The University of Sheffield (www.sheffield.ac.uk) has launched a new research hub that aims to put UK manufacturing at the forefront of the electrification revolution in the aerospace, energy, high-value automotive and premium consumer sectors.

The £28 million Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Future Electrical Machines Manufacturing Hub is the first of its kind to bring together leading research expertise in electrical machines and manufacturing.

Researchers will work closely with industry to address key manufacturing challenges in the production of high-integrity and high-value electrical machines.

The initial research plans cover a number of topics, including: the use of the latest manufacturing processes to enable the lightweighting of electrical machines; understanding and demonstrating how digital tools can support skill-intensive manual manufacturing tasks; and exploring how robotic systems can be applied to tasks such as the winding of coils in electrical machines.

Hub director Geraint Jewell said: “The hub will not only address the key manufacturing challenges mentioned but also assist UK manufacturing to capture significant value in the supply chain, improve productivity and deliver the cleaner growth at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy.”

The £28 million investment is underpinned by a £10 million award from the EPSRC and funding from industrial partners including Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Siemens Gamesa, GKN Aerospace, McLaren and Dyson.

The team, led by the University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Engineering and AMRC, will work with academics at Newcastle University and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre.