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Shaping the future

Materials and Manufacturing

Materials and Manufacturing

Manufacturing is entering a dynamic new phase. It has been impacted by energy shortfalls, scarcity of material supply, consumer environmental concerns and increasingly stringent legislation.

More sustainable, innovative approaches are required that use less energy and resources, to help protect the climate and environment. New approaches could also create new industries, new jobs and generate genuine competitive advantage for the UK.

 
Aligning with industrial strategy

Achieving clean growth, while ensuring an affordable energy supply, is at the heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, and we recognise the scale of change required to support this ambition.

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  Forming
Multi-material capability

Our multi-disciplinary teams are working to make the materials we use as sustainable as possible, creating next-generation lightweight solutions in both vehicle architecture and powertrains, using metals, ceramics, polymers, composites and hybrids.

  
 
New materials provide new design opportunities...

Innovative composite materials provide structural strength at a much lighter weight than metallic alloys. Aluminium technology has performance benefits, as proven in the aerospace industry. Our work is focused on how to transfer the technology for high-volume production, and developing the manufacturing models that integrate into existing lines.

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Transforming steel processing

Steel is an indispensable component of the UK’s infrastructure. That’s why we focus our research on transforming the whole supply chain, making it cleaner, greener and smarter, to achieve a carbon neutral status by 2040.

  
 
Working across all sectors

We’re dedicated to delivering industry-changing innovations in both materials and manufacturing processes, and passionate about sharing our expertise with other sectors such as aerospace, marine, rail, construction, alternative energy, water industry and healthcare.

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Our capabilities include:
  
 

Our education programmes

BEng, MEng Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering

MSc Sustainable Automotive Engineering

MSc Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management

 

HVM Catapult

WMG is one of the founding members of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC), and the lead centre for Vehicle Electrification and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) within the HVMC network. The centre is also active in showing how Digital Manufacturing technologies can help improve company and supply chain competitiveness.

As part of the £640m Government funding package for HVM Catapult, WMG was allocated £100m in 2018 to continue strengthening UK industry through collaborative R&D, innovation and technology transfer from automotive into other transport sectors over the next five years.