials and solids of all sizes – are managed, through to more efficient and greener packaging.

Today’s highly efficient manufacturing facilities rely on engineered solutions to keep the production line running. That starts with the way the raw materials and bulk inputs are handled.

32Engineering

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GEN

GIN

EERI

NG

UK companies are at the forefront of the design, manufacture and support of the equipment used to manage bulk materials – ensuring for instance powers and granular materials flow smoothly into the system and that the dust they generate doesn’t interfere with other precision equipment.

The UK boasts some of the best in specialist materials handling equipment manufacturers offering fully integrated ranges of equipment. Systems are designed to meet specific requirements of customers in the technologically advanced hygiene and safety-critical food, chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals and minerals sectors.

Key UK strengths include:

• Bespoke conveyor systems

• Dust control systems

• Process plan for powders

• Turnkey solutions

• Process instrumentation and control equipment

• Consultancy, training, and research.

The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology at The University of Greenwich is renowned worldwide for its research work solving materials handling problems. Established in 1973, the Centre has worked on issues from pneumatic conveying of powders and granular solid material in pipelines to hopper and silo design, handling and storage of particulates and instrumentation and control. It describes its mission as ‘to help industry to get its powders and bulk materials to behave in the way they need them to.’

Coventry-based ITCM has established a reputation for using its advanced engineering capabilities to help leading global brands solve their manufacturing challenges.

Building on an R&D heritage, the company defines, designs and builds efficient, fast and risk-free manufacturing systems for new or complex products. It has become a vital partner for the likes of Unilever and GSK, for whom it develops machines for the precise dosing, processing and packaging of powders, infusions, tablets and a variety of other FMCG products.

As well as designing for advanced productivity, ITCM – part of the Molins Group – is increasingly focused on flexible and agile production solutions, creating systems that can be easily adapted as manufacturing requirements change. For example, when Veuve Clicquot needed a specialist production line for a new, luxury champagne carton, ITCM devised an automated process that ensured the product was also cost-effective to produce. The ITCM team is often tasked with redesigning existing machinery that is under-utilised, driving down production costs or retro-fitting to ensure suitability for new products.

At the opposite end of the process, today’s complex global distribution networks need effective labelling and packaging to help track and deliver their goods. UK companies have become vital enablers of this process, introducing innovative and sustainable approaches.

The UK process and packaging equipment industry has developed considerable expertise in sourcing, installing and commissioning complete systems. The sector includes world leaders in design, manufacture and supply of bespoke process and packaging machinery.

Key UK strengths include:

• Design and manufacture of metal detection systems

• Leading-edge coding, marking and labelling RFID tags

• Labelling technologies

• Equipment for the bakery and confectionery industries

• Complete turnkey projects.

33 Engineering

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GEN

GINEERIN

G

One of the global leaders in packaging, LINPAC, remains based in the UK – where it was formed back in 1959 – and today works in 29 countries across four continents. LINPAC is a pioneer in returnable transit packaging (RTP),which is making global and local supply chains more sustainable and efficient.

RTP involves the use of durable plastic containers and pallets instead of traditional packaging materials which are often disposed of after one trip. It not only offers a greener solution, but also helps reduce packaging costs in the long-term. RTP containers are designed for optimum use of space and ease of handling, so can be stacked or folded flat when not in use. There are also specialist RTP solutions to meet hygiene standards.

From essential consumer information to picking, packing and tracking, today’s global manufacturers often need to label everything from individual items to batches and pallets. Domino Printing Sciences is a UK-based company that specialises in supplying the printers that apply these codes and labels on production lines in a vast range of industries.

Founded in 1978, Domino now has an annual turnover in excess of £250 million and operations in China, Germany, India, Sweden and the US as well as its headquarters in Cambridge. It sells its printers in more than 120 countries and is leading the way for both speed and sustainability.

Embracing change and developing new solutions

Directly employing around 1.5 million people, with a further four million employed in related industries, the UK advanced materials sector boasts annual sales of £200 billion, generates gross value-add of around £70 billion and offers a higher productivity than the national average. Exports of primary and processed materials are valued at about £50 billion a year.

Materials developed and manufactured in the UK are put to use in areas as diverse as the automotive sector, healthcare, construction and consumer goods.

