Tools for the new generation NuclearAMRC

news
ISSUE 13 Q4 2013
NuclearAMRC
Tools for the
new generation
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
World-leading manufacturing
for Hinkley Point and beyond
EDF milestone
Sharing in Growth
Nnuman research
Bloodhound SSC
Triple Bar training
SME open house
EUROPEAN UNION
Investing in Your Future
European Regional
Development Fund 2007-13
EDF agreement
‘a significant milestone’
for new build
First of a new generation: the proposed new
reactors at Hinkley Point
EDF Energy and the UK government have agreed
commercial terms for EDF’s proposed Hinkley
Point C power station, a vital step towards a new
generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.
linked to the consumer price index. If EDF confirms
that it will also build new capacity at Sizewell,
that price is reduced to £89.50/MWh to reflect
economies of scale.
The long-awaited deal sets the financial structure for
the long-term supply of low-carbon electricity from
new reactors at Hinkley Point. EDF still has to make a
final investment decision on the project.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change
(DECC) forecasts that electricity from Hinkley Point
C will be competitive with future gas generation
prices. The contract will last for 35 years from
the date of commissioning, and will give EDF an
estimated rate of return of around 10 per cent.
“This is a significant milestone in the development of
new nuclear power stations in the UK,” commented
Mike Tynan, chief executive of the Nuclear AMRC.
“Utilities, developers and investors need confidence
in both long-term cost and revenue profiles for
making a final investment decision, and I’m sure that
this announcement will be welcomed by everyone
involved in UK new nuclear build.
EDF also announced details of the investment
consortium for Hinkley Point C. EDF Group will
retain 45-50 per cent of the venture, with reactor
provider Areva taking 10 per cent. Following the
government’s go-ahead for Chinese investment in
UK nuclear generation (see box), China General
Nuclear Corporation and China National Nuclear
Corporation will take a total 30-40 per cent stake.
Other interested parties may take up to 15 per cent
of the venture.
“The Nuclear AMRC looks forward to the Hinkley
Point scheme moving forward with EDF Energy, and
is already working closely with EDF and Areva to
develop the UK supply chain.”
The consortium will invest around £16 billion in
two EPRs at Hinkley Point, including £14 billion
in construction costs. Around 57 per cent of the
construction value could be spent in the UK,
EDF says.
Both Areva and EDF are using the Nuclear AMRC’s
Fit For Nuclear programme to identify potential
suppliers of manufactured components. Fit For
Nuclear lets companies measure their operations
against the standards required to supply the nuclear
industry, and take the necessary steps to improve
their readiness.
EDF confirmed that it has finalised terms with the
four top-tier suppliers to the project: Bouygues
TP/Laing O’Rourke for civil works; Costain for
marine work; Alstom for turbines; and Areva for
instrumentation and controls, the nuclear steam
supply system and fuel.
The new deal guarantees a price for electricity from
Hinkley Point C under the contract for difference
mechanism, which also applies to windfarms and
other low-carbon sources. The price is £92.50/MWh,
Vincent de Rivaz, EDF Energy chief executive,
said: “The project will kick start the UK nuclear
programme and will help rebuild the nation’s
industrial stamina. The progress so far on the project
reflects the great skill and determination of a world
class team which is ready to get to work and turn
Hinkley Point C into a reality.”
The agreement was welcomed by the other UK new
build groups.
“This is important in sustaining momentum behind
the UK nuclear programme,” said Alan Raymant,
chief operating officer for Horizon Nuclear Power.
“We’re some way from our own price negotiations
with government, but when we get to that stage
we are confident we’ll reach a deal that’s fair for bill
payers and works for investors.”
“This is an extremely important and symbolic
milestone in the journey to delivering new nuclear
power stations for the UK,” said Robert Zadora,
executive director of NuGen. “It shows progress and
commitment, and gives potential investors in UK new
nuclear more clarity, and a welcomed boost.”
• Fit For Nuclear: namrc.co.uk/work-with-us/f4n
• UK new build plans:
namrc.co.uk/intelligence/uk-new-build-plans
Shovel-ready: preparing the ground for
Hinkley Point C
Nuclear AMRC news Q4 2013
2
The
Tynan View
Much of the reaction to the agreement between EDF Energy and the UK
government focused on the headline price that will be paid over the next 35
years – £92.50 per MWh, around twice the current wholesale price. How is
such a price justified?
Proponents will claim that increasing demand for low-carbon electricity has
to be met by a significant baseload generation technology, and that nuclear
power is the obvious choice. High capital costs are offset by significantly lower
costs for operation through the 60-year life of the stations – however the
investment risk has to be paid for, and this is reflected in the price needed to
attract that investment.
Opponents will say that uncertainties over ultimate waste disposal from the
stations and decommissioning costs add an unacceptable cost burden to the
consumer and that greater emphasis should be placed on other forms of
renewable energy.
Ultimately, the domestic, industrial and commercial sectors of our economy
demand electricity at the press of a button, irrespective of whether the sun
shines or the wind blows. Given that over 40 per cent of the UK electricity
generating capacity is currently met by coal-fired power stations, we will
need to take tough decisions if we want to move to a low-carbon
economy, stabilise electricity prices and secure our own supply of energy
for the UK.
The price
of nuclear
renaissance
So, EDF will move forward to a final investment decision at Hinkley Point.
Of the other new build groups, Horizon Nuclear Power needs Hitachi to
take its Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) through the generic design
assessment process, which could take four years. And NuGen will need to
decide on which technology it will deploy at Moorside, Sellafield, before it can
even apply for planning permission.
All of this means that we will not see a new nuclear power station generating
electricity in the UK until sometime in the 2020s. And who will actually
construct these stations? Commitments are being made by the developers
to support UK manufacturers, but to what extent? Where will the high value
components and fabrications be made?
New nuclear reactor technology for the UK is likely to be French, American or
Japanese, so many people are questioning how much of these big infrastructure
schemes will truly be “Made in Britain”. Our mission at the Nuclear AMRC is
to maximise the involvement of UK manufacturers. We will do this through
two major programmes: the civil nuclear Sharing in Growth programme that
is now helping UK manufacturers increase their competence, capability and
cost effectiveness to secure lucrative contracts at home and abroad; and our
innovative industry-led advanced manufacturing R&D programme.
With the UK new build programme passing a major milestone, we are
looking forward to playing an exciting role in a new era of civil nuclear power
for the UK.
Go-ahead for
China investment
The UK government has confirmed that Chinese companies can invest in
nuclear power generation in Britain.
Chancellor George Osborne announced that Chinese companies can take a
stake – including potential majority stakes – in UK nuclear new build consortia
while visiting Taishan nuclear power station, a collaboration between EDF and
the China General Nuclear Power Company.
“This is a significant and welcome investment announcement for the UK’s
nuclear new build programme and supporting supply chain, which could
lead to real export potential for UK manufacturers into China’s internal,
fast-growing, multi-billion pound nuclear new build market,” commented
Martin Ride, supply chain consultant at the Nuclear AMRC. “We welcome
the involvement of participating Chinese companies, and will work to develop
relationships and interest in areas of manufacturing and business support
which will lead to new opportunities for the UK.”
The announcement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding
on civil nuclear collaboration between the UK and China. The memorandum
sets the strategic framework for collaboration on investment, technology,
construction and expertise.
As well as supporting Chinese investment in the UK, the agreement will make
sure that British companies such as Rolls-Royce, International Nuclear Services
and engineering companies such as Mott MacDonald can be part of China’s
multi-billion pound new nuclear programme.
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Laser welding: new ways to join high performance
alloys for nuclear components
Nnuman marks
first year of
next-generation
research
Welding
New 16kW laser robotic welding facilities have
now been commissioned at The University of
Manchester’s Manufacturing Technology Research
Laboratory. Initial research will focus on thicksection narrow groove welding for SA508 Grade 3
Class 1 steel, a high-performance ferritic steel used
in nuclear pressure vessels.
Fuels
Two trailblazer projects are underway to develop
new materials for nuclear fuel pellets and cladding.
The University of Manchester is working with
Mittweida University in Germany on novel brazing
techniques for silicon carbide composites. This
material could significantly improve the performance
of light water reactor fuel cladding, especially in case
of accidents, but problems in joining the material
have limited its use.
Collaboration for the next generation:
Nnuman team members
A year after its launch, the Nnuman research
programme is investigating key areas of innovative
nuclear manufacturing and analysing data from trials
at the Nuclear AMRC.
The Nnuman programme is also investigating
improvements in deep hole drilling techniques, using
the Nuclear AMRC’s TBT ML700 machine. The
first stage of work focuses on drill tube stability – an
initial project investigating the frequency response of
the drill tube is now nearing completion. The next
stage will apply high frequency assisted machining
at the tool itself, with the aim of reducing cutting
force and improving process reliability by breaking
long swarf into short discontinuous chips which are
more easily evacuated and less likely to block the
drill tube.
Nnuman (New nuclear manufacturing) is a five year,
£8 million collaboration between the Universities of
Manchester and Sheffield, part-funded by EPSRC.
The two universities are working with industrial
partners on a series of research projects into
innovative manufacturing technologies for the next
generation of nuclear power.
The project now involves 32 post-doctoral
researchers, technicians, academics and professional
support staff, plus senior academics and industry
secondees.
Near-net shape manufacturing
Nnuman is concentrating on the hot isostatic
pressing (hipping) technique, which creates near-net
shape components by pressing metal powder into
the desired shape under very high pressures and
temperatures.
Highlights of the first year’s work are outlined
below.
