Mitsubishi Materials Corporation becomes Tier 2 AMRC with Boeing member

Mitsubishi attended the 2013 Global Manufacturing Festival, hosted by the AMRC, and attracted attention to their iMX cutters and other aerospace tooling they had on display. Following the initial contact from AMRC, further discussions took place and an understanding of the benefits of membership of the AMRC for both parties was quickly established. Following attendance at the 2013 Global Manufacturing Festival hosted by the AMRC, where interest in its iMX cutters and other aerospace tooling was clear, Adrian Barnacle, advanced materials applications manager for Mitsubishi's group company in the UK, explains: "It was obvious from the outset that we had cutting tool technology that AMRC was interested in, conversely we were also soon convinced of the benefits of membership." Mitsubishi representatives from the parent company in Japan were also quickly involved in the project and have since been to AMRC to sign the Tier 2 membership agreement on behalf of Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Continues Mr Barnacle: "This membership will strengthen our knowledge and add to the capabilities of our cutting tools for machining advanced materials. These benefits will soon be passed on to the aerospace and advanced metalcutting industry in the shape of tools with improved reliability and efficiencies, especially when combined with the latest machining strategies." Dr Sam Turner, head of the Process Technology Group at AMRC, was a key person in the initial meetings and discussions with Mitsubishi. He says: "To meet quality standards at an affordable cost, high performance materials require high performance machining. The AMRC's industrial partners look to the Process Technology Group (PTG) to apply the latest technology and innovative techniques and to produce and integrate machining solutions that deliver significant improvements in quality and cost. We are delighted to have Mitsubishi on board with their expertise and advanced cutting tools to help us achieve these standards." The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide. The AMRC with Boeing identifies, researches and resolves advanced manufacturing problems, with a focus on developing new technologies and processes for machining high performance metal alloys used in aerospace and other industries. Researchers work with individual companies on specific projects, and collaborate on generic projects for the benefit of all members. Over 70 companies have signed up as members of the AMRC with Boeing, which is also the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a consortium of seven manufacturing and process research centres backed by the UK's Technology Strategy Board.