The Government’s announcement last year to invest £30m in a national network of four cutting-edge DER Centres (Driving the Electric Revolution) led by Newcastle University is exciting progress in the research and development of electric products used in the Automotive, Aerospace and Marine sectors. The centres are based in the Universities of Newcastle, Warwick, Strathclyde and Swansea and will facilitate research to pave the way for a reduction in carbon and ultimately contribute to the Government’s carbon neutral target of 2050.
The DER Centres will provide open access facilities with more than £300m of state-of-the-art equipment to escalate the UK’s supply chain development in Power Electronics Motors and Drives (PEMD) technologies. The DER project brings together the UK’s leading technology and manufacturing expertise in electrification research and development to help businesses across numerous sectors, including automotive, energy, construction, marine and aerospace, to invest and work together to capitalise on the UK’s strengths in PEMD technology.
Automotive manufacturers continue to research improvements in electric motors to replace diesel and petrol engines. The same can be said for Aerospace manufacturers as they develop electric motors and fuel cell technology to replace gas turbine engines in aircraft, all with the aim of moving away from fossil fuel. The DER centres will provide applications for product development, digital manufacturing and advanced assembly techniques that many manufacturers would not have on-site. The manufacturers can access the state-of the-art equipment to drive world-leading improvements in the testing and manufacturing of electric motors, batteries and drives and electrification technology. The result – the development of new electrical products with improved performance, higher power density and increased efficiency are being designed by researchers and industry to address the need for lower carbon emissions with the new innovations overcoming many manufacturing challenges.
Commitment from major Blue-Chip Companies
Rolls-Royce announced recently (16th June) an investment of £80m in the development of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) by 2030. The ESS solution will enable aircraft to undertake zero emissions flights of over 100 miles on a single charge. Rolls-Royce launched its pathway to achieve net zero by 2050. The pathway includes the development of new technologies, which is expected to accelerate the take-up of sustainable fuels and drive efficiency.
The same week, automotive giant, Jaguar Land Rover announced the development of a prototype hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) based on the new Land Rover Defender. FCEVs will generate electricity from hydrogen to power an electric motor and are complimentary to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) to achieve net zero vehicle emissions.
How Mechtech Automation Group assist in the research and development of electrification technologies
Mechtech Automation Group delivers integrated smart factory automation solutions that can support electrification programmes. Our bespoke solutions can provide the equipment and systems needed to test new generation electric motors and batteries. We can also support the electric programming of the motor. Mechtech Automation Group is proud to be an ambassador of electrification and the electrification revolution.
Established for over 30 years’, Mechtech Automation Group, incorporating Mechatronic, Robopod and MAGserv, is a trusted supplier of innovative, integrated automation solutions to many sectors, including – Medical Device, Industrial, Automotive, Aerospace, Marine and Plastics. By solving manufacturing challenges through our engineering excellence, we help our customers achieve their manufacturing and operational targets resulting in cost and time efficiencies.
Working collaboratively with our customers we develop and manufacture automated solutions that provide economy, speed and quality to any manufacturing production environment. Our bespoke and standard automated solutions are supported by MAGserve which offers upfront, intermediate and post -machine services that can be supplied individually or as part of a turnkey solution, depending on requirements. These include robotic cells, automated logistics using AMRs, smart flexible manufacturing, automated assembly lines, process automation and automated testing.
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