Machining
In parallel with process development work at the
Nuclear AMRC, the Manchester team is looking
at the nature and significance of defects in hipped
structures. A three month trailblazer project is
underway, to be followed by an in-depth study of the
link between powder characteristics and component
microstructure and performance, including analysis of
environmental and irradiation effects.
The Nuclear AMRC machining team in Sheffield
have been subjecting samples of 304L stainless steel
to deliberate abuse, to better understand the effects
of machining parameters on product performance.
The samples have undergone detailed materials
analysis at The University of Manchester’s Dalton
Nuclear Institute. Initial results indicate that some
of the residual stresses do not increase as the level
of machining abuse increases, with surface damage
apparently limited to a relatively shallow depth –
in some cases, as little as 20 microns.
Nuclear AMRC news Q4 2013
The Manchester team is also investigating how
composite ceramics can be used in fuel pellet
composition to improve the trade-off between
good fission gas retention and good thermal
conductivity.
Future development
The Nnuman programme will continue for another
four years, producing significant experimental data,
interpretation and publications over a range of
manufacturing technologies.
As the programme develops, the Nnuman
consortium will build on a growing range of
participants and collaborators from industry and
academia. It will also call on the capabilities of some
of the world’s most advanced nuclear research
facilities, including The University of Manchester’s
Dalton Cumbrian Facility (DCF) which officially
opened in September. Research at the DCF focuses
on the potentially damaging effects of radiation on a
wide range of materials.
The most promising new processes will be
developed towards production readiness in
collaboration with the Nuclear AMRC and the
National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), ensuring that
UK manufacturers can gain long-term benefits from
the Nnuman research.
• www.dalton.manchester.ac.uk/nnuman
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Nuclear manufacturers
prepare to share in growth
The first companies to secure long-term support
from the civil nuclear Sharing in Growth programme
are now starting their development projects.
The £76 million civil nuclear Sharing in Growth
(CNSIG) programme aims to develop the UK
manufacturing supply chain and help UK companies
win work in nuclear programmes – including new
build, operations and decommissioning – at home
and overseas. It is part-funded by government
through the Regional Growth Fund, and led by the
Nuclear AMRC with support from Rolls-Royce and
other industry leaders.
“Sharing in Growth is an innovative programme that
will prepare the UK supply chain to win contracts
in the national and international civil nuclear
marketplace,” explains Mike Tynan, chief executive
of the Nuclear AMRC. “It is a programme that will
help create and sustain long-term capability in UK
advanced manufacturing, and help build a new era
of civil nuclear generating capacity in the UK.”
CNSIG includes a four-year programme of business
development and training for the most promising
manufacturers of mechanical equipment suitable
for the civil nuclear sector. The support is tailored
to the needs of the participating companies, and is
worth around £1 million to each project.
CNSIG is aimed at companies which are already
strong contenders for nuclear work, but which
can develop their capabilities for the global market,
notes Jonathan Matthews, supplier development
executive at Rolls-Royce.
“All these companies recognise that to compete
globally, you need good people, processes and
people allied to a nuclear culture, all of which will
be supported through Sharing in Growth,” says
Matthews, “Qualifying companies will have existing
experience in nuclear or similar industries, a desire
to grow and develop their market share in nuclear,
and the ability to promote collaborative working.”
The first successful companies from the first round
of applications to CNSIG are now beginning to
work with the Nuclear AMRC and Rolls-Royce
(see below). All four are established suppliers to
the civil nuclear sector, but are looking to further
develop their capabilities.
“NES is an established supplier to the civil nuclear
sector, but we are constantly looking to improve
our efficiency and competitiveness in the market,”
says Anthony Cundall, director of business
development at NES. “We are also looking to
develop stronger international opportunities. The
support we will receive in the civil nuclear Sharing in
Growth programme will take us to the next level and
help us to compete globally.”
A second round of applications closed in October.
Details of further participating companies will be
announced in the new year.
• To find out more about the civil nuclear
Sharing in Growth programme, visit:
namrc.co.uk/work-with-us/sig
Sharing in growth: Research for growth
As well as long-term business development, the
The programme is supporting research into
the first four
civil nuclear Sharing in Growth programme
innovative techniques for nuclear manufacturing
Goodwin International – an established
manufacturer of components for the civil nuclear
industry, from primary pump casings to complete
sub-assembled components. Based in Stoke-onTrent, Goodwin has produced machined casings
since 1883, and has ASME N-Stamp and NCA3800
certification as well as RCC-M approvals.
• www.goodwininternational.co.uk
NES Ltd – a provider of design, manufacture, test,
commissioning, installation and training services for
the nuclear decommissioning, defence and new
build markets, based in Wolverhampton. With a
history going back over 200 years, NES has worked
on nuclear power stations since the 1960s.
(CNSIG) is supporting industry-led research at the
Nuclear AMRC.
such as hot isostatic pressing (hipping) and electron
beam welding. The Nuclear AMRC has some of
the largest and most advanced hipping and e-beam
facilities of any research centre.