• To improve its aerodynamics and minimise overall weight, the McLaren Mercedes roadsters made extensive use of UK advanced composites, while the same company’s Formula 1 team applied ceramic coatings developed by Zircotec to withstand the extreme temperatures.

• The UK nanotechnology industry – already worth £23 billion a year – is focusing on practical applications of nanomaterials in areas from textiles to TV screens as well as sensors and product security. Glasgow-based XstalBio is a nanotech company focused on drug delivery, using protein-coated micro-crystals to increase the retention of activity of the core pharmaceutical – effectively making the drug more powerful at smaller quantities.

• Wembley Stadium, Wimbledon’s Number One court and the Abu Dhabi grand prix circuit all feature curvedmetal structures produced by Angle Ring, a company from the West Midlands. Angle Ring specialises in bending and curving metal and alloys, and developed the lattice steelwork at the Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi which towers over the Formula 1 track.

34Materials

MAT

ERIA

LS

MaterialsFrom developing new durable and high performance composites and nanomaterials, to finding additional uses and production methods for steel and ceramics, the UK materials sector is underpinning advances in global manufacturing.

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GEN

GIN

EERI

NG

The UK has become renowned as a world leader in the development of the advanced composites that today’s aerospace and high-performance automotive industries rely on. These high-performance and light-weight materials are proving vital in helping these sectors deliver much needed savings in running costs and carbon emissions.

Many such materials are initially developed here, in academic and commercial research facilities; they are also manufactured and applied here on sites such as the Airbus wing design centre in Filton and assembly plant at Broughton, and Bombardier’s factory in Belfast. On the military side, BAE has a world leading facility to supply composites parts for applications such as Eurofighter and JSF. The automotive industry meanwhile uses composites extensively in high-performance cars and motorsport – the UK serves as the headquarters of eight Formula 1 teams.

Composite materials play an important role in the UK’s high value manufacturing sector and fully exploit the country’s strengths in aerospace and renewable energy. The UK delivers world-class innovation in the research, design and rapid manufacture of composites and facilitates their widespread industrial exploitation.

In particular key UK composite strengths are in:

• A powerful network of world class academic and production centres throughout the country specialising in different aspects of composites research, design and manufacture

• Highly skilled researchers, research engineers and engineers and strong backing from national government, which composites part of the £200 million government backed High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre

• Full range of in and out of Autoclave manufacturing processes e.g. (prepreg, RTM, RFI, Resin Infusion, Injection moulding, press forming)

• Near-net textile preforming – weaving 3D preforms and laying down complex barrels

• Rapid accurate deposition of composites materials for complex geometries and architectures

• Thermoset and thermoplastic processing.

The roots of the UK’s composites sector may lie in the hugely successful applications in aerospace and the automotive industry, but increasingly UK advanced composites are being widely used in a range of fields, from construction to consumer goods and even the medical sector, in artificial joints and ligaments.

This cross-sector approach is illustrated through companies such as Lola, which produces composites in the aerospace and energy industries and Manuplas, a contract manufacturer of composites for the marine, automotive and aerospace sectors.

35 Materials

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GM

ATERIALSEN

GINEERIN

G

Manuplas’s Hippo Marine brand of polyurethane and epoxy-based composite materials is extensively used in buoyancy equipment, but the same core materials are also applied under the Hippo Leisure brand to produce wet-play equipment for swimming pools, leisure centres and holiday parks.

A further source of demand is offshore wind – growing rapidly in the UK with the UK’s excellent natural resources.

The strong, lightweight and corrosion resistant properties of composites are predicted to be very significant for turbine blades, and the UK is now home to research facilities owned by Vestas and Clipper which are working to build larger, more powerful composite blades that can survive in extreme weather conditions.

To maintain the UK’s place at the forefront of the composites market, the Government has set up a National Composites Centre in Bristol, acting as a research hub for the industry, and announced a new National Skills Academy (NSA) for Composites and Biotechnology. The NSA will receive up to £1.98 million of government funding over three years, matched by employers.

In the related plastics industry the UK is a global leader operating at the cutting edge of technology. The industry is a dominant player worldwide in the three core sectors that make up the plastics industry: material and additive manufacture, material processors and machinery manufacture.

For example, the UK has a very strong precision moulding sector and adopted new lean manufacturing operational practices and reduced headcount through automation.

