The AMRC operates from two purpose-built, factory-scale research facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire.
Our landmark Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future building is a 4600 sq m facility including workshop, laboratory, office and conference space. The building was opened in 2008.
The open-plan workshop is focused on machining research, housing an array of state-of-the-art machining centres, robotic cells, and other manufacturing equipment – see the research group pages for more detail. The workshop is designed to allow member companies to trial new technologies and processes before introducing them to their own factories.
The Factory of the Future also includes the AMRC microscopy and metrology laboratories, a virtual reality room, and training facilities for our apprentices.
The Factory of the Future was designed by Bond Bryan Architects to high BREEAM environmental quality standards. The building is designed to make maximum use of natural lighting, heating and ventilation, and features significant renewable energy capabilities including ground source heat pumps and wind turbines.
Construction is now underway on a 1,800 sq m extension to the Factory of the Future, to house our expanded Composite Centre. The new Composite Centre will include a general workshop and a controlled environment including high-spec clean rooms. Production facilities will include a range of large autoclaves and ovens, and a series of robots to support the centre’s research into automating the production of complex composites components.
The original AMRC building opened in 2004 as the anchor tenant of the Advanced Manufacturing Park. It provides 1,800 sq m of workshop space plus offices and meeting rooms.
The original facility currently houses our Composite Centre and Advanced Structural Testing Centre (ASTC). When the Composite Centre moves into its new home, the building will provide a dedicated home for the ASTC.