The Nuclear AMRC and key industrial partners
are already working on a series of projects under
CNSIG, with support from the Regional Growth
Fund. The research aims to make a significant
improvement to manufacturing capabilities and help
UK companies compete globally, and covers areas
in welding, machining, assembly and cladding of civil
nuclear components.
CNSIG-backed research is also exploring new ways
to optimise factory layout and process flow for the
large and complex components used across the
nuclear industry.
• For more information about CNSIG-supported
research, contact Dr Alan McLelland:
a.mclelland@sheffield.ac.uk
• www.nes-limited.com
Tata Steel Projects – a leading provider of
design, manufacture and construction services to a
variety of industrial sectors, based in York. Part of
the international Tata Steel group, it has 60 years’
experience supplying the nuclear industry with
waste transport and spent fuel flasks.
• www.tatasteeleurope.com
Therco – a market-leading manufacturer of aircooled and tubular heat exchangers, used in nuclear,
coal and hydroelectric power stations worldwide.
Based in Sheffield, Therco’s specialised machine
shop is capable of producing heat exchangers up to
14 metres in length and 40 tonnes in weight.
Joined-up research: the Nuclear AMRC’s
small electron beam welding chamber
• www.thercoheatexchangers.com
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New machining
centre brings
unique capabilities
The latest machining centre to be installed in the
Nuclear AMRC workshop is the first of its kind in
Europe, and offers unique capabilities for making
complex high-precision components for the energy
and oil and gas industries.
Mazak originally designed the Orbitec for a US
customer serving the oil and gas market, and the
technology is only now reaching the market. The
Nuclear AMRC’s machine is currently the only one
in Europe.
The Mazak Orbitec 20 features a unique turning
and facing headstock, capable of generating turned
features while keeping the workpiece stationary. It
is ideal for parts which are too large or awkwardly
shaped for conventional turning machines, and can
carry out high-precision four-sided machining in a
single set up.
“It’s ideal for oil and gas parts, particularly long pipes
with threaded or connector features on the end,
because it removes the need to spin a very long
pipe,” says Dawson. “It’s also particularly adept at
pump and valve housings which have lots of circular
or cylindrical features. Now we can do it all with an
integrated CNC turning and facing head.”
“It’s a unique capability for the production of
parts with circular features which would be too
long or heavy or out-of-balance to be done in a
conventional horizontal lathe,” says Stuart Dawson,
head of machining at the Nuclear AMRC. “It takes
away problems caused by asymmetrical out-ofbalance rotating parts, and clamping supposedly
circular parts in three-jaw chucks.”
Initial trials have shown that the Orbitec can also
provide a dramatic improvement in surface finish.
“Because the component is clamped very rigidly,
we can take a much greater depth of cut,” Dawson
explains. “It’s quicker, gives better process security
and robustness, and better surface finish. We see
huge numbers of oil and gas applications, from
pump and valve bodies to risers to pipe connectors
and choke valves.”
Inside the Orbitec: unique abilities for external
and internal machining of circular features
Nuclear AMRC news Q4 2013
6
The Orbitec can carry out a range of specialist
machining operations, including facing and
phonographic finishing of flange surfaces; conical
boring of taper holes; face and end milling; plus
trepanning, threading, internal grooving, drilling and
concave machining. Its rotary table takes a square
630mm pallet, with maximum load of 1500kg.
Like all the Nuclear AMRC’s resources – including
state-of-the-art machining centres from Mori-Seiki,
Starrag, TBT and Hermle – the Orbitec is available
for collaborative research and process development
projects with UK manufacturers. Key research
areas include advanced machining techniques for
large valve bodies and similar complex precision
components, and on-machine inspection of
thread forms.
• To find out more about the Orbitec and other
machining capabilities, contact Stuart Dawson:
s.dawson@namrc.co.uk
Groundwork
for giant new
machines
Work has begun to prepare the Nuclear AMRC workshop for its newest and
largest machining centres. The two machines will be the biggest of their kind
available for collaborative research anywhere in the world.
The machines – a purpose-built vertical turning lathe from Dörries Scharmann,
and a Soraluce FX12000 floor-type milling and boring centre – will be used to
produce large representative-sized parts for the nuclear industry and other
high-value sectors.
The vertical turning lathe (VTL) will be capable of working on parts of up to five
metres diameter and over three metres height. It will offer full milling and deep
drilling capabilities, and is designed for the largest high-value components for
the nuclear industry, including full-scale reactor internal parts. It is also ideal for
machining offshore wind turbine shafts and the largest jet engine fan casings.
The VTL is funded by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
The Soraluce will be capable of working on parts up to 12 metres in length
and five metres diameter, and can complete five-sided machining of complex
parts in a single set up. It will be used to develop and demonstrate advanced
manufacturing processes for large pressure vessels, high-value reactor internals
and offshore wind turbine hubs.