A further area of strength is the supply of small-scale processing equipment and ancillary equipment. In the UK we have evolved away from the production of mainstream processing equipment and have put our national effort behind assisted processor and ancillary equipment which can add significant value to manufacturing.

In particular key UK plastics strengths include:

• Innovative capacity rooted in several Universities: Loughborough, Bradford, Leeds, Durham, Belfast and London Metropolitan

• Close collaboration with the UK’s world-class product designers

• An increasing focus on the production of tailor-made specialist materials and compounds

• Deep experience in the incorporation of post-consumer recycled materials

• Optimisation of the use of plastics materials and facilitation of energy efficiency in plastics processing.

The demand for nanomaterials is also growing fast, and the UK’s established infrastructure of research and manufacturing facilities puts it at the forefront of global development. UK companies are equipped to produce nanomaterials such as nanowire and quantum dots in bulk, while others focus on innovative ways to use nanotechnology in sectors from healthcare to consumer electronics. The result is that the UK offers both partnering opportunities, for those wanting to invest in the development of nanomaterials, and a proven supply chain for those who simply need to use them.

The UK’s nanotechnology sector’s breadth and extensive infrastructure of research and manufacturing facilities position the UK as the ideal place for companies from across the world to form commercial partnerships to develop breakthrough technologies.

Key UK strengths include:

• Nanomaterials and bulk nanomaterials production

• Developing marketable products from nanomaterials

• Carbon multi-wall nanotubes, nanowire and quantum dots.

Quantum dots are nano-sized semiconductors that have the potential to transform optical displays, lighting and even solar power.

They allow a substantial reduction in the amount of power consumed and superior colour performance to existing LEDs, which is why Nanoco has already signed contracts to provide quantum dots to a major Japanese electronics company for use in liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions.

36

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

Materials

MAT

ERIA

LS

Manchester-based Nanoco – voted Europe’s most creative company in a 2010 report by business broadcaster CNBC – currently anticipates demand of around three tonnes a year, a staggering amount given the size of the product.

The UK has a long-established reputation for academic excellence in materials science, research and development. It is ranked fourth in the world, hosts five of the top 100 institutions (in terms of the total number of papers and citations) and has universities which attract at least £95 million per annum of materials research funding.

In 2009, the UK produced 10.1 million tonnes of steel, and the industry remains a major employer. But the focus in recent years has shifted towards advanced steel products such as bright steel bars, plate and strip mill products, special steels, tubes, pipes and wire, many of which are ultra light and can be used in modern consumer goods such as car bodies and suspension systems.

Caparo Steel, with its particular expertise in precision strip steels, supplies manufacturers of hand tools, blades and springs in more than 50 countries. As well as volume production, it also offers custom development through its JB&S Lees and Firth Cleveland divisions.

Since 2006, the company has had a presence in India, where it produces steel tubes for the automotive, energy and engineering sectors.

The UK has a strong metallurgical plant construction sector, with UK companies drawing on years of experience to design and manufacture the equipment used by today’s volume steel producers, all around the world.

China’s Shangang steel group turned to Sheffield Forgemasters to develop a five-metre wide, 1,000 tonne plate mill stand which in full operation can produce steel plate between 1500mm and 4900mm wide at speeds of 7.3 metres per second. The machining and fabrication took place at DavyMarkham, another Sheffield-based company.

For the last few hundred years the UK has been at the forefront of the metals processing industry and this holds true today. The sector has invested heavily in technology, research and development to create new products.

Key UK strengths include:

• Development of ultra-light steel solutions

• The metallurgical plant construction sector – offering world-class design and engineering capabilities

• Expertise in the finish machining of ultra large forgings and casting

• Expertise in the machining technology of aircraft steel.

Sheffield Forgemasters also won a contract to produce hot-metal mill-housing castings for ATI Allegheny Ludlum’s advanced hot-rolling and processing facility in Pennsylvania, and also produces machinery for the defence sector, nuclear, oil and gas exploration, power generation, and marine and construction uses.

Modern ceramics are another traditional material that have been transformed in recent years. Durable, malleable and heat-resistant, UK ceramics are now used in a broad range of industries including oil refinery, aerospace and healthcare equipment.

The growth in the sector has been driven by cutting-edge developments that are seeing ceramics applied in projects for the likes of the European Space Agency as well as in many performance cars.

