How can the UK maintain leadership in Aerospace manufacturing?

Raytheon UK Industry Debate and Parliamentary Reception

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3 Introduction

4 Peter Felstead

6 Raytheon UK report

8 Emma Reynolds MP

9 Dods research

11 Steve Baker MP

12 Dods research

14 Mark Tami MP

Cranfield University

Contents

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On 3rd December 2012, Raytheon UK, supported by Airbus UK and the Royal

Aeronautical Society, hosted policy and industry experts from across the Aerospace sector at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers to discuss how the UK can maintain its position as a global leader in Aerospace manufacturing.

This report not only contains research and case studies drawn from the panel discussions on the day, but also a series of exclusive articles from parliamentarians who offer their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for the UK in the race for excellence.

During the day, delegates heard how with

a culture of innovation, a vibrant research and development base and an influx of new recruits, who are inspired and enthused by the opportunities in Aerospace, the UK can continue to lead.

Writing in this report, Emma Reynolds MP and Steve Baker MP set out their views on encouraging children to aspire to a career in aerospace engineering and retaining this talent within the sector, while Mark Tami MP argues the case for greater investment in manufacturing technologies to ensure the UK’s future global position.

We hope that you find the research and opinion informative.

Introduction

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Despite a challenging global picture the UK retains its position of ‘true excellence’ in the aerospace industry. And whilst government-industry partnerships are to be commended, the potential of military aerospace is being overlooked, reports Peter Felstead

On 16 October 1908, when Samuel Cody took off at Farnborough for

the first powered flight in the UK, the seeds were sown for a British aerospace industry that by the time of the jet age was leading the world.

Nostalgia, however, can be a misleading sentiment. From the post-Second World War glory years onwards, many an aviation enthusiast would point only to indications of decline. From the controversial cancellation in 1965 of the TSR.2 – a potentially world-beating strike aircraft – to more recent low points, such as the retirement of Concorde in 2003, the decommissioning of the Harrier jump jet fleet in 2010 and the scrapping of the Nimrod MRA.4 maritime patrol aircraft that same year – the latter before the type had even entered service – our proud aviation heritage may have appeared to some have lost its place in the world.

The reality is that today we live in a very different world to when Britain had its ‘empire of the clouds’ and that, although we have seen the last of some iconic aircraft, the UK retains a true excellence in aerospace in niche yet crucial areas. While the globalisation of the aerospace industry now means that few whole aircraft are actually assembled in the UK, this country remains a world leader in the design and manufacture of wings, engines and advanced aircraft systems.

Race for aerospace

“the UK retains a true excellence in aerospace in niche yet crucial areas”

Sowing the seeds of success: pioneer of manned flight, Samuel F Cody, seated in British Army Aeroplane No.1 during testing

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The UK aerospace industry, in fact, remains the largest aerospace sector in Europe. It directly employs 105,000 people and in 2011 had a turnover of £24.2bn – 75% of which was exported – and new orders worth £28.3bn.

Global competition, however, is intense. Recognising that UK aerospace could not sit on its laurels, government and industry have combined over the last year to launch the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) and its Reach for the Skies initiative, the key purpose of which is to retain – and even build upon – the UK’s 17% share of the global aerospace market.

Under the aegis of the AGP, much has already been achieved through the pooling of government and industry funding, including: a £100m investment in a UK Aerodynamics Centre to provide focus for technical excellence; the funding of 500 masters-level degree places in aerospace engineering to head off any future shortage of home-grown aerospace engineers; an £80m investment into a series of new projects exploring low-emissions engine technology; and another £15m investment into 11 major business-led aerospace R&D projects.

