The three-year deal will lead to further collaboration on research and development between the Inchinnan-based facility and the international metal-forming machine manufacturer.
Lynne O’Hare, commercial team lead at the AFRC said: “The partnership will help us work across borders, pursuing manufacturing research and development opportunities while sharing skills to continue driving forward innovation.”
WF-Maschinenbau will supply an additional flow forming machine to the AFRC which will help further the work the organisation undergoes with metal forming.
The VUD600 vertical flow former is being used to expand the capabilities of the AFRC by developing smaller, more complex and a wider size-range of components. This machine can produce an extensive variety of parts for many different sectors including automotive, aerospace and oil and gas.
The tier two membership will also enable WF to send engineers to Scotland to conduct cutting-edge research, while the AFRC will have access to WF’s site in Sendenhorst, Germany to carry out tests on parts which it is unable to complete in Scotland.
Heiko Ohlscher, general manager of WF-Maschinenbau said: “Together, we are able to extend the development of flow-forming technologies making it available for a broad range of applications in industry.”
The AFRC also recently secured Mitsubishi Materials Group as a tier two member.It will act as a test facility for the development of new products and manufacturing processes, which will be used to produce metal components for use in a range of industries – including oil and gas, aerospace and automotive.