After 200 years of experience in the development, manufacture and supply of ceramics, today the UK’s advanced ceramics are required for a range of high-tech applications by many industries from construction to power transmission, agriculture to steel production. The UK also has a growing capability in waste saving/energy efficient equipment and materials for the ceramics sector.

37

ENGIN

EERING

Materials

MATERIALS

Key UK strengths include:

• Design of ceramics manufacturing machinery

• Innovation and design in advanced ceramics

• Manufacture of porous industrial ceramics

• Design, manufacture and supply of refractories

• Manufacture of high-quality colours and glazes.

The benefits of ceramics made of inorganic materials such as oxides, carbides and nitrides are their exceptional heat resistance and extreme durability. It is these capabilities that make them so valuable in kilns, furnaces, oil drilling and industrial ovens.

In the traditional ceramics heartland of Stoke-on-Trent, Ceramic Gas Products Ltd – part of the Mantec Group – have harnessed an innovative foaming technology to create Ultralite, an advanced ceramic material that is reducing energy consumption in sanitaryware and tableware manufacturing facilities.

Ultralite is a lightweight, low-density insulating material made from ball clay. Used to insulate the bottom of kiln cars, its purpose is to ensure that as much of the available heat in the kiln is used to fire the end product – typically toilets, sinks, plates and cups. Compared to traditional insulation materials, the use of Ultralite warrants that less energy is needed to achieve the desired results – helping manufacturers to reduce their carbon emissions, save energy and improve profitability.

Unsurprisingly, demand for the product, produced exclusively at the company’s Stoke factory, is soaring: Ceramic Gas Products Ltd now not only supplies leading manufacturers in Europe but has recently won contracts in China and India.

With many different materials now in use on the same end product, there’s an increased requirement for joining technologies that ensure that each component is securely bonded. This is particularly vital in areas such as the power generation, automotive and aerospace sectors.

With the UK focus on high value manufacturing technology development across sectors such as automotive, aerospace and energy, advances continue to take place in material joining research and its application. Through private and public sector funding, collaborative research and world leading academic sector expertise, the UK leads in many areas of material joining, testing and inspection development.

Key UK strengths include:

• Development of new joining processes which have impacted global manufacturing e.g. Friction Stir Welding

• Dissimilar materials joining and disassembly technologies development focussed at light weight materials applications

• World class centres and networks of excellence in materials joining, testing and training

• Leading fundamental research activities within the UK universities both private and public sector funded.

Cambridge-based TWI, an independent membership based organisation providing world-leading knowledge and technical services, has helped pioneer some of the most innovative methods in this field. This includes its patented Friction Stir Welding process, which rather than joining the separate pieces, stirs them together to create a single, exceptionally durable entity. The process is now used for joining a range of materials, such as aluminium alloys, and is particularly valuable in aerospace, rail and nuclear sectors.

TWI researchers have also developed ClearWeld, a means of fusing plastics by laser that reduces the need for conventional joints. A number of commercial uses have already been discovered, from heavy industry to consumer goods, such as waterproof clothing.

TWI operates a membership based business model in which client organisations pay a membership fee in order to access the world-leading knowledge and technical services. Importantly, TWI remains wholly independent and impartial, making it an invaluable asset for companies seeking new ways to join materials.

38Engineering

ENGI

NEE

RIN

G

Contacts:

British Automation and Robotics Association (BARA)www.bara.org.uk

BMPCA (The British Metallurgical Plant Constructors’ Association)www.bmpca.org.uk

British Plastics Federationwww.bpf.co.uk

BTMA (British Textile Machinery Association)www.btma.org

Cast Metals Federation (CMF)www.castmetalsfederation.com

Composites UKwww.compositesuk.co.uk

EEF (The Manufacturers’ Organisation)www.eef.org.uk

Engineering Industries Associationwww.eia.co.uk

Engineering and Machinery Alliancewww.eama.info

Foundry Equipment and Suppliers Association (FESA)www.foundryequipment.info

GAMBICA (Association for Instrumentation, Control, Automation & Laboratory Technology Industries)www.gambica.org.uk

Gauge and Toolmakers Association (GTMA)www.gtma.co.uk

IWMA (International Wire and Machinery Association)www.iwma.org

Manufacturing Technologies Associationwww.mta.org.uk

Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA)www.mhea.co.uk

Processing and Packaging Manufacturers Association (PPMA)www.ppma.co.uk

Solids Handling and Processing Association (SHAPA)www.shapa.co.uk

UK Steelwww.eef.org.uk/uksteel

CHEMICALS

ChemicalsThe chemicals industry is one of the UK’s largest and most profitable manufacturing sectors. The UK’s

chemicals market grew by 21.7 per cent in 2010 to reach a value of £53.9 billion.

