Group Rhodes, the West Yorkshire-based manufacturer of heavy industrial presses and forming equipment, has announced a £400,000 investment in new plant and facilities, strengthening its capability to design, manufacture and deliver large-scale press projects for customers around the world.
The investment, which consists of new assembly pits and material handling equipment forms part of Group Rhodes' ongoing commitment to its international customer base and enhances the company's ability to handle large and complex projects with greater precision, capacity and efficiency. The upgrade builds on Group Rhodes' long-standing, worldwide reputation for engineering excellence, reinforcing the credibility of its plant and giving the business the scale to take on increasingly ambitious contracts across the aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing and general engineering sectors.
Mark Ridgway OBE, DL - CEO and chairman of Group Rhodes, said: "This investment is a clear statement of confidence in our people, our capabilities and the future of manufacturing here in the UK. By investing in our facilities, we’re not only improving the quality and consistency of what we produce, but we're also positioning ourselves to take on larger and more complex projects particularly in the fields of superplastic forming/diffusion bonding and polymer die pressing. It’s an exciting step forward for the business."
Group Rhodes has built its reputation over many years as a trusted manufacturer and supplier of heavy press equipment, working with some of the world's leading manufacturers. This latest investment underlines the company's ambition to remain at the forefront of large press manufacture, both in the UK and on a global basis. They have a 200-year history in metalforming machinery and has also manufactured equipment for the forming of composites since the 1930s. All Group Rhodes’ machinery is supported by a comprehensive aftermarket spares and service team which maintains the company’s equipment throughout the world.
Rhodes Interform, incorporating John Shaw and Chester Hydraulics and backed by recently registered patents, has been at the forefront of Superplastic Forming (SPF) and Diffusion Bonding (DB) press technology, development and innovation for over 50 years, helping shape the industry we see today. It is the only UK company, and one of only a few organisations worldwide, capable of developing commercially available automatic SPF/DB presses. In addition, the group operates divisions in the heavy ceramics and material handling sectors and has won Queen’s Awards for both Innovation and International Trade in recent years.