McLaren Automotive has announced the first details of its new Composites Technology Centre close to the campus of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield, and built with support from Sheffield City Council.
The new centre will develop and make the Monocell and Monocage carbon fibre chassis for future models. The next generation Monocell will be built using advanced automated manufacturing techniques developed in conjunction with the AMRC. Construction of the new factory is due to start construction early in 2017 with the first pre-production carbon fibre chassis expected to be delivered in the second half of 2017 using trial manufacturing processes in the AMRC before going into full production by 2020.
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The creation of the new centre is the company’s first purpose-built factory outside of its current campus. Formed through a partnership between McLaren Automotive, the University of Sheffield’s AMRC and Sheffield City Council, the new centre will create more than 200 jobs through a combined investment of nearly GBP50m. The target is that the new centre will deliver cost savings of around GBP10million when compared to costs of today and GBP100m of GVA (gross value added) benefit to the local economy by 2028. Opportunities for expansion thereafter create an ambition of doubling that to GBP200m. The in-sourcing of the manufacture of the carbon fibre chassis also increases the average percentage (by value) of a car sourced in the UK by around 8% from its average of around 50%, depending on model.
AMRC
The AMRC was established in 2001 as a GBP15m collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Boeing with the purpose of using Sheffield’s traditional expertise in materials and machining (the city was known for its steel and cutlery profuction) and applying those skills for future technological development. In 2004, the AMRC moved into the purpose-built Advanced Manufacturing Park in Sheffield and, in 2008, opened the Rolls-Royce plc Factory of the Future. In 2012, the Factory of the Future expanded to include an enlarged Composite Centre.
In 2015, the AMRC’s Factory 2050 was opened as the UK’s first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching between different high-value components and one-off parts. The 7,000 sq m building is home to the ARMCs Integrated Manufacturing Group with open-plan desk space integrated with high-tech assembly and manufacturing.
The McLaren centre will be housed in a 7,000m2 building set over four acres. The 200 new employees will comprise approximately 150 production staff and 50 manufacturing support staff.
Pioneer
For more than 30 years, McLaren has pioneered the use of carbon fibre in vehicle production. The MP4/1 was the first car on the Formula OneTM grid to feature a carbon fibre chassis. Compared to the aluminium structures of the time, carbon fibre was lighter but stronger and therefore faster but safer. By the following season, most competitors had adopted this new material in the construction of their cars, and it continues as the prevalent construction material today. The F1 road car from 1993 was the first to be built with a carbon fibre chassis. This car still holds the world record for the fastest naturally-aspired road car.
Since 1981, McLaren has not built a car without a carbon fibre chassis.
CEO Mike Flewitt said: “Creating a facility where we can manufacture our own carbon fibre chassis structures is therefore a logical next step.
“We evaluated several options to achieve this objective but the opportunity created by the [centre] at the University of Sheffield was compelling. We will have access to some of the world’s finest composites and materials research capabilities, and I look forward to building a world-class facility and talented team.”
