Unipart Manufacturing Group, MetLase and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) beat a host of high profile organisations to secure the ‘Technology Innovation’ title at the Cotswold Life Engineering Manufacturing Innovation (EMI) Awards.
The award-winning innovation was based on a new manufacturing process that has been specifically developed to provide a lightweight exhaust system for a luxury car manufacturer that is half the weight of traditional alternatives.
This is a high accolade recognising the successful partnership between Unipart and Coventry University, which opened the UK’s first ‘Faculty on the Factory Floor’ two years ago. The project also combined the skills of MetLase, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Unipart which launched last year, and the exhaust manufacturing skills of Unipart Powertrain Applications.
Not only did this award winning manufacturing process innovate and reduce the weight of an exhaust system it has also led to a business win for Unipart where the process will actually be used in production in Coventry.
Carol Burke, Managing Director of Unipart Manufacturing Group said: “We’re delighted to win this award as it is a fantastic example of how collaboration can be used to help the UK commercialise new technology that adds economic value and creates jobs.”
By working with the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, Unipart Manufacturing Group has increased their high precision manufacturing capabilities and helped bridge the skills gap by giving graduates exposure to the latest robotic technology, metrology equipment and CNC tube bending machinery.
This comes after Unipart Manufacturing Group was recently awarded a contract to provide fuel rails to China which further benefited from this unique partnership with the AME. By working together and improving the design they were able to remove around 15% of the cost from the original design of the fuel rail while maintaining the highest standards of performance and quality.