“The Soraluce and Dörries VTL are an absolutely unique resource,” says
Nuclear AMRC machining head Stuart Dawson. “No other research centre
anywhere in the world has the physical size or research capability of these
machines, as far as we’re aware.”
Process to part: a robotic machine tool being developed
at the Nuclear AMRC
An innovative approach to machining features on
large power plant vessels could potentially reduce
costs by over 80 per cent, according to a study by
Nuclear AMRC researchers.
The “process-to-part” approach uses portable
robotic machine tools to carry out a range of
operations on large and unwieldy components
and assemblies. These tools are already used in
industries such as aerospace, oil and gas, marine and
wind energy, typically for machining features which
do not require the highest levels of precision.
For large nuclear vessels, robotic machining can
potentially be used to mill, drill and tap features such
as weld preps, nozzle opening profiles, pipe/vessel
facing and holes.
Heavy engineering: virtual image of the Soraluce
and Dörries VTL in the Nuclear AMRC workshop
Preparatory work to construct the foundations required for the huge new
machines began in October. Creating the foundations will take around 20 weeks
– while this could disrupt work in the rest of the Nuclear AMRC, careful planning
and specialist contractors mean the workshop will be closed for just three weeks
in November. The Soraluce will then take around 12 weeks to install, and the
VTL 14 weeks.
“It is a real heavy engineering challenge,” Dawson notes. “But we will be the
only research centre in the world with these capabilities and, from summer
2014, these very large machines will be available to manufacturers for
collaborative projects.”
Robotic machining
offers major cost
savings
Josh Barnfather, a postgraduate researcher at
the Nuclear AMRC, assessed the feasibility
of the concept by reviewing the portable
machining techniques used in other industries and
benchmarking their performance across a range of
measures.
this means a potential saving of almost £280,000.
Machining time is longer, however, due to the lower
metal removal rates of the robotic tools.
“This is a high-level analysis, but we are looking
at more detailed studies on specific features to
realise the conceptual benefits,” notes Barnfather.
“It’s unlikely that robotics could completely replace
machine tools because of the tolerances demanded
by many components, but it does show the great
potential for process-to-part machining to improve
supplier competitiveness in the nuclear industry.”
He also used virtual reality simulations to investigate
how robotic machine tools could be deployed in a
factory. Their performance was compared with that
of conventional machine tools, based on data from
the Nuclear AMRC workshop.
• For more information, contact Josh Barnfather:
j.barnfather@namrc.co.uk
Barnfather’s analysis showed that the cost of
machining could be reduced by up to 88 per cent
for a representative vessel, thanks largely to the
lower cost of the robotic tools. For a typical vessel
requiring around 1700 hours of feature machining,
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Triple Bar sets new
skills standard
Manufacturers can offer their staff a new introduction to the nuclear sector,
developed in collaboration with industry experts and leading suppliers.
The Triple Bar Nuclear Manufacturing is a short course developed by the
National Skills Academy Nuclear Manufacturing, a collaboration between the
National Skills Academy for Nuclear, Semta and the Nuclear AMRC.
but customised for manufacturers. For example, the Existing Sites course focuses
on what people need to know to have unescorted access to current nuclear
sites, which is less relevant for people working in a manufacturing environment.
The new Manufacturing course instead highlights nuclear quality and assurance
issues, while embedding knowledge about the nuclear industry and its required
behaviours into the manufacturing supply chain.
It is based on the established Triple Bar Existing Sites course, but tailored to the
specific needs of the civil nuclear manufacturing supply chain.
“Nuclear quality and safety are absolutely fundamental to the manufacture of
components,” Valentine notes.
“It’s aimed at people without a nuclear background,” explains Annette Valentine,
Nuclear AMRC training and skills development manager. “It’s a good way
for companies to help people get to a certain level of awareness of nuclear
manufacturing, from which they can develop more specialised skills.”
The course has been developed in collaboration with established nuclear
manufacturers, including Rolls-Royce and NES Ltd. Training will be delivered
by members of NSA Nuclear’s high quality provider network, including the
AMRC Training Centre.
The Triple Bar Nuclear Manufacturing has three modules – nuclear awareness,
behaviours and quality assurance – which are based on the established courses
• For more information, contact Dawn Vinall at NSA Nuclear Manufacturing:
d.vinall@nuclear.nsacademy.co.uk
AMRC Training Centre
welcomes first intake
AMRC expands
into castings
technology
Nuclear AMRC partners can now access
state-of-the-art castings expertise, as Castings
Technology International (CTI) joins the
University of Sheffield AMRC.
AMRC acquired CTI’s buildings and assets,
including ongoing research work, commercial
contracts and consultancy, in August. The
acquisition allows the AMRC’s world-leading
research centres to offer state-of-the-art
castings technologies to their industrial
partners, adding breadth and depth to the
group’s collaborative research capabilities.
Faces of the future: new apprentices at the AMRC Training Centre come from a wide range of companies
The new AMRC Training Centre has welcomed its
first class of 150 advanced apprentices.