As government-industry partnerships go, the AGP has much to be commended. It promises to be a truly symbiotic relationship that, according to

the launch document, “brings together industry and government working together in a deep and joint dialogue to secure the future for UK aerospace. This is not about the government seeking to impose a strategy on the sector; its goal is instead to work closely with business to understand the opportunities, threats and barriers to growth that exist, and to identify where government has a legitimate role in helping to create long-term sustainable value for the industry

and the wider UK economy.”Yet while the AGP says it will

also “consider” dual-use technology, its focus is very much on civil – as opposed to military – aerospace initiatives. It is probably fair to say that, wherever issues of national security are raised, the potential to become tied down in bureaucratic knots increases exponentially. Add to that the contraction of Europe’s defence budgets and it is easy to see why an initiative such as the AGP is best left to focus on the civil side of things if meaningful results are to be achieved. It is worth mentioning, however, that

the UK also still retains an excellence in military aerospace and that those ‘whole aircraft’ that are still produced in the UK – the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Lynx Wildcat helicopter spring to mind – are predominantly military platforms.

Investing in future world-beating military aerospace technology is difficult: it’s expensive and these days will probably require multinational co-operation to be affordable in the first place. Military programmes also take a very long time to come to fruition; hardly vote winners, they’re a long game with strategic considerations at stake way beyond the commercial ones. And yet, just like the civil sector, investment in military aerospace can deliver growth, market share and jobs, although market sectors such as unmanned combat air vehicle technology requirement R&D investment today if they are to pay out in decades to come.

And so, while government and industry should both be congratulated on their progress so far with the Aerospace Growth Plan, it’s worth remembering that first flight at Farnborough that started it all and, more crucially, the name of the aircraft that made it: British Army Aeroplane No 1.

Peter Felstead is Editor of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly

“As government-industry partnerships go, the AGP has much to be commended”

Computer image of an Ultra-High Capacity airliner designed by Cranfield University students: facing fierce global competition, the UK aerospace industry cannot sit on its laurels

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One of the key stated aims of the UK Government is to rebalance the

economy away from financial services and to drive growth through exports. While Aerospace business is deemed as being essential to this, there has been a significant decline in the UK’s industrial capability in recent years in aerospace and also in defence. With this in mind, how can the UK maintain leadership in Aerospace manufacturing?

This challenging question was poised in an industry panel debate and Q&A session hosted by Raytheon UK at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London on 3 December 2012.

Chaired by Emma Reynolds, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East and Chair of the recently re-established All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Aerospace, Raytheon’s 75 invited guests heard the views of a panel of speakers selected from Parliament and well respected organisations in the aerospace

manufacturing sector that included: Bob Delorge, Chief Executive, Raytheon UK; Simon Luxmoore, Chief Executive, Royal Aeronautical Society; Tom Williams CBE, Executive Vice President Programmes, Airbus UK; Howard Wheeldon, former Director of Policy and Public Affairs, ADS; and Conservative MP for Wycombe Steve Baker, who is also the Vice Chair of the APPG.

In the present business climate of declining government defence spending and rising global competition, the debate enabled Raytheon to raise the profile of issues in the UK aerospace arena and discuss the challenges facing UK manufacturing in the current marketplace with industry colleagues.

Technology Transfer & Diversification Bob Delorge kicked off the discussion by explaining how Raytheon UK benefits from technology transfer and diversifica-tion through its US parent and leverag-ing existing regional infrastructure. He also pressed the importance of appren-ticeships, STEM and Raytheon’s educa-tional partnerships with universities in the areas of advanced electronics, cyber security and defence intelligence.

“Aerospace in my view is the zenith of advanced manufacturing: sustaining highly-skilled engineers, generating economic value from international trade and flowing out cutting-edge technologies to other industries,” said Bob Delorge, who also touched upon government policy, skills shortage and skills maintenance, new investment into the UK and innovation.

No Right of LeadershipThe debate encompassed all the key ele-

ments required to support the UK’s goal to remain a globally competitive player in aerospace manufacturing. However, Simon Luxmoore, Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, cautioned that “a world-leading aviation industry has to be earned, by being not only world class, but by differentiation and by investing in partnerships.”

