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Sustainable automotive technology
Friday, 23, October, 2015
The Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) is a methodology for the assessment of the environmental and economical impact of products, usually considering their whole life cycle: production, use phase and end of life. The analysis is conducted taking into account technical boundaries (technical feasibility).
The LCE is structured by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), devoted to the respectively of the environmental impact assessment and the economical impact assessment.
Even if for some people this will look quite strange, the Motorsport sector is one of the most advanced sector in the sustainability and environmental awareness. This is why the continue research of performance and efficiency in engineering terms means continuous looking for fuel consumption reduction and use of advanced and often precious and expensive materials that should be 100% recycled or reused at the end of life. A proof of that is the fact the winning cars in the Le Mans Series, probably the best bench for innovation, are the most advanced hybrid cars even conceived and made on the Earth. Same is the F1.
In D4S Motorsport we are deeply convinced about the strategic advantage we are giving to our products through specific sustainability methodologies and analysis. We have experience on sustainability analysis since 1995.
We would spend a couple of words concerning the capability to conduct a serious LC analysis. One of the key phase to carry out a correct LC analysis is the “interpretation of the results”, where the industrial experience and technical background of the engineers are still playing the main role. Without the correct sensitivity that only trained personnel from well established industries, that grew their experience in years of tests and experiments, success and failures, it is not possible to carry out a sustainability analysis in the most effective and serious way. So even if you have the best software available in the market, but you don’t know deeply the process you are analyzing, it is quite hard you will get serious results. It is exactly the same situation of having a state of the art FEM software and trying to design a racecar or an airplane without having ever done it before. The result will have high probability to be a disaster.
This is why we consider LCA and LCC analysis a serious matter and we are constantly improving our experiences and skills with a daily comparison between numerical and experimental results.
TRAM 2014 worldwide conference at IMTS Chicago
Wednesday, 10, September, 2014
Dr. Nickolas Ridgway and Dr. Eng. Sergio Durante participated at the International Conference TRAM (Trend in Advanced Machining, Manufacturing and Materials) in Chicago at the IMTS 2014, the famous Machine Tool and Robotic fear in USA.
They presented a new approach on the manufacturing of high quality components for motorsport and aeronautic sector, based on a life cycle approach. This permits to achieve better, faster and less pollutant components with respect to the previous technologies.
Some of the technologies and results were developed and tested in the European Funded Project REFORM, dealing with advanced composites materials.
HRH The Duke of York opens the Factory of the Future
Wednesday, 9, September, 2009
The Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) joined guests from the top flight of the world´s aerospace companies and suppliers last week (9 October 2008) to open the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre´s (AMRC) £15 million state-of the-art Factory of the Future.
A collaborative partnership, the Factory applies scientific theory, environmentally sustainable solutions and manufacturing principles to solve advanced manufacturing problems for the aerospace industry.
As part of his visit, The Duke of York was given a tour of the Factory where he learnt about measurement systems and robotics, metal injection moulding, advanced machining and shaped metal deposition. He was also given the opportunity to meet apprentices who work at the AMRC.
As part of his visit, The Duke of York was given a tour of the Factory where he learnt about measurement systems and robotics, metal injection moulding, advanced machining and shaped metal deposition. He was also given the opportunity to meet apprentices who work at the AMRC.
The Duke was also given a 3D experience in the Factory´s Virtual Reality Suite, which allows complicated engineering solutions to be tested and practised in a virtual way.
Keith Ridgway, Research Director at the AMRC, said: “We are extremely privileged to have had HRH The Duke of York open our new facility, it was real honour.
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Prince Andrew (first at right) meets a group of young technician at AMRC, with Sergio Durante (center) Executive Vice President at DIAD , Hamid Mughal (right), Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Engineering at Rolls-Royce, Adrian Allen (right) Financial Director at AMRC
Our approach has always been to work very closely with the real manufacturing needs of our partners. In addition to the existing capabilities of the AMRC, the machine tools in the Factory of the Future will be arranged in production cells enabling companies to trial new processes before embedding them in their own production facilities. This gives manufacturers the information they need to implement change quickly, with a minimum disruption to production, and provides techniques that enable them to stay ahead of the competition.
“The carbon-neutral building with its distinctive wind turbines stands on the former Orgreave Colliery site, once famous as the scene of confrontation between the miners and police. Today it is truly regenerated as an international exemplar of sustainable manufacturing and progressive research-led industry which seeks greener, more efficient ways of working.”
During his visit, HRH The Duke of York said: “What an absolutely amazing place. I have had somewhat of a connection with the AMRC over the last few years and I am really really pleased to be able to come back and to open what I can only describe as a brilliant facility.
“I would like to say thank you to the AMRC and to Boeing and Rolls-Royce for what they are doing because its through this facility and others like it that we can continue to grow in the manufacturing field and make things better, make things more technological and stay competitive with other parts of the world.”
Sergio Durante, Executive Vice President at D4S Motorsport and member of the Boad at AMRC, said “It was a great experience and honour to meet Prince Andrew, HRH The Duke of York, and see how deeply He was able to motivate the young technicians in continuing the path to become qualified engineers in the futuristic structure of AMRC”
Hamid Mughal, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Engineering at Rolls-Royce, said: “The continuous development and application of advanced manufacturing technologies is a critical enabler for Rolls-Royce to meet increasingly demanding product and business objectives. We believe the new Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future provides an ideal environment for the rapid development and exploitation of technology to meet these challenges.”
Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, agrees. He said: “The AMRC epitomises Boeing’s approach to growth in the UK that adds value and builds competitiveness in the long term. With the opening of the new factory and as a long standing UK research partner for Boeing, the AMRC is also helping us to deliver sustainable aviation growth and environmentally progressive manufacturing. Boeing is now seeking to actively pursue opportunities to replicate the success of the AMRC around the globe.”