39 Chemicals

40Chemicals

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GCH

EMIC

ALS

In 2015, the UK’s chemicals market is forecast to have a value of £74.8 billion, an increase of 38.7 per cent since 2010.

Classed as the foundation of the UK’s manufacturing sector many other industries such as pharmaceutical, home and personal care, food and drink, polymers, crop protection, lubricants, oil and gas, advanced materials and electronics are heavily reliant on chemistry to support their products and processes.

With its position firmly at the forefront of innovation the UK chemicals industry will play a crucial role in addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges – climate change, energy supply and demand, safe water and affordable medicines – by providing new chemical technologies. Chemistry is also crucial in ensuring that, not only its own industry, but the many downstream industries it serves, can develop products and processes in ways which are sustainable.

Expertise across the chemicals spectrum

The UK chemicals industry is active in all three principal sectors: commodity, speciality and consumer chemicals. It is proving adept not only at keeping production costs down but also at seizing market opportunities, ensuring that UK-based companies are setting an unrelenting pace of change in the global chemicals market.

Commodity chemicals

Representing high volume, low margin products this remains the largest sector of the UK chemicals industry in terms of turnover. Despite the emergence of new global players in the industrial chemicals arena, the UK remains an important source of industrial gases, inorganics, organics, fertilisers, plastics, synthetic rubber and man-made fibres.

Fine and speciality chemicals

The UK has developed outstanding fine and speciality chemicals expertise and capacity. As a result the industry has a global reputation for high margin, low volume products with more sophisticated technical output. Developed for the ‘effect’ they have, examples include active ingredients within pharmaceuticals, flavours, fragrances, inks, insecticides, adhesives and sealants.

Consumer chemicals

The UK’s consumer chemicals companies produce a diverse range of products encompassing soaps, detergents, cosmetic and personal care products. The UK is also a major European manufacturing and distribution centre for pharmaceuticals, paints and coatings, detergents and personal care products with many global leaders such as AkzoNobel siting their global product R&D centres here to take advantage of specific UK strengths including formulation and product design.

41 Chemicals

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GCHEM

ICALS

Formulation Science and Technology

The chemistry-using industry and chemistry have a direct impact on product design, not only in the manufacture of chemicals but critically in a number of downstream industries.

Whether the end product is an aircraft wing, a mobile phone, a paint or a medicine, chemistry in its various forms will help to define how the product is made, how it is delivered during its use and what happens to it at the end of its life. Particularly critical in supporting these sectors is an effective understanding and exploitation of formulation science and technology.

The formulated products market in the UK is valued at £180 billion (annual sales) and the potential in emerging markets estimated at £1000 billion. There are several world-leading companies with business, manufacturing and R&D activities in the UK who supply products directly into consumer markets such as home and personal care (Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser), pharmaceuticals (AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer), coatings (AkzoNobel), agrochemicals (Syngenta) and oil and fuel additives (Infineum and Innospec).

A strong underpinning knowledge base for formulation, including particles, colloids, rheology, chemical engineering, crystallisation, modelling, high throughput technologies and measurement is represented by outstanding centres such as the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Formulation Engineering, the University of Liverpool’s Centre for Materials Discovery and the University of Leeds’ ParticlesCIC (Centre for Industrial Collaboration).

Successful networks such as industry-led Intelligent Formulation and the Technology Strategy Board funded Chemistry Innovation KTN facilitate knowledge transfer between industries, between academia and industry and also facilitate SME/large company collaboration and private/public sector exchanges.

The expertise combined with the strong networks sees the UK as a recognised leader in formulation science and technology.

Chemical firms, from global players to small companies, can be found in almost every area of the UK but there are four particularly powerful regional concentrations: the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humber and Scotland. All have the infrastructure, skills and access to academic expertise, supply chain and close proximity to allied industries such as energy and professional/technical support, to sustain and develop such a vibrant industry.

