Upskilling workers with pioneering additive manufacturing programme

The flexible, modular training will run from November to February 2021 and is designed to fit around work schedules.

The blended learning approach will include online workshops and in-person site visits to Fabricon Design’s facility in Ashton-under-Lyne and STFC Daresbury.  There are also onsite sessions at PrintCity, a 3D additive and digital manufacturing hub at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Workshops include: rapid prototyping, parametric modelling, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), AM polymer and part consolidation, generative design. There will be software tutorials in CAD CAM, Fusion 360, Eiger, Cura and PreForm, and an exploration of career opportunities and the future of AM.

Companies participating in the programme have upskilling needs, either due to having installed AM recently in their organisation or to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits before making an investment decision. They include: Fabricon Design (Ashton-under-Lyne), Rotite Technologies (Old Trafford), Visual Architects (Hyde), MSM aerospace fabricators (Middleton), Arden Dies (Stockport), RPS precision engineering (Whitworth), Electro-Mechanical Installations (Stockport), Embossing Rollers (Heywood), M&I Materials (Stretford), Rawwater Engineering Company (Manchester), Bounce Cycles (Chorley) and BEP Surface Technologies (Radcliffe).

MSM aerospace fabricators is an advanced engineering company based in Middleton which develops and manufactures complex parts and assemblies for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

Michael Pedley, Managing Director, said: "MSM has been purchasing additive manufacturing services for a number of years and sees Fast Track as an opportunity to bring that expertise in-house.

"We have identified a need to use AM technology for production templates, laser tooling and checking gauges for inspecting components, and plan to invest in a 3D printer.

"This will be a great opportunity to develop the design and engineering skills associated with additive manufacturing, which can be shared across the company."

The programme supports the need for relevant and easily digestible training for upskilling and reskilling SMEs, one of the key recommendations of the Made Smarter Review, the independent review of industrial digitalisation.