The apprentices come from a wide range of
manufacturers with operations in the Sheffield
city region, including Nuclear AMRC members
Tata Steel, Rolls-Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters,
Newburgh Engineering and Nikken, and from the
AMRC group itself.
CTI is a world-leading provider of technology,
expertise and services to the cast metals
sector, providing a wide range of contract
R&D services to manufacturers around
the world.
Aged from 16 up, the apprentices will spend a year
learning fundamental skills at the Training Centre
before completing their apprenticeships at their
employers.
• www.castingsdev.com
Their first term will be spent in training workshops
on the AMRC campus. The Training Centre’s
Nuclear AMRC news Q4 2013
8
dedicated building, a 5,500 sq m building located
alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Park, will
open its doors in the new year.
The AMRC Training Centre, supported by the
Regional Growth Fund and European Regional
Development Fund, provides training in the
practical and academic skills that manufacturing
companies need to compete globally. As well
as apprenticeships, it links with both Sheffield
universities for higher-level education up to
doctorate and MBA level, and offers a range of
courses for continuing professional development.
• To find out more about the AMRC Training
Centre, go to: www.amrctraining.co.uk
Main image: Nuclear AMRC NC programmer Mathew Challinor and
Bloodhound’s Mark Elvin examine the completed rear sub-frame
Right: Bloodhound gang: Nuclear AMRC machining team with
Bloodhound engineers
Nuclear AMRC completes
Bloodhound machining
The Nuclear AMRC’s machining experts have
handed over their finished Bloodhound components
to the team building the world’s first 1000mph car.
for the centre’s capabilities. The project also aims to
enthuse a new generation about the excitement of
engineering, a goal it shares with the AMRC group.
The Nuclear AMRC produced seven large
components for Bloodhound’s rear sub-frame,
the assembly that holds the car’s rocket engine in
place and provides vital stability. Each part had to
be machined from a solid block of aerospace-grade
aluminium, to precise specifications, with no room
for mistakes.
“It’s an inspirational project – as the tagline says, it’s
an engineering adventure – and being associated
with that helps us inspire the next generation of
engineers,” Dawson notes.
The team spent around a year making the seven
components, slotting the work in between
commercial and research projects on some of the
Nuclear AMRC’s most powerful machining centres.
The components were assembled for the first time in
October. The assembly is now being integrated into
the car at Bloodhound’s technical centre in Bristol.
“The work for Bloodhound has many of the key
features of nuclear manufacturing, in terms of
low-quantity, right-first-time machining,” says Stuart
Dawson, head of machining at the Nuclear AMRC.
“We used all the same manufacturing principles
of de-risking the process, offline toolpath collision
checking and simulation, and using low risk machining
cycles. This wasn’t about maximising productivity, it
was about not scrapping the part and making sure it
was absolutely correct first time.”
The Bloodhound car will carry the Nuclear AMRC’s
logo as it attempts to set new land speed records in
South Africa in 2015-16, providing a global showcase
“The HEC performed faultlessly,” says production
engineer Andrew Wright, who led the machining of
the side walls. “We needed a large machine which
was able to machine the face in a single setting.
The indexing table allowed us to reach all the areas
we had to machine holes in, without having to reset
the part – we could just rotate the table to reach
those faces.”
The rear assembly includes the most complex and
high-value machined part on the entire car, the
diffuser floor, which will sit beneath Bloodhound’s
hybrid rocket engine and provide the downward
force to keep the car on the ground as it reaches
1000mph. Producing the floor, which features
a complex lattice structure on one side and
aerodynamically sculpted reverse, took 192 hours
of machining on the Nuclear AMRC’s Hermle C60
five-axis mill-turn centre.
Wright used software from Nuclear AMRC member
Edgecam to produce the side walls. “The accuracy
of Edgecam’s toolpaths was vital in allowing us to
achieve the extremely tight tolerances required,”
he says. “The main concern when I started
programming was that the part would distort
and we’d struggle to maintain wall thicknesses.
Fortunately, Edgecam’s roughing strategy and profiling
cycles provided the solution.”
The AMRC group continues to produce vital
components for the car. The AMRC with Boeing is
currently producing the front suspension housing on
its new Scharmann Ecospeed, a high-performance
machining centre which is optimised for large
aerospace-style structural parts.
“We couldn’t have made life harder for Nuclear
AMRC – one billet for each highly complex
component and the team delivered them all right first
time and to the most exacting standard,” says Conor
La Grue of Bloodhound. “The Nuclear AMRC team
have worked closely with the Bloodhound team to
manufacture an assembly that represents one tenth
of the car, and taking delivery has been a huge step
towards getting the car rolled out.”
• To see video of the diffuser floor machining, go to:
namrc.co.uk/nuclear/bloodhound-diffuser
• For more information about Bloodhound SSC, visit:
www.bloodhoundssc.com
The final parts to be completed were the two
structural side walls – 1.6 by 1 metre panels which
were among the first finished components to be
produced on the Nuclear AMRC’s new Starrag
HEC1800 horizontal boring centre.