The UK chemicals industry at a glance:

• Large and growing – it grew by 21.7 per cent in 2010 to reach a value of £53.9 billion

• Highly profitable, with an annual trade surplus of over £8 billion

• Made up of over 3,300 companies, including over 200 international chemical companies

• A major employer – with over 200,000 direct employees

• Diverse – it produces over 95,000 different chemicals and chemical products

• Research focused, with annual R&D expenditure in excess of £3.8 billion

• Forecast to have a value of £74.8 billion by 2015, an increase of 38.7 per cent since 2010.

A dynamic and diverse industry

The UK is one of the world’s leaders in the manufacture of chemicals and the application of chemistry to a range of downstream sectors. Growth will be maintained via the industry’s clear focus on the continuous requirement to develop new products and processes and bring them successfully to market. Innovation in products and processes using advanced technologies will maintain the UK industry’s competitive advantage whilst focus on sustainability – from choice and supply of raw materials through to the final disposal of the product

– will be crucial.

42Chemicals

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GCH

EMIC

ALS

Formulating sustainable personal care products

Via the UK’s Technology Strategy Board funded theme for Sustainable Materials and Products, the University of Liverpool’s Centre for Materials Discovery worked in collaboration with Unilever R&D, Croda International, Rockwood Additives Limited, the University of Bath Department of Chemistry and The National Non-Food Crop Centre to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of added-value chemical formulation materials based on renewable feedstocks which would enhance the competitiveness of the UK chemical producing and using sector, including industrial process chemicals and consumer products.

Unilever’s product specifications have evolved over time along with their speciality chemical capability/supply chain so their formulations are highly optimised. For theirnext generation chemistry the company needs to find thesame formulation and supply chain efficiencies but using source materials, for example in surfactants in their shampoos and shower gels, from abundant renewable sources, 100% non-petrochemical, not food competitive, biodegradable, functional and gentle whilst keeping the colour, smell and viscosity characteristics demanded by consumers.

In the Functional, Renewable and Sustainable Hybrid materials (FR&SH) project, CMD’s expertise in High Throughput technology was used to explore a wide rangeof formulation conditions and compositions incorporating oxidised cellulose as a sustainable thickening agent. Robotic formulation platforms were employed to efficiently screen component interactions in model systems and to produce arrays of full formulations to optimise lead compositions. Using this approach, over 300 model formulations per week could be screened, covering a wide range of experimental factors in far greater detail than could be managed using traditional bench-top techniques.

Industrial Biotechnology

The use of Industrial Biotechnology (IB) in the production of chemicals will play an important role in maintaining UK competitiveness in global markets, where bio-based systems and processes are rapidly gaining strength and scale.

Industrial biotechnology provides a means to manufacture industrially useful products, by using cells or components of cells like enzymes, and often results in benefits such as reduced energy costs or improved safety. It can also enable a significantly lowered dependence on fossil fuels, allowing our society to live more sustainably and acting as a critical driver towards a low-carbon economy.

The need for IB is driven by many factors which includes:

• The difficulty in extracting the remaining oil and coal reserves

• Diminishing resources of key elements and materials

• Scarcity of water of the right quality, in the right place

• Mounting levels of waste materials

• Consumer demand for ‘green’

• Governmental policies to reduce carbon emissions.

With the need for industrial biotechnology strengthening, so are the market opportunities for bio-based chemical products. Virtually all of today’s chemicals are derived either directly or indirectly from oil and gas and with oil prices continuing to fluctuate and rise, bio-based alternative products are tending to become increasingly competitive. Sales of chemicals produced through IB are projected to grow up to £360 billion globally by 2025 with up to a £12 billion share in the UK.

A number of UK companies are already using industrial biotechnology within their manufacturing processes. Production of specialty chemicals utilising IB in the UK is currently undertaken by large and SME organisations primarily serving the pharmaceutical and consumer products markets. Companies include AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, AMRI, Unilever, P&G, Boots, Novacta, Ingenza, Almac, Piramal Pharma Solutions, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and Aquapharm.

43 Chemicals

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GCHEM

ICALS

More recently Lucite International (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Rayon Co) has announced they are developing a route to bio-based methyl methacrylate, a chemical used in coatings, transparent plastics and adhesives.

