BEP Surface Technologies in Radcliffe are to pioneer an innovative, high impact programme designed to upskill its workforce to accelerate the adoption and application of additive manufacturing (AM).

The firm are part of the Fast Track Additive Manufacturing - Upskilling the Workforce programme.

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a transformative approach to industrial production that enables the creation of lighter, stronger parts and systems.

The Radcliffe engineering firm, which manufactures and refurbishes chill rolls using electroplating, precision grinding and surface finishing processes, will embark on a 12-day programme which aims to give participants a solid grounding in all aspects of AM.

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.

The Fast Track Additive Manufacturing programme has been funded by from the £3m Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund, a joint venture between Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership to address the digital skills gaps across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

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.

Ruth Hailwood, Made Smarter’s specialist organisational and workforce development adviser, said: “This pioneering programme is designed to provide businesses with the skills required to understand what AM technology they should invest in, why they should invest, how they design products for AM and operate the machines, and what benefits they can expect once they have successfully adopted AM. Businesses will provide real world examples as training material so that the course will address their specific skills gaps.”

“Working in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University’s PrintCity and Fabricon Design, we have designed a programme which aims to be high impact and flexible to enable additive manufacturing techniques and the associated design and post-processing skills to be implemented relatively quickly to accelerate productivity improvements within existing operations and develop new products and new markets.”

Mark Bushdyhan, Managing Director of Fabricon Design, based in Hyde, said: “Fabricon Design will be providing real world engineering challenges so students can see how we are using additive manufacturing alongside other manufacturing techniques.

“We will be showing students how we use a range of CAD software, additive manufacturing technologies, and worked examples of how Fusion360 optimises design. The students will also spend a day at our manufacturing facility experiencing production from concept, prototype to full scale manufacture.”

For more information visit madesmarter.uk