KW Special Projects to open Digital Manufacturing Centre in early 2021

KW Special Projects (KWSP), a UK-based engineering services provider, has announced its plans to open a Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) in Silverstone Park in Q1 2021. The new facility, which will house state-of-the-art additive manufacturing technologies, is aligned with the UK’s Industrial Strategy to focus increasingly on advanced manufacturing.

The soon-to-open DMC will span 2,000 square meters and will house a range of polymer and metal AM systems (as well as auxiliary equipment). Notably, the manufacturing center will be sector agnostic, meaning KWSP will work with customers on a broad range of applications in the automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial and medical industries, among others.

“The DMC is open to any sector that can benefit from high performance additive manufacturing, and we’re on track to make a change in the UK manufacturing industry for the better,” said Kieron Salter, CEO of the Digital Manufacturing Centre and KW Special Projects. “Providing engineering expertise, an agnostic approach to technologies we use focusing on the best application for our clients, as well as a wealth of experience in additive and engineering, I’m excited to start this journey with the DMC team.”

Last year, KWSP received funding worth £3.4 million from the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund to establish the DMC. The facility, which will be located near the Silverstone motor racing circuit—the home of the British Grand Prix—is itself expected to generate economic growth for the region with up to £9 million in gross value added (GVA).

Salter recently hosted a virtual tour of the advanced manufacturing facility, revealing the DMC’s many features, including flexible working and meeting spaces for customers and KWSP’s engineering team, expanded space for AM systems and more. (The specific capacity of the new site in terms of number and type of AM machines has not yet been revealed).

“It’s been a dream come true to finally show the world what the DMC will look like, what technologies we’ll use [metals and polymer additive manufacturing] and where our UK home will be at the heart of the Silverstone Technology Cluster,” said Salter. “Come Q1 2021, the facility will be full with engineers, specialists and machines delivering complex and innovative solutions for the most advanced industrial customers, but the construction phase is critical and one I wanted to show everyone.”