Prodrive Composites (Milton Keynes, UK), a leading supplier of lightweight composite components, announced a series of facility and equipment upgrades aimed at increasing production capacity.
Prodrive says its facility upgrades include:
Zund (Franklin, Wisconsin, USA) automated prepreg cutters have been installed to support the production of raw materials and the cutting of laminated material kits. Prodrive said that this has doubled the production capacity of the cutting department, improving efficiency and reducing waste by optimizing nesting of the entire roll material. The company plans to implement additional changes to further increase production capacity.
Laminated production space expanded by 50%. This space provides specialized training rooms for apprentices and trainees.
A new autoclave is being procured, which is reported to speed up five additional curing cycles and cure 50 more parts per day. The company estimates that it can now produce 35,000 parts per year.
The company has transformed from manual trimming to 5-axis CNC machine trimming, used to make some large parts and increase the efficiency of batch production. One of the two CNC machines has been relocated to the Milton Keynes plant and implemented a multi-shift system to increase productivity.
It is said that investing in two in-house 3D printers for prototyping can reduce the company's reliance on third-party suppliers and provide greater flexibility for modifications and improvements during the prototyping process.
The plan started in 2018. Upon completion, the company said these facility enhancements will significantly increase productivity and open up capabilities to support large-scale customer programs.
Matt Bradley, Business Development Director, said customers have benefited from their production growth: "By investing in these machines to upgrade and increase our efficiency at our Milton Keynes plant, we can make a faster response and a shorter Lead time. "
In addition, ProDrive said it will also develop other areas involving the application of natural fiber composite parts and the development of carbon fiber recycling.