Luxmoore said: “This is a global marketplace in which we operate and, whilst recognising the exceptional capabilities of UK companies today, there is no ‘right of leadership’; the ability to be world class will determine the future positioning of the UK in global aerospace manufacturing.”

Skills and TalentThe requirement for skills in the aero-space sector in the coming years, and existing shortfall to those requirements, was acknowledged by both politicians and industrialists alike. Each welcomed the many initiatives that are being pur-sued by both camps to encourage indi-viduals, particularly the young, to follow a career in the aerospace industry.

Luxmoore described the extensive collaborative work that the Royal Aeronautical Society is doing with its student junior members and with universities, and was confident this would reap benefits: “The material talent is out there,” said Luxmoore. “[In 2009] we had 3,000 student members, today we have 6,000. Three years ago, we had 220 students attend our careers fair, in 2012 we had 840... there are young people who are hugely attracted to our industry.”

However, “we must have people with appropriate skills,” warned Steve Baker MP, “we must nurture and

Flight planSpecial Report from Raytheon UK: How can the UK maintain leadership in aerospace manufacturing?

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CASESTUDYA new UK-leading silicon carbide manufacturing ‘foundry’ was opened by Raytheon in Glenrothes in January – the first of its kind in the UK.The facility is the culmination of several years’ research into advanced manufacturing processes and materials science that will now deliver major benefits to new international markets. The application of silicon carbide in electronic systems will place the UK in a leading position to develop next-generation, high-efficiency, smaller, low-weight power conversion products used in harsh environments across the automotive, aerospace, geothermal explorations, oil and gas, and clean energy sectors.

As well as employing industry-leading engineers and scientists, Raytheon has made substantial commitments to develop new engineering talent to maintain its technological edge in high temperature silicon carbide – supporting PhD students and undergraduates, and giving apprentices the opportunity to develop their careers.“This places the company at the start of a journey to exploit new global markets for this cost-efficient material, which is estimated to bring significant new business to Raytheon in Scotland in the coming years,” said Bob Delorge, chief executive of Raytheon UK.Raytheon’s ability to process silicon

carbide utilises high-temperature annealing and high-temperature/high-voltage ion implantation. The components provide unique properties in electronics: silicon carbide has the ability to operate at higher voltages and greater temperatures than pure silicon, and at a third of the weight and volume – improving operational performance and reducing system operating costs. Raytheon is the first company to have successfully tested silicon carbide circuit devices at temperatures up to 400 degrees Celsius.“Growth stems from innovation,” said Delorge, “and our ability to produce new ideas, technologies and manufacturing capabilities.”

Advanced manufacturing: Raytheon’s new silicon carbide manufacturing foundry

encourage them to study those technical subjects.” He added that if that “interest, commitment and passion” is not captured “they’ll go elsewhere”, lured by the higher capital investment and expenditure, and higher salaries to be found in sectors such as Finance and IT.

It was a concern echoed by Tom Williams, Executive Vice President of Programmes at Airbus, having seen unfilled places on the Airbus apprentice scheme this year due to a number of applicants not achieving the appropriate grades in maths and science, and Airbus refusing to drop its standards.

Government Relations and Capital InvestmentSo what should government do? Baker agreed that government must firstly tackle the skills shortage, although had made some headway in the areas of uni-versities, apprenticeships and schools.

On capital investment, Baker said he was glad that the government is putting money into aerodynamics to help the industry maintain its leadership. He called for greater diplomacy on free-trading and supply chains, not merely in terms of tariffs, but also in terms of government procurement around the world. Britain’s

greatest export, he said, was its rule of law. “I think this is still an excellent place to do business ...and I am still hopeful for the UK aerospace industry, what it means for us and for our futures.”

Howard Wheeldon, the former director of Policy and Public Affairs at ADS, said that while we may be getting many things right, there remain many aspects that require urgent attention. He cited among these, “access to finance for small and mid-cap companies, attitudes towards venture capital, and the current

lamentable government approach towards long-term science and technology investment, plus tax incentives for investment in the supply chain”.

Trust and relationships between government and industry, and sustainability of policy, will be vital to maintaining leadership in aerospace manufacturing, he said, adding, “Britain’s manufacturers are certainly lean and mean, but they cannot afford to sit on their laurels whilst other EU countries are preparing to challenge the lead.”

UK-leading technology: Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, views Raytheon’s new silicon carbide manufacturing foundry after he offically opened it this January

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Young children must be encouraged to aspire to a career in aerospace engineering – or we risk further exacerbating the industry’s growing skills shortage, says Emma Reynolds MP

The UK aerospace industry is hugely successful. It is the largest in Europe

and globally second only to the United States.

It is also an industry which has great potential for further growth. Over 2,600 aerospace companies across the country employ over 100,000 people. With proper investment and governmental focus, the UK can continue to lead the world in the design and production of quicker, more efficient and more environmentally friendly aircraft.

However, there is a key obstacle to the industry’s continued success. At present, there are simply not enough engineers, technicians, skilled workers and young people either in work, training or education to match the growth of the industry. Demand will soon outstrip the long term capability of the industry to research, design and produce the next generation of aerospace products in the UK. Companies in my constituency describe a potential cliff edge occurring in five years’ time.

There are many reasons for these shortages. In recent times, the rapid growth of the financial sector, and the size of the rewards it offers, has attracted engineering graduates into the financial services industry and away from careers in sectors such as aerospace.

Tomorrow’s people

In addition, there remains concern over the number of young people studying STEM subjects at all levels or obtaining the required skills to train with an aerospace company as an apprentice.

The result is that although large aerospace companies can find apprentices, further down the

supply chain, smaller businesses find it increasingly difficult to attract apprentices and sufficient numbers of skilled workers.

It is therefore vital that the Government works with industry to encourage young people to consider a career in engineering, specifically in the aerospace sector, and takes practical steps to achieve this. We must for example, continue to encourage maths and science graduates to go into teaching as a means of spreading interest and enthusiasm for these subjects and examine ways in which vocational post-16 qualifications can prepare young people for careers in engineering.

Aerospace companies, schools and local authorities all have an important role to play in this. A fully integrated approach in which a number of organisations are working together to encourage a greater number of young people to pursue a career in engineering is highly desirable. Members of Parliament can also be key to brokering closer local partnerships.

If together we are able to achieve this then the future of the aerospace industry in the UK will be in safe hands.

“We must continue to encourage maths and science graduates to go into teaching as a means of spreading interest and enthusiasm”

“There are simply not enough skilled workers and young people either in work, training or education to match the growth of the industry”

Emma Reynolds is Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East and Chair of the Aerospace APPG

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A survey carried out last year found that 86 per cent of senior executives

indicated that access to appropriately skilled workers is essential for economic recovery in the UK but more than half said it is difficult to recruit candidates with appropriate skills.1 At the same time further survey results revealed that engineering careers topped the table of jobs employers were having the most difficulty filling.2

Against this backdrop, the challenge of maintaining the UK’s leadership in aerospace manufacturing is clearly impossible without addressing the skills gap. However the panel at the event were unanimously positive that with the right action this would be possible.

There is indeed some cause to be optimistic. Applicants to aerospace engineering courses have increased 77% in the ten years to 2010/11 and those accepted onto first degrees increased 57.7%3. In Engineering and manufacturing technologies apprenticeship starts there were similar improvements with an 86.8% in the nine years to 2010/11.4

ChallengesHowever the panel were concerned that the pace of progress is still not rapid enough. Industry expert, Howard Wheeldon, observed that while accepted applicants reached 2,351 in 2009 this was still 850 places behind France and 1,150 behind Germany.

Again the panel were unanimous that the damage is often done by the time children leave secondary and even primary school. They argued for a focus on inspiring and educating children at a much younger age. This

Reach for the starsSpecial Report: Inspiring the next generation of aerospace engineers

was backed up by Tom Williams who said that Airbus had unused places on their apprenticeship scheme this year due not to a lack of interest but a failure of many to meet their conditional offers. It also resonates with figures that show 90% of those who fail to achieve the SAT target (Level 4) in Mathematics at age 11 will go on to ‘fail’ GCSE.5

Inspiration and EducationPeter Luff MP questioned the panel, focussing the debate on inspiring the next generation of engineers and arguing that primary schools need to do “much, much more” to persuade children that there are exciting opportunities in engineering.

Steve Baker MP agreed, pointing

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References1 newsroom.accenture.com/news/skills-recruitment-

and-retention-challenges-could-threaten-uk-business-growth-accenture-study-finds.htm

2 www.manpowergroup.co.uk/media/65570/ 2012-talentshortagesurveyresults.pdf, p.35

3 Ibid, p.1254 ibid, p.905 http://m.conservatives.com/News/News_

stories/2011/08/~/media/3E5F83EC3FC64C92923CBC7F857AA482.ashx, p.4

6 Ibid, p.82

out that schools are very good at “propagandising” when you look at convincing young people to recycle or reduce carbon emissions so if they can be equally enthusiastic about engineering the results could be significant. He also made one of the more radical suggestions for inspiring young people. Discussing his love for sky diving he struggled to conceive of a more interesting way to view an aircraft than seeing it rise away from you.

Airbus’s Tom Williams also concurred arguing that we need to improve the number of primary school teachers with mathematics qualifications who are comfortable and enthusiastic about the subject and can pass that enthusiasm on to children. Again the figures back this up. It is estimated that up to one in six secondary mathematics teachers have transferred from another subject and 25% of maths teachers have no post A-level qualification in related subjects.6

He also urged companies to send people in to schools to extol the benefits

of engineering careers. In particular he suggested sending young people from graduate schemes as they could be the most inspiring and enthusiastic. Airbus participates in the Ablaze programme which sees Direct Entry Graduates go into primary schools to provide regular literacy and maths support.

Raytheon’s Bob Delorge was equally enthusiastic about engaging further down the educational ladder stating that “at that age you can hook them and you can hook them for life”.

ConclusionsIn concluding discussions, Emma Reynolds MP agreed that businesses could provide a great deal of benefit but struck a note of caution about putting too much emphasis on companies, pointing out that schools must also engage. She told of how her visits to aerospace companies to talk to apprentices had revealed that many had found out about the opportunities through friends and family, not through their schools.

In her experience, companies had been far more enthusiastic about engaging but it was often the schools which were not reciprocating. Research carried out for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills found that many businesses they interviewed had also struggled to engage with schools citing examples of not seeing the relevance of engaging with business or seeming to focusing on areas that related to performance tables such as exam results. She therefore recommended that MPs could act as “honest brokers” in this respect.

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The aerospace industry must offer competitive pay and fulfilling careers in order to attract and retain its workforce – or risk losing out to other professions, warns Steve Baker MP

Absent the fruits of engineering, the sky treats every person equally – it

provides murderous contempt. Yet today, we take for granted fast,

comfortable and safe transport across vast distances at altitudes where the air is too cold and thin even to breathe. No major armed battle can be won without air superiority – a superiority provided using weapons of unprecedented accuracy, flexibility and concentration. We can enjoy air sports characterised by exhilaration or serenity ranging from aerobatics through cross-country gliding and ballooning to skydiving.

All this is possible only thanks to practical, patient and disciplined application of physics by engineers.

Graduate engineers are crucial to engineering innovation. Graduates should be capable of solving complex engineering problems by developing or applying new or existing technologies. They may promote advanced designs and design methods, introduce more consistent and efficient production techniques or implement improved management methods. But, even at this level, few are involved in the most complex technical activity. Graduates must be prepared by their universities to appreciate the crucial practical realities of manufacturing and maintenance engineering.

