|
25 March 2008
Universities to tackle UK manufacturing challenges
The Centre of Excellence in Customised Assembly (CECA) - a leading centre dedicated to improving complex assembly processes for manufacturers -
has been launched at the Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future, home to the University of Sheffield´s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing.
The Centre, which is a collaboration between the Universities of Sheffield, Loughborough and Nottingham, provides cost-effective assembly solutions for aerospace, defence, pharmaceutical/medical, device and niche automotive supply chains. The initiative is backed by a number of industrial partners including Rolls-Royce, Boeing, the Ford Motor Company and Messier-Dowty.
During the launch, academic experts in assembly highlighted the fundamental challenges and opportunities facing UK manufacturers and explored how collaborations between industry and academia can develop solutions to increase industrial competitiveness. The launch also included demonstrations of cutting-edge assembly equipment, allowing attendees to see how they might benefit from CECA's expertise.
Professor Keith Ridgway, CECA Academic Director and Director of the University of Sheffield's AMRC with Boeing, said: "CECA is a pioneering collaboration between industry and academia that's delivering the latest assembly technologies to manufacturers. It's a ground-breaking example of an industrial-quality research and development facility assisting and enhancing the capabilities of British manufacturing."
Stephen Burgess, Manufacturing Process and Technology Director at Rolls-Royce Plc, said: "CECA is the type of innovative, demand-led initiative that we want to see coming out of our universities. It is planned that the Centre will provide mature technology that should have a real impact in UK factories and will offer a unique, open-door resource for industry."
|
