INDUSTRY HAS NO CHOICE: WE MUST INNOVATE TO SAVE THE PLANET
An overview of Cranfield University’s five manufacturing centres, which have solutions to help industry achieve this
Professor Mark Jolly, Professor and Director of Manufacturing, Cranfield University
The imperative to act on climate change and to reduce our impact on the environment has never been greater. Not only do we have a moral duty but as manufacturers our consumers and customers demand it.
Increasingly through innovative technologies and novel practices, we are seeing not just the environmental benefits of a transition to a circular economy but the economic and commercial benefits as well.
By backing innovation we no longer need to see a compromise between being ‘more environmentally-friendly’ and the quality of products and business growth. In this year’s UK Manufacturing Review, you will see how Cranfield is working alongside our industry partners to be at the forefront of this transition to a more sustainable industrial output.
Whether that is through new materials and composites, reducing the amount used in production or identifying ways to keep product in service for longer, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.
As we look to the year ahead, a year that the UK hosts COP 26 in Glasgow, my hope is that the sector continues to back innovation and seek out new sustainable ways to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution. At Cranfield, you can be sure that we will continue to play our part working with our partners to deliver the cleaner, greener economy that will safeguard the future environment.
WELDING AND LASER PROCESSING CENTRE
Reducing long lead times for forgings and the massive waste from machining big metal components metal are driving additive manufacturing research at this world-class centre
ENHANCED COMPOSITES CENTRE
Innovations in composite materials and structures are essential for the zero carbon economy
SURFACE ENGINEERING AND PRECISION INSTITUTE
An internationally recognised centre of excellence in thin film deposition techniques, precision device manufacturing and in-situ process metrology in ultra-precision machines
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS CENTRE
Focused on the energy e_ciency of industrial systems, and digitally simulating manufacturing systems to find more e_cient ways of manufacturing
THROUGH_LIFE ENGINEERING SERVICES INSTITUTE
Through-life Engineering Services focuses on finding ways to manufacture products with the highest levels of reliability and lowest levels of cost over their entire life cycle.