Too few recognise the ultimate importance of technicians: those who have an intermediate understanding of theory but a highly developed proficiency in particular techniques. Without technicians to set up complex assemblies, precisely mill, turn or grind components and to advise on practical design, all is lost. Quality production

Talent contest

is founded on the capabilities of people who know how to meet precise specifications in practice and who can gently correct the impractical aspirations of their more theoretical colleagues. Technicians will have first-class foundation skills in maths and physics and may be the product of apprenticeships.

Engineering also requires mechanics and people with craft skills: the aircraft can’t fly unless someone does a good job of stitching the soft insulation around the engines. Every factory must correctly label, count and package the products it despatches. It’s time we recognised that not every vital person in the engineering supply and maintenance chains requires

the highest academic qualifications. There are jobs for everyone in this sector.

The education system cannot escape responsibility for producing people with a robust basic understanding of maths and physics. Employers cannot be asked to do the job of schools, which must produce people ready and willing to apply and develop theory in practice. Sixth forms and universities must invigorate young men and women with a sense of the practical worth of engineering to the lives of thousands, perhaps millions of their fellow human beings.

People need the right incentives. I doubled my pay in two years by moving from aerospace to software and doubled it again by taking work in the City.

These price signals matter so the same employers who demand more taxpayer-funded government action must accept responsibility for attracting and retaining talented people through competitive pay.

Employers must also accept responsibility for delivering fulfilling careers. That means developing the potential of good people through new challenges and opportunities, whether by offering work improving production processes or developing the latest air-breathing rocket engines.

The UK is number one in Europe and number two in the world for aerospace. We have 17% of global market share in wings, engines, aircraft systems and structures. The industry directly employs 100,000 people and generates £24.2bn for the economy. All that is at risk if our country fails to supply people with the talent, patience, passion and commitment to excellence which aerospace engineering demands.

The sky gives no one a second chance. Nor will our global competitors. That is the inescapable imperative behind the drive for greater skills which the Government is pursuing so vigorously.

Steve Baker is Conservative MP for Wycombe and a Vice Chair of the Aerospace APPG

“Employers must accept responsibility for attracting and retaining talented people”

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This view and overall optimistic outlook for the sector’s future was

echoed by all participants during the panel discussion, but this perspective was counterbalanced by recognition that the industry needs to remain vigilant against increasing international competition which challenges the UK’s leadership.

The landscape against which UK aerospace sits may well be changing with a decrease in the number of large projects coming on line – beyond Eurofighter, there is not another manned aircraft programme, and there has also been concern in some quarters that the 2012 Defence White Paper may lead to more contracts going overseas.1 To retain the UK’s leadership role, the potential to diversify technology emerged from the discussion as a principal action industry needs to explore, whether through lateral thinking about composites and components or about the vast potential to apply aerospace technologies to other sectors.

“Innovative companies can still make money by getting smart and solving other companies’ problems”, challenged Simon Luxmoore, Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society. There are a number of parallel industries where aerospace technology has great applications. Most SME aviation companies are looking at applications in the UK’s other world-class manufacturing sectors, he added. “Companies need to think laterally”, Luxmore argued. “If you miss out on a programme you can still move the technology in to other sectors such as motorsport or marine.”

Bob Delorge put forward a number of examples where Raytheon is making

Soaring aheadSpecial Report: Exploiting the potential of new technology in aerospace

progress in cross-sector application of technology. The opening of the UK’s first silicon carbide manufacturing facility on 31 January 2013 will place the UK in a leading position to develop next-generation, high efficiency, smaller,

low-weight power conversion products, with applications across diverse sectors, including automotive, aerospace, geothermal explorations, oil and gas, and clean energy.

