A PIONEERING forging research platform has been launched at the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forning Research Centre (AFRC).
The new facility, FutureForge, aims to put the country at the forefront of modernising and future-proofing the $75bn global forging sector.
Based in Renfrewshire, FutureForge is a platform that will see the 100-strong AFRC team of engineers and researchers work directly with the biggest forging companies around in the world.
Professor Brad Wynne, director of the AFRC, said: “With the largest hot forging press of its kind, dedicated solely to research and innovation.
“Over a decade of experience in materials science, the AFRC is in a unique position to help the forging industry embrace net-zero.
“The 2,000 tonne press, multiple furnaces, ground-breaking smart manipulator and fully connected, data-driven, control room, that make up FutureForge, provide the sector with the industry-scale test bed it requires to help de-risk investment in innovation around materials, process improvements and energy utilisation.”
Forging is a traditional manufacturing process dating back thousands of years and is vital to nationally important industries such as aerospace, defence, marine and energy.
The multi-million-pound investment has been supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Scottish Enterprise.
Chris Courtney, CEO of NMIS, said: “FutureForge, is the latest addition to a growing suite of Industry 4.0 research and development capabilities within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.
“Through this novel platform, companies from around the world can access, not only, the world leading materials science and forging capabilities of the AVRC but also the digitally focused skills and expertise of the rest of the NMIS Group.
“It gives the teams the opportunity to work with, and help, major businesses around the world and to act as a magnet for potential inward investors attracted to the idea of establishing production facilities within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland in order to be closer to the R&D talent and skilled workforce here in Scotland.”
Speaking at the opening of FutureForge, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancelor of the University of Strathclyde, chair of the NMIS Board and President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “With the launch of FutureForge, the AFRC and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland continue to go from strength to strength.
“By growing its unique research facilities and opportunities for industry and academia to collaborate and innovate, NMIS is cementing its status as a global centre of research and innovation excellence and an invaluable asset to Scotland’s advanced manufacturing sector.
“This is a clear example of the national and local economic benefits that flow from strategic collaboration and co-investment across partners in the private, public and academia, all of which is built on outstanding talent and world class research capability.”
Scotland’s reputation as a beacon of manufacturing and engineering innovation has been cemented today with the launch of the world’s most pioneering, industry scale, fully digitally enabled, forging research platform at the University of Strathclyde’s AFRC, part of the NMIS.
The new facility, FutureForge, puts the country at the forefront of modernising and future-proofing the $75bn global forging sector.
Based in Renfrewshire, FutureForge is a world-unique platform that will see the 100-strong AFRC team of engineers and researchers work directly with the biggest forging companies around in the world, thanks to the facility’s digital and connectivity capabilities.
Forging is a traditional manufacturing process dating back thousands of years and is vital to nationally important industries such as aerospace, defence, marine and energy.
The multi-million-pound investment has been supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Scottish Enterprise.
Chris Courtney, CEO of NMIS, said: “FutureForge, is the latest addition to a growing suite of Industry 4.0 research and development capabilities within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.
“Through this novel platform, companies from around the world can access, not only, the world leading materials science and forging capabilities of the AFRC but also the digitally focused skills and expertise of the rest of the NMIS Group.
“It gives the teams the opportunity to work with, and help, major businesses around the world and to act as a magnet for potential inward investors attracted to the idea of establishing production facilities within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland in order to be closer to the R&D talent and skilled workforce here in Scotland.”
Speaking at the opening of FutureForge, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancelor of the University of Strathclyde, chair of the NMIS Board and President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “With the launch of FutureForge, the AFRC and NMIS continue to go from strength to strength.
“By growing its unique research facilities and opportunities for industry and academia to collaborate and innovate, NMIS is cementing its status as a global centre of research and innovation excellence and an invaluable asset to Scotland’s advanced manufacturing sector.
“This is a clear example of the national and local economic benefits that flow from strategic collaboration and co-investment across partners in the private, public and academia, all of which is built on outstanding talent and world class research capability.”
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