Delivering Cost Effective Solutions for the Composites Industry

Tooling is a fundamental element of delivering composite components to the market that do the job and meet increasing quality, cost and volume requirements. Whether you are in aerospace, automotive or building a rotor blade for a wind turbine the cost and complexities of tooling can significantly impact your competitiveness and profitability.

This workshop, run by the Automotive and Aerospace Sector Groups of the Composites Leadership Forum, will bring together Tier 1 and 2 suppliers along with tooling manufacturers to explore the issues and opportunities within tooling and aims to support the UK industry in developing the supply chain and improving our competitive position.

We aim to look at all elements of tooling from specification through to design, prototyping, manufacture and full production. Focus groups will be driven by feedback during the day with the aim of bringing together companies to work on specific opportunities along with seeking appropriate funding support.

The end goal will be to develop ideas such that individuals and groups can start working towards short-term collaboration and potentially seek funding support where appropriate. Funding opportunities may come from the ATI, APC and Innovate, and we will also discuss this on the day. In some instances the opportunities developed may be of a significance that additional targeted workshops will be required.

Representatives from both large organisations and SMEs are encouraged to attend to ensure that we have feedback from across the whole market.

Programme

09:00 Registration & Refreshments

09:30 Introduction - TBC

09:40 Goals of the Day - Philip Spinks, CLF Strategy Delivery Manager

09:50 CLF Sector view - Henry Sarel-Cooke, GKN Wheels & Structures; Craig Carr, GKN Aerospace

10:05 CLSP and the opportunities created by tooling - Paul Gallen, NCC

10:25 Elevator pitches – challenges and opportunities in tooling:

• Alan Harper Composites – Alan Harper
• Mouldbox – Martin Oughton
• Voxeljet UK – Gareth Darch
• Poeton Industries – Martin Crowe
• Orbital Composites – Amolak Badesha
• TenCate – Jed Illsley
• Expert Tooling – Andy Bools

More to be announced. Contact philip@compositesuk.co.uk if you'd like more details.

11:05 Break & Refreshments

11:30 Funding opportunities - TBC

11:50 Group Workshop – collection of ideas and vote on top 4 for Focus Groups - Facilitated by Paul Gallen, NCC

12:20 Lunch and site tour

13:40 Focus Groups 1 and 2 - Facilitated by Rob Hewison, AMRC and Nigel Keen, NCC

14:20 Feedback on Groups 1 and 2

14:40 Break & Refreshments

15:00 Focus Groups 3 & 4 - Facilitated by Rob Hewison, AMRC and Nigel Keen, NCC

15:40 Feedback

16:00 Conclusions and close

Who should attend?

• Management / engineering staff in composite components manufacturers
• Management / engineering / design staff of tooling companies
• People working in CAE within the tooling sector
• Further and higher education establishments currently researching tooling
• Anyone with an interest in tooling within the composites sector
  

Registration

This event will run from 9:00 am, for a 9:30 start, through to 16:00. Refreshments provided.

Registration is open to all and bookings can be made via this page free-of-charge. Terms and conditions apply.

Invitation for speakers

We are looking for speakers from companies and institutions with new developments in tooling and tooling design or have issues and challenges with tooling. Please contact clf@compositesuk.co.uk for more information.

Image used provided by Formaplex Limited.
Our thanks go to Composites UK and BEIS for supporting this event along with the National Composites Centre.

Terms & Conditions

Delegate places at this event are free-of-charge, however failure to attend on the day without notice will result in a £50 + VAT admin charge. Please contact us if you can no longer attend before the event. You are welcome to send a colleague in your place but please let us know their details beforehand.