Industry collaborators wanted for large scale Solent composites structures consultation
The NCC, working with the University of Southampton, Solent LEP and partners, has been commissioned by BIS, to establish if there is sufficient industrial demand for a very large composite structures open-access facility. This is an opportunity for businesses to comment on this issue of strategic importance to the UK manufacturing sector.
The centre would focus on the development of design and manufacturing technologies needed to make very large composites structures (50m x 30m x 20m) for use in the oil and gas, construction, rail, energy and marine sectors as well as any aerospace or defence projects.
The recent Stevens’ Report ‘Transforming the Solent’ recognised the potentially transformative power of advanced composite materials for marine and other large applications. The need for support in the large structures market has been highlighted by the Composites Leadership Forum as part of their work to update the 2009 UK Composites Strategy.
Aerospace and automotive are using composite materials
in volume because they are light, durable, multi-functional
and have lower through life costs than the materials they are replacing. Other sectors are increasingly using
composite materials for much the same reasons but there are limited resources in the UK (and internationally) to help industry design, prototype and test very large structures needed to perform in harsh environments and/ or safety-
critical applications. Establishing the industrial demand for a facility to meet these needs is the purpose of
this study.
To comment on the consultation please contact consult@nccuk.com
For more information please visit http://www.nccuk.com
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