Boosting productivity in UK machining
Subtractive manufacturing is critical to UK industry – after all, every manufactured product relies on a machining operation, either directly or indirectly. But the industry faces many challenges.
Energy costs continue to spiral. An ageing workforce is causing a skills gap. New materials and products provide unique challenges for existing processes. And manufacturers are trying to be more productive while reacting to a market that demands instant agility.
At the AMRC, we have the experience, equipment capability and knowledge to find solutions to all of these problems. Our experts help businesses of all sizes increase productivity, shorten cycle times, enhance quality, reduce costs and get ready for the future.
Unlock efficiency gains for your business
We specialise in data-driven process development and monitoring to improve your production efficiency, minimise your carbon footprint and maximise your CNC machining performance.
- Proven manufacturing expertise: We have over 25 years of working with the biggest names in manufacturing, and a network of technology partners across the world.
- The right solution for you: We'll find the right level of process and technology intervention for your operations, making your business more agile and productive.
- Building long-term resilience: We guide your project from initial optimisation through to factory floor implementation, and give you the knowledge to embed best practice into your business for the future.
Key capabilities
We offer access to the UK’s largest open-access footprint of production-scale subtractive equipment, helping you de-risk capital expenditure.
From rigid 5-axis CNC cells and multi-ton vertical turn-mills to specialised composite routers, robotic drilling and hybrid additive-subtractive platforms, our world-class infrastructure handles components ranging from microns to metres across the aerospace, defence and nuclear sectors.
We bridge the gap between your physical operations and the digital smart factory using Industry 4.0 connectivity and 5G infrastructure. We combine high-frequency spindle dynamometers, predictive digital twins and virtual machining simulations to eliminate chatter and distortion. We can also help validate your processes using on-machine probing, 3D optical scanning, off line metrology and expansive surface integrity analyses.
Our experts solve systemic engineering bottlenecks by researching how to optimise hard-to-cut materials and advancing critical technologies from fundamental materials engineering directly into validated, high-productivity industrial applications – bringing the latest scientific discoveries straight to the shop floor.
We help you anchor your manufacturing operations in clean practices aligned with net zero targets. Alongside best practise in conventional metal working fluids, we specialise in alternative cooling infrastructures, including through-spindle supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) cryogenic machining and precision minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) setups. These disruptive technologies eliminate conventional flood coolants, drastically reducing carbon footprints, fluid waste and energy consumption.
We accelerate technology adoption across the entire supply chain through flexible funding models tailored for both global primes and fast-growing businesses. Our support ranges from ‘Walk the Line’ efficiency audits and benchmarking services to comprehensive process engineering. We deliver fully validated, ready-to-run turnkey solutions up to manufacturing readiness level (MRL) six.
Make machining work for your business
We’re the biggest machining research group in the UK, with 25 years' experience and production-scale facilities, making us the perfect place to de-risk changes to your machining processes.
Our people range from research and innovation academics to industry professionals with years of technical experience. We work across the machining supply chain — from tooling manufacturers to software providers — bringing expertise together to solve both immediate production challenges and long-term industry drivers.
Whatever your machining process requirement, we have the right knowledge and facilities to help. We’ll help you optimise how you remove material, using different processes and technology solutions, and ensure you meet your commercial targets, net-zero mandates and strict quality compliance standards through implementation support.
We create new ways of doing things, spotting gaps in capability, devising bespoke solutions and adopting industry ready solutions. Our industry experience means we understand the pinch points in your sector and your specific processes.
We provide machining expertise across the manufacturing supply chain, with a strong focus on aerospace, defence and nuclear sectors, alongside fast-growing startups, scaleups and SMEs.
Whether you're exploring virtual machining, implementing zero-defect manufacturing, adopting digital passports or working with superalloys or composite materials, we’ll pull together all of our capabilities to find what works for you.
Find out what we can do for you
Speak to our experts about using subtractive manufacturing to improve your processes.