The British research consortium Castings Technology International announced a five-year development program recently, aiming to deliver market-focused R&D and advanced casting manufacturing processes for new product development and “business incubation” efforts. CTI recently broke ground for a new research center in Sheffiled, England, and expects to occupy the facility by December.
The 51,000-ft2 space will consist of workshops with new equipment for vacuum melting and refining of titanium, zirconium, specialty steels, and nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys. It will have meltinf furnaces for magnesium, aluminum, copper, iron, and steel. And, it will offer rapid prototyping and fast manufacturing technologies for complex castings from sand, ceramic, and plaster molds. A high-speed, five-axis machining center will aid in production of sand molds and cores.
The new operation will be home to 40 design engineers and metallurgists, who work with castings customers to optimize component geometry, cast material specifications, and manufacturing methods.
CTI. was formed in 1996 by merging SCRATA and BCIRA, and provides R&D and technical services for casting producers and users worldwide. Areas of expertise include casting design, materials selection, specifications, manufacturing, quality control, inspection and testing, and component performance.