Making aircraft quieter, greener and the adoption of cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing processes will be primary demands for the next generation of aerospace technologies, all of which will be largely reliant on advances in wing and power plant design, as well as the application of advanced materials, electronics and software. Aerospace is indeed embracing the challenges of rapid technology developments and the UK has a solid foundation to build upon, with great strengths in wing design, engine design and landing gear. Steve Baker MP singled out the sound barrier as a significant challenge, but also an opportunity available to aerospace engineers. He also questioned panellists whether we will ever have a mass-produced aircraft? “Will there be a Model T Ford of aircraft” he posited.

One thing is clear: access to both a highly skilled workforce and a vibrant research and development capability rooted in UK institutions will critically influence the UK’s ability to develop the next generation of aircraft capability. The UK’s strong aerospace foundation is based on the result of significant public and private investment in research and technology. Collaboration between companies and clusters are essential, while creating and consolidating partnerships with universities will also be integral to delivering this vision. Specific initiatives are already yielding results explained Howard Wheeldon, the

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CASESTUDYThe Department of Aerospace Engineering at Cranfield University is internationally recognised for its research and education in aerospace design, aerodynamics and control. It is one of the world’s largest centres of university aerospace design education and research with 20 members of academic staff and more than 250 post-graduate students.The Department’s Rapid Prototyping Laboratory provides an in-house capability for the production of physical prototypes and demonstrators. Facilities include a Dimension 3D printer, 3-axis CNC milling machine and CNC laser cutter, all of which are integrated with industry standard Computer Aided Design (CAD) software CATIA v5. The Rapid Prototyping Laboratory supports a wide range of research and teaching activities in the university, from

the manufacture of moulds and cores for Uninhabited Air Vehicle structures, to the production of wind tunnel models. By providing a prototyping facility on-site we can produce physical models of design concepts early in the design process and rapidly investigate different design options.The Space Research Centre at Cranfield University used the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory to produce a ‘fit and function’ model of their CubeSat satellite, named ΔDsat (www.cranfield.ac.uk/soe/ddsat), that will be launched into space in mid-2015. Cubesats are tiny, low-cost spacecraft which can be launched ‘piggy-back’ on larger spacecraft. In this case the spacecraft will increase the level of understanding of atmospheric drag on spacecraft in low Earth orbits. The satellite design was modelled using 3D CAD and then 3D printed and assembled using

fasteners to check the fit and function of the design.The laboratory also supports Cranfield’s post-graduate teaching by allowing aerospace design students to produce physical prototypes of their design work. Each year, a team of up to 70 students on the Aerospace Vehicle Design MSc work together to design a new aircraft, developing an initial concept through to detailed design. The subject of the 2011-12 design project was an Advanced Blended Wing Body (BWB) Ultra-High Capacity airliner offering potential as a more fuel efficient aircraft for the future. The aircraft, with a maximum capacity of 850 passengers, was modelled in detail using CATIA v5 CAD software [see images on pages 3 and 5] and a scaled model was produced using the CNC machine and 3D printer.

Rapid Prototyping for Aerospace Teaching and Research at Cranfield University

Dr Helen Lockett, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Cranfield University

References1 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-168401702 OECD, Science and Technology Indicators, (July,

2012), www.oecd.org/sti/msti.htm

former Director of Policy, Public Affairs and Media at ADS, giving the example: “The Aerospace, Aviation and Defence Knowledge Transfer Network enables new relationships between business engaged in R&D activities, increases research technologies and facilitates UK aerospace technology strategy.” There was a forceful argument from panellists that, while not overlooked, these partnerships are perhaps presently underexploited – as Tom Williams CBE, Executive Vice President Programmes at Airbus UK pointed out: “We need a broader and more diverse approach through greater cooperation between industries and academia in order to create better opportunities in the international market”. He added that, “we need a clear vision of what the UK is good at and make sure we have the right links with niversities to make that happen”.

