Rolls-Royce Opens Up Additive Manufacturing Development Cell in UK

Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry in the UK, has announced the opening of a new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Development Cell at Rolls-Royce’s Defence Assembly and Operations facility in Bristol, UK. Claire Hazelgrove, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, also attended the unveiling.

With funding from the UK Ministry of Defence, the cell utilizes advanced additive manufacturing technology to manufacture critical components for next-generation aircraft engines, according to Rolls-Royce. By integrating this German-engineered technology, UK capability remains devoted to aerospace engineering, manufacturing complex parts with reduced lead time, reduced cost, and increased efficiency, the company adds.

The machinery will play a role in advancing innovation, knowledge and skills across the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) and future combat power and propulsion, across Defence and wider Rolls-Royce applications, Rolls-Royce shares. With new optimized, lightweight engine components produced, future aircraft will benefit from more power and better fuel efficiency, the company adds.

"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," says Andy Higginson, senior vice president of Manufacturing, Assembly and Test, at Rolls-Royce. "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.”

With engineers being specially trained to use the cell, the advancement in technology will help to sustain and create jobs at the Bristol hub that continues to be the home of UK military combat and transport aerospace power and propulsion, according to Rolls-Royce.

Housed in a custom-built, controlled 350 m2 space, the humidity, temperature and air pressure are optimised to ensure consistent quality. The AM machinery manufactures aerospace components layer by layer using metal super-alloy powders—constructing complex metal components by intricately melting layers of powder using laser beams.

Discover more about AM at Rolls-Royce Additive Layer Manufacturing | Rolls-Royc

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.