The use of industrial biotechnology to convert waste material into platform chemicals is also receiving focus from UK companies such as Graphite Resources, INEOS Bio and Green Biologics Ltd.

The scale-up of an IB process is inherently more difficult than conventional chemical processes. In the UK, the National Industrial Biotechnology Facility at the Centre for Process Innovation in Wilton provides open access pilot and demonstration facilities to assist companies in developing and scaling-up novel manufacturing processes for the production of high value-added chemicals based on biological processes. Keen to add value to existing high impact chemical portfolios UK companies are embracing the opportunity to use the NIBF to develop their next generation products.

Key academic centers of excellence in the UK include; CoEBio3 (Centre of Excellence for Biocatalysis, Biotransformations and Biocatalytic Manufacture), the Department of Biochemical Engineering at UCL and the newly funded Biorefining Centre of Excellence in Wales.

High level support for the use of IB in the chemistry-using industries is well established in the UK through the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum (IBLF). Two of the key action plans drawn up by this group will work towards the UK becoming a leading centre of competence in fine and speciality chemicals delivered by IB processes as well as the increased uptake of biocatalysis and fermentation by the existing UK chemicals industry.

As part of these plans the UK’s national innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, continues to invest in IB collaborative feasibility and R&D studies allowing companies to reduce risks when breaking into this market. The IBLF also sponsors the Industrial Biotechnology Special Interest Group (funded by the Technology Strategy Board) which facilitates knowledge transfer and promotes both business to business and industry-academic collaboration.

This significant investment represents the government’s commitment to expanding the use of Industrial Biotechnology in the UK.

44Chemicals

ENGI

NEE

RIN

GCH

EMIC

ALS

Croda: Bio route to a cosmetic ingredient

Croda produces a skin whitening agent, octadecenedioic acid (ODA) which is a versatile ingredient in cosmetic applications. A key property is the lightening of skin and so it is used in creams to even out the tone in complexions and treat skin pigmentation disorders by stopping the biosynthesis of melanin.

It is produced from oleic acid, a natural fatty acid with a C18 chain. The process requires the conversion of the end methyl group to give a second carboxylic acid grouping, a transformation which is effectively unachievable by chemical transformation.

Croda invested in production scale fermentation facilities which were constructed at their manufacturing site in Widnes, UK in 2009. Using a biotransformation, ODA can be produced practically and economically.

Printed Electronics

With consumers continually demanding higher functionality from products whilst maintaining a reasonable cost, devices based on Printed Electronics technology, such as e-readers, OLED TVs, and smart skin patches that control the absorption of drugs and cosmetics, are starting to appear on the market.

Printed Electronics allows electronic circuits and devices to be produced in large areas, using relatively low-cost printing processes, onto a range of substrates including glass and flexible plastics. The technology will lead to the creation of whole new generations of products, such as conformable and fully flexible lightweight display screens, large-area low power OLED lighting, low-cost solar cells, smart packaging and ubiquitous radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and printed logic.

The global market for Printed Electronics is forecast to rise steeply over the next 10 to 20 years and the UK has a strong leadership potential for the supply of materials into this market. The UK already has a leading science and technology role underwritten by the development of innovative materials, low cost deposition processes, high precision patterning and additive printing.

The supply chain starts with the design, synthesis, manufacture and formulation of high performance, high added value materials: these can be organic and inorganic chemicals. The UK chemical industry is ideally placed to serve this market with expertise in the production of inorganic and organic chemicals and the formulation of these active ingredients into printable “inks”.

UK chemical companies work closely with the five UK Printed Electronics Centres of Excellence (PECOE) and the Electronics, Sensors and Photonics Knowledge Transfer Network to help drive innovation in the development and use of new materials within this market. Close links with equipment manufacturers are encouraged to make sure the inks are optimised for use in a range of deposition and patterning equipment. Interaction with device manufacturers and end users are also actively fostered to keep up to date with the markets addressed and to customise materials for those markets.