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namrc.co.uk
SMEs see how to
make it smarter
Over 40 delegates from smaller manufacturing
companies spent a day at the Nuclear AMRC,
discovering how the technologies being developed
at the centre can help their businesses become
more competitive.
The Make it Smarter day in late September was
aimed at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from
the Yorkshire region which have not previously
worked with the University of Sheffield AMRC.
The Nuclear AMRC, like the other centres in the
AMRC cluster, is part-funded by the European
Regional Development Fund, and is committed to
working with local SMEs to increase the wealth of its
home region.
AMRC researchers and partners demonstrated
the state of the art in machining, tooling, welding,
robotics, metrology and virtual reality, and showed
how companies can gain real business benefits
by deploying these technologies in their own
production.
For many, the scale and sophistication of the
Nuclear AMRC’s facilities proved an eye-opener.
“It was like walking into a dream – I’ve never walked
into a shop and seen an eight metre Mori Seiki and
all these other machines,” says Ben Goodwin of
BRG Developments, a small precision machining
contractor based near York. “It was almost
overwhelming and there was a lot to absorb all day,
but I learned a lot, particularly from Sandvik’s tooling
presentation.”
Soon after his visit,
Goodwin received a
new machining enquiry
and immediately
Big resources for smaller businesses: delegates learn
contacted AMRC
about electron beam welding at the Nuclear AMRC
business specialists
about how he could
approach the work in a
smarter way. “I realised that the Nuclear AMRC is a
Mike Tynan, chief executive of the Nuclear AMRC,
resource we can work with,” he says.
introduced the opportunities for manufacturers of
investment in new nuclear power stations, in the
As well as practical demonstrations, the day
UK and worldwide. The UK government wants the
included presentations from senior AMRC directors
developers of new reactors to place at least 60 per
on the challenges and opportunities facing UK
cent of their value with domestic suppliers.
manufacturers.
“That is challenging for the UK supply chain,”
Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean of the
Tynan noted. “It’s been 20 years since we’ve built
University of Sheffield AMRC, discussed how the
a reactor here.” But the UK is fast developing its
UK can increase manufacturing’s share of GDP from
capabilities, with the Nuclear AMRC at its centre.
the current 12 per cent to a target 25 per cent.
“The market that we operate in is a global
“The only way to do that over the next 20 years
market,” he said. “It’s often easy to forget that the
is to make it smarter,” he said. “If you can reduce
opportunity for us is worldwide. You need to start
machining time by a factor of five, the Far East can’t
to think what that means for the UK.”
compete with us.”
• To find out more about how SMEs can work
Early machining projects at the original AMRC with
with AMRC, contact Shirley Harrison:
Boeing cut machining time by between five and 40
s.harrison@amrc.co.uk
times, Ridgway noted. “From a machining point of
view, we’re very competitive because we can make
it smarter. We need competitiveness, and you get
that competitiveness through the technology.”
Innovation support for offshore wind
The Nuclear AMRC is supporting process innovation in the offshore wind
industry through a new government-backed programme.
There are currently over 40 offshore wind projects proposed around the UK’s
shores, with total investment estimated at up to £100 billion.
Grow:OffshoreWind offers a range of technical, market and funding support
to manufacturers which can produce parts for offshore wind turbines
and supporting infrastructure. The programme is led by Grant Thornton
with support from the Manufacturing Advisory Service, industry group
RenewableUK and the University of Sheffield AMRC, and funding from the
Regional Growth Fund.
Companies looking to expand their manufacturing capabilities for this
market can receive up to 50 per cent funding for process technology
innovation projects. Qualifying projects can access the large-scale technology
demonstration facilities at the Nuclear AMRC, as well as the facilities of the
other centres in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
Nuclear AMRC news Q4 2013
10
• www.growoffshorewind.com
IFA forges ahead with new
nuclear division
Sheffield-based Independent Forgings & Alloys (IFA) is launching a dedicated
nuclear products division to provide value-added components to the civil and
marine sectors.
The firm has provided open-die forgings to the UK nuclear industry since the
1950s, and has been closely tracking nuclear projects over the past three years,
says chief executive Andy McGuinness.
“Following the recent UK government announcement to kickstart the new build
programme at Hinkley Point C, we have already seen positive market interest
and fresh enquiries from suppliers in UK and Europe who recognise our forging
capabilities for the nuclear sector,” McGuinness notes.
The firm is now investing around £1.3 million to expand its production
capabilities to meet the anticipated demand for specialist forgings for nuclear
projects.
“We have three new forge furnaces going in, which will be able to handle larger
diameter and longer components,” says Martin Burnham, director at IFA. “We’re
also looking at expanding our CNC capabilities, so that we can go further up the
supply chain than ever before. We want to go to the next stage so there’s more
added value.”
