A new Additive Manufacturing Development Cell has been opened at Rolls-Royce's Defence Assembly and Operations facility in Bristol, UK.
The unveiling of the Development Cell was carried out last week with Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, and Claire Hazelgrove, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, in attendance.
The Additive Manufacturing Development Cell, which utilises metal 3D printing equipment from Nikon SLM Solutions, is housed in a custom-built, carefully controlled 350m2 space, where humidity, temperature and air pressure are all optimised to ensure consistent quality.
Rolls-Royce has received funding from the UK Ministry of Defence to bring online a cell that utilises advanced additive manufacturing technology to produce critical components for next-generation aircraft engines. They hope to enable parts that are produced with reduced lead time and cost, as well as increased efficiency.
Per Rolls-Royce, the machinery will play a 'critical role' in 'accelerating innovation, knowledge and skills' across the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). It also expects the Additive Manufacturing Development Cell to support future combat and propulsion systems, with additive manufacturing helping to enable 'optimised, lightweight engine components.'
Engineers will be specially trained to use the cell, with Rolls-Royce stating that jobs will be created and sustained at its Bristol facility.
Andy Higginson, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, Assembly and Test, at Rolls-Royce, said: "Across Rolls-Royce, we are committed to the continued development and enhancement of our technologies to meet the demands of today, while providing scalable infrastructure required for the future. Programmes like FCAS and GCAP will be fundamental to the UK’s future aerospace sector and capabilities like additive manufacturing will be crucial to enabling innovation at pace, driving cost savings and enhancing the skills and capabilities of our people."
Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, added: "This new facility in Bristol is a clear sign of UK industry investing in the skills and technology we need to stay ahead. By using the latest manufacturing techniques to build lighter, more efficient components, Rolls-Royce is helping to keep British engineers at the forefront of innovation - all the while creating and sustaining skilled jobs right here in Bristol."
