Prodrive wins its largest aerospace contract to-date

Technology consultancy and precision-manufacturing specialist

The order is Prodrive’s biggest aerospace contract to-date, strengthening its position as one of the premier suppliers of composites to sectors where precision and finish are critical. “This is a significant win for the company and confirms the aerospace sector’s growing interest in extending the use of high-quality composites in the interior,” said Ian Handscombe, Prodrive’s composites business manager. “The contract is an interesting transfer of the expertise that has made us one of the leaders in precision composite engineering for the automotive industry and demonstrates the opportunities that are opening for companies with exceptional technical capability combined with the high efficiency levels that allow competitive pricing.” Prodrive’s integrated service includes design and development of the initial tooling through to the fabrication and finishing of each piece using state-of-the-art CNC machines. The company also has the capability to provide design support, using the same engineering team that works with a wide range of customers from Formula 1 to biomedical. “The key requirement for this programme is a very high quality finish,” added Handscombe. “Components that are visible to passengers have a zero-defect allowance. We have strong, long-term relationships with many of Europe’s leading manufacturers of luxury and high-performance cars, which I believe gave our new aerospace customer confidence in our ability to deliver to their demanding standards.” Prodrive has recently doubled the size of its composites design and manufacture facility to meet growing demand and is now one of Europe’s largest specialists in composites engineering. Investment has increased production efficiency making the company more flexible and competitive, particularly for very high quality components with a first-class surface finish. www.prodrive.com