Traditional manufacturing methods such as machining from large forgings brings with it significant materials and energy waste.
Manufacturing components as closely in size and shape to the finished product is central to helping the manufacturing industry achieve its net-zero ambitions.
Novel technologies such as additive manufacturing, and advances in flow forming and cold forming can provide cleaner and greener alternatives to what has come before.
Rotary friction welding is a process that benefits from enhanced integrity of weld assemblies and is fast and highly energy efficient.
Used in combination with other advanced manufacturing techniques, we're helping our customers and industry partners use this technique to boost sustainability and save materials.
Crucially, the process is also ecologically clean, with no objectionable smoke, fumes or gases generated.
Alternative manufacturing routes through forging, additive manufacturing, and subtractive technologies can help deliver near net shape aerospace components.
Through a recently launched collaborative R&D project, we’re aiming to lower lead time and buy-to-fly ratios by 9%, as well as decreasing material wastage and carbon footprint.
In collaboration with Cranfield University and the Northern Ireland Technology Centre (NITC), the project will also contribute to lightweight design, maintenance, repair, operations (MROs), and remanufacturing.
Cranial implant surgery is critical for the repair process for people who have suffered major head trauma or need skull reconstruction, but current manufacturing processes are typically not resource efficient - resulting in materials waste and long lead times.
NMIS worked with Pascoe Engineering to explore incremental sheet forming, which turns metal sheet into a final workpiece through a series of small deformations.
This approach significantly reduced the cost per piece and increased turnaround time, while reducing both waste and emissions within the process.
NMIS, in collaboration with Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies, is providing an affordable way for SMEs to embrace additive manufacturing through a unique platform that integrates laser metal deposition (LMD) technology within a CNC machine.
A form of additive manufacturing, during the LMD process metal powder is projected into the path of a high-powered laser. It is then melted onto a component or substrate in layers until the final desired geometry is achieved.
The process will allow manufacturers to improve materials efficiency and reduce life-cycle impacts, generating significant CO2 savings.
Flow forming is a manufacturing process that can support the lightweighting of cylindrical near net shape components.
High strength-to-weight ratio, reduced material thickness and removal of fixtures and fittings are key targets that flow forming can help to address, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process.
As part of a summer internship project, NMIS successfully displayed the potential flow forming and split forming capabilities within the automotive industry through designing an alloy wheel demonstrator that could be manufactured utilising the VUD600 vertical flow former.
NMIS
Collaborative lightweight car battery concept drives down weight, emissions and production costs.