45 Chemicals

ADVANCED EN

GINEERIN

GCHEM

ICALS

The government funded Northern Way “Printed Electronics Supply Chain” project, led by the Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC), worked with relevant organisations in the North of England – a region already strong in commercial expertise for synthesis and formulation of organic materials, design of PE circuits and systems and process development – to successfully develop demonstrator prototypes ready for pilot scale manufacture. Participating chemical companies significantly enhanced their expertise in synthesising, characterising and purifying semiconductor materials to the necessary levels and gained an in-depth understanding of the end use requirements for given Printed Electronics market segments.

From specially treated polymer film to electronic inks and basic feedstock, plus a willingness to set up problem solving joint ventures, UK chemical companies, both large and small, have much to offer. SMEs focusing on organic semiconductor molecules and functional polymers include Peakdale Molecular, High Force Research, Onyx Scientific, Prosynth and SmartKem. Oxford Advanced Surfaces provide relevant surface treatment chemicals and processes with Gwent Electronic Materials offering printable conductive inks alongside global giants Johnson Matthey Silver and Coating Technologies and DuPont Electronic Materials. Cumbria-based Innovia Films, manufacturers of speciality films, has also worked with PragmatIC Printing Ltd to successfully integrate printed electronic functionality onto their BOPP label substrates.

The UK’s national innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, will continue to support initiatives that allow our vibrant mix of SMEs, larger indigenous companies and global electronics systems businesses to work together and enhance the UK’s commercialisation of this new manufacturing sector.

High Force Research Ltd: Entrepreneurial SME enjoyssuccess with new focus on organic semiconductors.

Durham-based contract synthesis company, High Force Research Ltd, offers a confidential, high quality, chemical synthesis and R&D service to the pharmaceutical, life science and fine chemical industries. Their usual client base includes multinationals as well as SME specialist discovery, computational and combinatorial chemistry, virtual and biotech companies.

Their excellent reputation and ability to respond to market trends and opportunities has led to a strong relationship with the Printable Electronics Technology Centre where they have a proven track record of supplying R&D support and high quality, performance chemicals.

This initial exposure to the emerging market of Printed Electronics has subsequently led to further collaborations including participation in the Northern Way Printed Electronics Supply Chain project, a £6 million government funded, business-focussed development project between academia, PETEC and companies based in the North of England. One of the key aims of the project was to establish a supply chain and “link in” the UK’s commercial organisations into the Printed Electronics sector.

High Force Research’s R&D Director, Roy Valentine, confirmed, “The Northern Way project proved to be very successful from our point of view and we developed some novel organic semiconductor compounds which have very promising properties. These are now being evaluated by a number of electronics majors in a range of Printed Electronics applications, including displays.

“We are optimistic that some of these high-purity materials will find their way into next generation electronic devices and we would hope to scale up the production of the compounds in the UK as demand for larger volume arises. High Force Research now offers a range of semiconducting compounds to research groups including a range of polytriarylamines used in the formulation of organic semiconductor materials. We are also actively looking at some new small molecule semiconductors and electroluminescent polymers.”

46Chemicals

CHEM

ICAL

S

Contact:

British Association for Chemical Specialities (BACS)www.bacsnet.org

Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)www.uk-cpi.com

Chemicals Business Association (CBA)www.chemical.org.uk

Chemical Industries Association (CIA)www.cia.org.uk

Chemicals North Westwww.chemicalsnorthwest.org.uk

Chemistry Innovation KTNwww.connect.innovateuk.org

Humber Chemical Focus (HCF)www.humberchemicalfocus.org

NEPIC (The North East England Process Industry Cluster)www.nepic.co.uk

Printable Electronics Techology Centre (PETEC)www.uk-cpi.com/petec

SORIS (Specialised Organics Information Service)www.soris.org

Yorkshire Chemical Focus (YCF)www.ycf.org.uk

To find out more, scan this code with your smart phone. www.ukti.gov.uk +44(0)20 7215 8000

UK Trade & Investment is the Government Department that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high-quality investment to the UK’s dynamic economy acknowledged as Europe’s best place from which to succeed in global business.

UK Trade & Investment offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage.

UK Trade & Investment is responsible for the delivery of the Solutions for Business product “Helping Your Business Grow Internationally.” These “solutions” are available to qualifying businesses, and cover everything from investment and grants through to specialist advice, collaborations and partnerships.

2010 winner Best Trade Promotion Organisation in the developed world.

Published March 2012by UK Trade & Investment© Crown Copyright URN 12/672