Once again, the government’s role in instilling confidence is critical. It is not the only area of policy debate where

industry has called for greater certainty, and it is perhaps unsurprising that a recurring solution voiced by panellists to addressing barriers to growth was for strong partnership working. In aerospace, the imperative to avoid short-termism and provide certainty for UK industry in research spend was clearly

elucidated: much of the new aircraft technology currently in development is based on research started 20 to 30 years ago and within five years it will be too late to ask how we can replace or upgrade existing fleets. Meanwhile, the outspending ratio between the UK and other advanced manufacturing nations is already pronounced and growing further. For every UK Government pound invested in R&D, France is spending 10 euros, while Germany invests around 15 euros.2

The panel nevertheless presented a strong case for the future of the UK aerospace industry: with a culture of innovation, the transfer of technology and a vibrant research and development base rooted in UK institutions, the UK can continue to lead global aerospace manufacturing.

“Aerospace in my view is the zenith of advanced manufacturing: sustaining highly skilled engineers, generating economic value from international trade and flowing out cutting-edge technologies to other industries”Bob Delorge, Chief Executive of Raytheon UK

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Whilst the aerospace industry is a great British success story, more investment is needed in manufacturing technologies to ensure our future global position, says Mark Tami MP

W e can be rightly proud of the British aerospace industry. It is

everything that you could want it to be: high-value, high-tech and high-quality. The UK is 17% of the global market, making us the largest in Europe and globally second only to the USA. It is a great success story.

However we cannot afford to rest on our laurels – many nations would like to break into the global aerospace market and we must do everything we can to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of aerospace design, research and manufacture. The sheer industrial scale and brainpower that go in to producing modern aircraft mean that the major players in this sector need to be truly global in reach and outlook.

Aviation in 21st century means fewer emissions, greater comfort and quicker passenger journey times. By simply maintaining our global market share, it is estimated that the UK could receive a £352bn return between now and 2029. That’s an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.

The High-Value Manufacturing Catapult is a good start. It builds on the progress Labour made in manufacturing. Since 1997, far from slipping back, productivity in UK manufacturing rose by 50 per cent. In high technology manufacturing we are now second only to the US among major economies. And although only 11 per cent of our GDP, manufacturing accounts for almost half of our exports.

That’s why we need to make sure that Catapults work with the market on the application of commercially valuable technology. We have to make sure that public support reduces the risks for

Innovate to generate

businesses in early-stage innovation and our efforts have to be focused in areas where there are opportunities for real growth.

The National Composites Centre in Bristol is a good example of co-ordinated research into an area that holds the key to the future of many UK sectors and their endeavours to reduce CO2 emissions. We’ve seen over the last three years that the research conducted in Filton has helped Airbus use efficient, lightweight materials in the world class products assembled in my constituency, Broughton in North Wales. Six thousand Airbus jobs in my constituency depend on that vision to invest with thousands

more in the supply chain, and with them the long term future of high spec wing making in the UK.

I am glad to see that under the auspices of the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP), industry and Government are taking the first steps towards securing the UK aerospace’s future. The £60m investment towards an Aerodynamics Centre will pull together existing testing facilities into a virtual centre and coordinate Research and Technology (R&T). On the skills front, industry and Government will jointly fund 500 Masters places in Aerospace engineering so that the UK has the right people for the task ahead. Yet,

undeniably there is more that we can do. I would suggest that a world class Aerospace Technology Institute would maintain and indeed improve the UK’s unrivalled knowledge and experience in designing and building aircraft. This is exactly what should be right at the heart of the Chancellor’s priorities for the forthcoming Budget. The Government has a duty to invest in our intellectual capital so that sectors like Aerospace continue to be amongst the very best. The seeds of the technological breakthroughs made in places like Broughton and Filton were sown decades ago. The UK needs effective, co-ordinated investment now to achieve success in the decades to come.

“The High-Value Manufacturing Catapult is a good start”

Mark Tami is Labour MP for Alyn and Deeside

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