Materials and manufacturing
Backed up by extensive research teams, our innovation managers have a range of expertise in the fields of materials and manufacturing.
Design for manufacture
If you have an innovative product concept or drawing and have not yet considered how it will be manufactured, our team can support you to establish the most appropriate way to produce it. We have CAD modelling expertise and the ability to reverse engineer existing CAD drawings for special projects that may need revising for your manufacturing needs. We are not a CAD design bureau and projects are reviewed on a case by case basis.
Low volume manufacturing
Our team can help you develop product and component ideas from prototype into production through WMG’s extensive additive layer manufacturing capabilities. Some of the 3D printers we have at our disposal include:
- Stratasys Dimension SST 768 FDM Printer
- Stratasys Fortus 400mc Industrial FDM Printer
- XYPrint100Z Hybrid Nano 3D Printer
- EOSINT M 280 Metal Laser Melting System
For a full list, visit WMG's equipment directory. We have also developed a novel application of using 3D printing for tooling, so are able to support you with small production runs of parts and products.
Circular manufacturing
Due to environmental concerns and Government legalisation, manufacturers are increasingly required to think about a product’s lifecycle more carefully, and how products can be produced with a view to them being recycled at the end of their life. We have an Xtrutech Twin Screw Extruder XTS19 with processing capabilities to develop a range of pellets and filaments from polymers, fillers and additives. We have worked with many companies to recycle and repurpose manufacturing waste materials. We are also able to help companies design products and materials with the "end of life" in mind, so that products can either be re-purposed post life, or recycled more efficiently.
Characterisation and testing
We have a suite of materials characterisation equipment and facilities at WMG. SMEs are able to access equipment to undertake a range of testing including tensile and compression testing, accelerated weathering testing, fatigue testing, temperature testing, and humidity testing. We provide materials testing at any point of the product development lifecycle, from initial specification to end of product life. We have expertise in polymers, sustainable materials, nanocomposites and steel.
