Machine tools

Description

The Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) is a collaborative venture between the University of Strathclyde, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government and leading multinational engineering firms including Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Titanium Metals Corporation (known as TIMET), Aubert and Duval, and Barnes Aerospace. The 25 000 000 GBP Advanced Forming Research Centre near Glasgow International Airport is developing forming and forging technologies to support the design and manufacture of new products, including components and structures for aircraft wings and body parts, engines, cars, ships, medical devices, power generation and wind turbines. The equipment will be used in the AFRC workshop area. The main purpose for the equipment is to perform research into radial forging processes and large scale production trials aimed at demonstrating a high manufacturing capability. This will include the production of hollow cylinders as both final part geometries and as preforms with controlled variation in wall thickness, inner diameter and outer diameter. It will also include shaped solid axi-symmetric preforms and bars. The ability to deform material over a wide range of process conditions will also be used to study micro-structural evolution during the production of billet or bar.