Formaplex’s new Research & Development Centre has been officially opened by Professor Gordon Murray CBE.
Invited customers from across the automotive, motorsport, aerospace and defence sectors came together to see the new facilities and to champagne toast the opening.
Ian Wilson, the founding director of Formaplex and managing director of its Specialist Engineering Division (SED), talked passionately about the company’s humble beginnings in June 2001, when two ambitious individuals with two CNC machines had a vision to supply the best patterns in the shortest time possible to the motorsport community. Since then, the company has grown to over 730 employees across four sites.
“People asked us how we could turn around work so quickly. We simply worked 20-hour days and made it happen. We were worried about how we would fill a 3,500ft2 unit. Now we have over 300,000ft2. We have grown this quickly because I seem unable to say ‘no’ and like a challenge, plus I have very talented employees around me to deliver them!”
The main event was the official opening by Professor Murray CBE. He began by explaining how he has worked with Formaplex on many programmes over the years.
“Formaplex is an absolutely classic example of what the UK is good at. When you work with Formaplex, it’s much more of a technical partnership rather than a normal supplier relationship.”
He then went on to announce that Formaplex would be the composite chassis and body technical partner on his new T.50 supercar. Conceived as the spiritual successor to the Murray-devised McLaren F1, the T.50 will be the purest, lightest, most driver-focused supercar ever built.
“This is a game changing moment for us,” said Wilson. “Over the past six years, we have been committed to building a composites manufacturing capability that provides exceptional local support to our UK customer base in high-end automotive, aerospace and defence. Our can-do approach, openness and commitment to our customers has brought us to this point. This opens up so many more opportunities for Formaplex in the composites industry.”
Matt Sellens, sales director at SED added: “We have seen a conscious change in our customer base to re-shore production sourcing back to the UK. This speaks of the quality and capability that we have in the UK composites industry and how reactive and responsive Formaplex is to our customers’ needs. Our ability to develop new automated high-volume manufacturing processes only reinforces this position and strengthens our range of product and process offerings.”
Cars from past and present projects were on display including the Singer Dynamics and Lightweighting Study (DLS), Nissan Bladeglider provided by Williams Advanced Engineering, Force India F1 car and GMD iStream Superlight chassis and iSeat demonstrators.
Guests were taken on a tour of the Formaplex SED Campus. The site encompasses high quality epoxy pattern machining through to composite mould tool lamination, jig and fixture manufacture, component manufacture, machining and specialist painting and lacquering creating a dedicated full-service supply for composite part manufacture. The showpieces of the R&D Centre include a 600 tonne Hare press and a brand new Stratasys F900 3D printer.
Guests were shown the automated process of pressing lightweight composite iSeat bases in under 5 minutes. This was the culmination of an Innovate UK project undertaken in partnership with Gordon Murray Design (GMD) – the Manufacturability of Advanced Passenger Seats (MAPS.) The finished trimmed seat was on display demonstrating a sub 12kg fully-functional composite automotive seat. The press also produces Liquid Compression Moulded (LCM) roof panels utilising ELG recycled carbon fibre, as well as SMC components.
