ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTRE (AMRC)
The AMRC have grown to become a world leader in manufacturing excellence, part of the national High Value Manufacturing Catapult network of research centres. With a network of 70 universities and more than 1,000 companies of all sizes, from fledgling start-ups to the biggest names in manufacturing.
They work with companies of all sizes — including SMEs, start-ups, and large-scale manufacturers — to help them improve their productivity and save time, money and energy.
They have more than 500 highly qualified researchers and engineers working on the manufacturing needs of the future, from composites to castings, additive manufacturing to machining.
Crucially, they also understand the challenges of a day-to-day production line.
We take our research and use it to develop bespoke improvements for each company, based on budget and requirements. We de-risk innovation so you don’t have to.
What the AMRC does
Aerospace
They have conducted research and development in the aerospace sector for more than 20 years. Working with businesses of all sizes, they turn the latest ideas and technology into real commercial applications.
From improving current processes to preparing for the future of flying, they’re dedicated to making the UK aerospace industry more competitive, more efficient, and more sustainable.
Working closely with the biggest names in aerospace — as well as smaller companies throughout the supply chain — to introduce new technologies, materials, and processes, and improve existing ones.
Their work is practical, not abstract. By using the same industrial-scale facilities as a real aerospace production line, they take the risk out of innovation — proving that new solutions work offline before being integrated into your business.
Also tackling the biggest challenges facing the wider aerospace sector. They conduct research in everything from composites and light weighting to future propulsion. Working alongside the University of Sheffield’s Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre, they’re at the heart of the drive to reduce harmful emissions in aerospace.
The aerospace sector also faces challenges in recruiting and retaining the best people. They provide digital training methods that keep your processes consistent, and they train both new apprentices and existing workers every year.
Automotive
At the AMRC, they’re developing better, cheaper, quicker, and more sustainable ways of manufacturing. They want to use this know-how to give our automotive industry the competitive edge it needs — and get more cars and parts manufactured here in the UK.
They have a long track record of delivering high-value manufacturing projects with partners including Rolls-Royce and Boeing. Now they’re working with names like McLaren and Toyota to apply years of expertise and experience to the automotive industry.
From composites and automation to batteries and 5G, they have the technical know-how and proven success rate to make automotive companies fit for the future.
They’re already making the sector more sustainable, with projects on light weighting, electrification and hydrogen storage.
Their breadth of knowledge means they can take a whole system approach to your challenges, from the design of your factory to every stage of your products’ life cycle.
Construction
At the AMRC they have a track record of helping the construction sector reduce their costs, increase their sustainability, and boost their productivity.
As part of the University of Sheffield, they can tap into the latest thinking from world-leading civil and structural engineering research. They then use their manufacturing know-how to turn it into practical applications for industry.
They work with companies of all sizes. If you’re a large company in the foundation industries, they can reduce your carbon footprint. If you’re a young start-up making hydrogen electrolysers or solar panels, they can research the supply chain to ensure you’re able to meet future demand.
By working with the AMRC, you can benefit from the University of Sheffield’s cutting-edge research in sustainable materials, energy efficiency, and circular economy principles.
They can find innovative ways to enable the scale-up of retrofitting building stock. They can help automate off-site manufacturing, using the latest robot technology to create brick facades. They can research new methods of manufacture, such as additive manufacturing for components, which means buildings can be disassembled and reused at the end of their life.
Food and Drink
They work with companies of all sizes to share knowledge and increase productivity. Taking ideas from years of research and development in advanced manufacturing, they can suggest new ways of working that you may not have thought about before.
They will come to look around your business, talk to you about your challenges, and propose low-cost solutions to increase your productivity and reduce waste. As a non-profit organisation, there's no selling — just honest, expert advice and practical help.
From installing sensors to monitor energy use to introducing robotics on production lines, every year they help food and drink companies become more profitable and sustainable.
They also work with inventors, helping get a new product from an initial idea to large-scale manufacture.
Space
The government’s National Space Strategy outlines a bold ambition for the UK to be a leader in the space sector. They’re supporting startups, SMEs, and major manufacturers to develop the cutting-edge technology we need to fulfil this ambition.
Whether it’s using giant mirrors in space to beam 24/7 solar energy back to Earth or coming up with ways to manufacture huge satellite parts while in orbit, they’re working on some of the most mind-blowing engineering projects on the planet — and off it. It’s where science fiction becomes reality.
The space sector in the UK is an emerging one, worth £5.8bn in export, and directly employing 45,000 people. The key to growing this further will be advances in automated manufacturing and innovation in both products and services.
Their wide-ranging capabilities can help with the full spectrum of advanced manufacturing, from concept all the way through the supply chain.
They are working on futuristic projects with the Space Generation Advisory Council and the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Your business can tap into our powerful research in this area.
Medical Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (MAMRC)
Work with MAMRC and you’ll have access to years of industry experience, the latest academic research, and links with clinical partners. They can take innovations from one area, such as light weighting in aerospace, and use them in what you do — bringing the latest advances in manufacturing to the world of healthcare.
Their machining team is improving the mass production of hip replacements, while composites experts can apply lightweight materials for use in medical applications. Their design and prototyping group have ISO13485 accreditation up to prototype level — an internationally recognised standard for medical products.
They’re using digital simulations to determine how best to lay out new hospitals, considering the flow of people, complex equipment, and logistics. They’re creating fully immersive virtual reality operating theatres to allow surgeons to collaborate remotely.
They’re implementing telehealth applications and robotics to triage military casualties, making healthcare more accessible and bringing it to hard-to-reach locations. And they’re working with charities to explore how using wearable technology to reduce the need to travel to hospitals can reduce regional health inequalities.
Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC)
The University of Sheffield Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, helps UK companies win work in nuclear.
They operate across nuclear new build, operations, decommissioning and technology development, and in other high-value low-carbon manufacturing industries. Their facilities and services are open to all.
They are led by our industrial members, but companies don’t have to be members to take advantage of their capabilities and expertise. Their manufacturing innovation capabilities and supply chain development services are open to all UK manufacturers, from specialist SMEs to top-tier OEMs.
Their engineers and sector specialists work with companies to develop innovative techniques and optimised processes for large-scale high-precision manufacturing. You can use our state-of-the-art workshops to develop and test new processes on production-scale machines, without losing capacity in your own factory. You can commission commercial research to address your specific needs or join collaborative R&D projects with external funding.
They also provide a range of supply chain development support to help manufacturers enter the nuclear market and compete worldwide. Their flagship Fit For Nuclear programme is a unique diagnostic tool which lets you measure your operations against industry requirements, with continuing support to help you close any gaps.
The Nuclear AMRC is backed by industry leaders and government and owned by the University of Sheffield. Our research factory at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire forms part of a world-leading innovation cluster alongside the University of Sheffield AMRC, AMRC Training Centre and a host of high-value manufacturing companies.
Their facilities also include the new Nuclear AMRC Midlands in Derby, and their modular manufacturing R&D centre at Birchwood Park, Warrington.
They are part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a national network of seven specialist industry-focused research centres. Established and supported by Innovate UK, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult bridges the gap between business and academia, helping to turn great ideas into commercial realities by providing access to otherwise out-of-reach world-class R&D facilities. Being part of the HVM Catapult allows them to tap into this network on your behalf – if a particular technology falls outside their areas of expertise, they can call on their Catapult sister centres for the support you need.