IFA has supplied ring, bar and flat forgings for the nuclear sector since the
early days of the Magnox programme. These have previously been machined
by other contractors to create components such as reactor nozzles, heat
exchangers, and bodies and components for pumps and valves. The new
IFA Nuclear Products Division will seek to carry out more of the machining
work in-house.
Equipment manufacturers in the civil nuclear industry are looking to streamline
their supply chains, notes Simon Muter, business development manager, who
is leading the new nuclear division alongside Burnham. The team also includes
sales manager Simon Walker and accounts manager Tony Savile.
Nuclear ambition: IFA’s Simon Walker, Martin
Burnham, Andy McGuinness and Simon Muter
“The people who make reactor parts, pumps or valves or heat exchangers are
looking at component suppliers to provide more added value in machined parts
or in sub-assembly of component parts,” Muter says. “We’re in a good position
to offer higher value forgings with machined features, but we recognise that we
need to allocate bespoke resources to succeed in the nuclear sector. There’s a
high burden on quality assurance and process controls, which means we have to
dedicate resources to do that effectively.”
Forgings are vital for many high integrity nuclear applications, as they offer
superior material properties to castings or machined bar stock. IFA can produce
forgings up to eight tonnes in weight in a range of nuclear grade alloys, and has
an array of nuclear industry approvals and qualifications. In late 2012, IFA was
one of 25 UK manufacturers to sign memoranda of understanding with Areva to
supply products and services for the proposed reactors at Hinkley Point C.
IFA was one of the first manufacturers to join the Nuclear AMRC as a Tier Two
member, and among the first to complete the Fit For Nuclear assessment.
The new division will be working with the Nuclear AMRC to develop its
machining techniques, Burnham notes.
• www.independentforgings.com
Mazak and BOC
join Nuclear AMRC
Machine tool group Yamazaki Mazak and industrial
gas supplier BOC are the latest companies to join
the Nuclear AMRC.
Mazak is taking Tier One membership, giving
it a seat on the Nuclear AMRC’s board. The
company will work alongside the centre’s machining
experts and partner companies to develop new
machining processes to produce large and complex
components for the power generation and oil and
gas sectors.
“Our membership of the Nuclear AMRC offers
us the opportunity to make a real contribution to
helping UK manufacturers solve the machining
problems associated with the power generation
sector,” says Alan Mucklow, group product manager
Europe at Yamazaki Mazak. “Typically, the sector is
machining large complex parts, many of which are
not ideally suited to traditional machining methods.
“Modern machining technology, such as the Orbitec
20, enables a much safer and more efficient
process. We look forward to working closely with
the Nuclear AMRC and the power generation
sector to help solve the manufacturing challenges
the sector faces.”
BOC is joining as a Tier Two member. Part of the
Linde Group, BOC is the UK’s leading supplier of
industrial gases and related engineering services.
It is an established supplier to the nuclear industry,
working with all the UK’s existing fleet as well as
decommissioning sites.
BOC will provide the Nuclear AMRC with speciality
gases and technical expertise to support work in
areas such as welding, hot isostatic pressing (hipping)
and cryogenic machining.
•Mazak: www.mazak.eu
As part of its membership, Mazak is providing an
Orbitec machine plus training and support to the
Nuclear AMRC (see p6).
•BOC: www.boconline.co.uk
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namrc.co.uk
Work with us
The Nuclear AMRC is here to support manufacturing companies, from global giants to
SMEs, which are seriously interested in winning business in the nuclear sector. If we can help
your company, we want to hear from you.
Our R&D capabilities, training courses and
quality support programmes are open to all UK
manufacturers.
We can collaborate on specific R&D projects,
using our expertise and facilities to help resolve
your manufacturing problems and give you real
competitive advantage. Your company invests
directly in the research and has exclusive access to
any resulting intellectual property. We can also join
or lead externally-funded collaborative research
projects.
Full membership of the Nuclear AMRC gives access
to our generic projects and the opportunity to
determine our research and support programmes.
We are led by our member companies on a
consortium basis: our members decide what we do,
what our core research projects will be, and what
skills and quality support we provide.
We offer two tiers of membership, based on the
size and market position of your company. Our
members include manufacturers from along the
supply chain, plus specialist equipment and service
providers.
To find out more about how we can help your
business, contact Martin Ride:
martin.ride@namrc.co.uk
Supported by:
Technology Strategy Board
Driving Innovation
Tier 1 members:
Contact us:
Tier 2 members:
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 9900
Email: enquiries@namrc.co.uk
Online: namrc.co.uk
Twitter: @NuclearAMRC
Nuclear AMRC
The University of Sheffield,
Advanced Manufacturing Park, Brunel Way,
Rotherham S60 5WG
Manufacturing Technology Research
Laboratory
The University of Manchester,
Sackville Street, Manchester M13 9PL
Nuclear AMRC news Q4 2013
12