Established in 1996, Performance Springs is an engineering-driven spring manufacturer, standing for innovation, quality and technical excellence. Specialists in the design, development, manufacture and testing of high duty, high fatigue and precision compression springs, the company is a market leader in the fields of fuel injection, engine valve spring and hydraulics. The award-winning company offers expert advice in order to develop innovative technical solutions to maximise spring performance and avoid the risk of failure. Comprehensive in-house facilities include specialist processes such as shot peening, heat treatment, hot pre-stressing, load testing, fatigue testing and crack testing; as well as a full metallurgical laboratory. The company is accredited to ISO/TS 16949:2002 Automotive Quality Management, ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management & ISO14001 Environmental Quality Management. With exports of over 40% the company continues to expand and is now strongly positioned for organic growth in existing and volume markets to break the mould of an SME supplier to become a World Class Tier 1-2 medium sized enterprise over the next 3-5 years, with a view to becoming a technical leader in its fields.
Project leaders with a main task of development, production and testing of wire and spring end products.
M-CRE was created in 2011 when the Meltech group of companies took full ownership of a joint venture that had been established in 2006. (The wider Meltech Group has over 30 years of experience, specialising in the design and manufacture of winding, coiling as well as extrusion equipment and in-line electric furnaces). M-CRE is the only fully integrated supplier of new and existing CRE machines and complete production lines globally, enabling the production of high quality copper, aluminium and alloy profiles, both solid and hollow for a wide range of applications. M-CRE provides a comprehensive and enduring end-to-end support package, embracing:
Lead in role in work package 1, undertaking the powder handling development and extrusion trials for taking the Ti alloy powder to its first wire format of 5mm, with additional technical assistance for heat treatment and wire drawing.
The University of Sheffield, Department of Materials Science and Engineering is one of the leading materials departments in the UK with a long history in metallurgy and a proven track record in participating in applied research projects in support of UK industry. The department is part of the Faculty of Engineering which is currently ranked 2nd in the UK with research income over £50 million per annum and 1st for industry focussed R&D such as Innovate UK and KTPs. 93% of research in the faculty is ranked over 3* – internationally excellent and 50% ranked over 4* – world leading. The department received around £11.5 million in research grants and contracts; this success in winning grants is further evidence in support of its research excellence to date and future potential. The university has recently been voted in The Times as number 1 in the UK for student experience.
The University of Sheffield will provide technical insight into the required processing windows to convert titanium particulate into wire through continuous rotary extrusion. This will be through finite element modelling and microstructural analysis approach. The University will develop models through an understanding of the underpinning science in order to predict microstructure and thus properties of wire through different CRE process parameters. This will provide the consortium with through process modelling capabilities for such disruptive technology. It will provide die geometry information and stress analysis of key tooling for Meltech. Another major task is the optimisation of the post extrusion wire drawing. Again a combination of FEM and microstructural analysis will be used to ensure that Performance Springs has wire feedstock that can be manufactured into high performance, low cost titanium springs. The University will provide materials characterisation, mechanical testing and FEM support throughout the project for all partners.
Manufacturer of luxury automobiles (original equipment manufacturer) for worldwide markets.
Potential end user of Titanium wire produced by the method developed during the TWISTER project. Wire can be used to manufacture springs for high frequency, high load applications within engines (i.e. valve springs), which will reduce internal friction and therefore CO2.
K-Tech supplies suspension springs for use in road and race motorcycle applications. The company is the UK’s expert in the field of high performance motorcycle suspension. As well as supplying a full range of suspension equipment to national race series in the UK and overseas, we also supply and support World Superbike race series. K-Tech offers a full range of services from a routine front fork or shock absorber service through to a diagnostic investigation. These services are available to both Road and Off-Road customers, offering the same high standard of services tailoring suspension to the customer’s personal needs. All work is carried out in controlled conditions to a standard that has earned a reputation second to none. Either original equipment or top quality replacement parts and components are used to give the customer peace of mind when having work carried out. K-Tech’s workshop is equipped with the latest technical equipment including vacuum filling rigs, two Roehrig Dynamometers capable of diagnostic reports on suspension units, and three spring testers capable of testing and printing out spring force graphs.
K-Tech is a potential end user of Titanium springs for suspension applications for use in road and race motorcycles, where reduction in mass and improvement in ride and hence performance is the primary objective. The company will test and validate parts supplied by the project in road and race motorcycles.
NAA is a wholly independent, not-for-profit organisation providing support for all companies within the automotive sector in the NW of England. As well as business support and provision of funding, it provides development and participation support to TSB consortia, having both project and contract management of large-scale projects through ERDF & AMSCI.
To provide the project management activity for the whole project, ensuring the timely participation of all partners by using their in-house pm tools. Collation and maintenance of the exploitation plan and identification of additional dissemination opportunities through contacts in their normal daily business.