AMTecH

Our expertise in advanced manufacturing technology includes forming, forging, and additive manufacturing to codes and standards and digitalisation.

What is the Frazer-Nash Advanced Manufacturing Technology Hub (AMTecH)?

AMTecH is the gateway to expertise for all advanced manufacturing technology enquiries with access to extensive manufacturing capabilities from forming, forging, and additive manufacturing to codes & standards and digitalisation.

AMTecH will support manufacturing technology research, capability development, and new build projects, from concept to in-service operations, ultimately aiming to reduce the risk of quality and cost issues in production and process and ensure the security of supply.

This service offering is in conjunction with a completely new product introduction process, aligned to industry standard best practices and IAG, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) principles. We also offer supply chain development support to help businesses solve complex operational, productivity and capability issues to ultimately strengthen the position of manufacturers in global competitiveness.

“Recognized as a world-leading, independent design and manufacturing consultancy, providing optimized solutions and contributing to the delivery of clean energy solutions.”

The Frazer-Nash vision

Capability

Additive manufacturing and near-net-shape forming

High-integrity production and customization of large metal components.

Material, chemistry, and surface engineering

Enhanced material characteristics and performance in reactors and other extreme environments.

Controls and instrumentation

Digital sensors, instruments and safety systems for nuclear power plants and other industries.

Automation and digitalisation

Robotics, artificial intelligence, and data-driven manufacturing to improve productivity and develop new capabilities.

Analysis and simulation

High-fidelity data-driven models for processing and materials optimization, plant construction and operations.

Codes and standards

Ensuring innovative manufacturing techniques meet relevant industry standards.

Machining technologies

New and optimized processes for machining complex components.

Joining technologies

Mechanised welding and solid-state bonding methods, including arc, power beam and diffusion bonding techniques.

Explore some of our case studies

Additive Manufacturing

BO Laser Cladding

Layered Armour Limiters

Manufacturing Assessment of Design

Supply Chain Assessment

TRL Assessment

Our AMTecH Brochure

Download our brochure for more information on AMTecH

Meet the core team

Steve Lawler (MSc CEng CPhys FIMechE FInstP )

Steve joined Frazer-Nash in early 2020 and heads-up AMTecH from a business angle. With over 35 years experience in design and manufacturing engineering roles, spanning automotive, aerospace, marine and nuclear energy sectors, Steve is an advocate of true collaboration, bringing only the best organisations together to deliver manufacturing solutions against end-use applications and brings real and tangible value to the UK economy and the wider manufacturing sector.

He is an applied practitioner of advanced manufacturing techniques with expertise including PM-HIP, joining and cladding technologies, materials and fabrication techniques, and has applied a robust Manufacturing Capability Acquisition process to mature these techniques and processes.

Steve a Fellow of the IMechE, a Fellow of the IoP and a chartered engineer and chartered physicist, regularly volunteering his time to support ASME working groups and as a contributor to research boards across a number of RTO organisations.

Ian Bunce (MSc CEng FIMechE AWeldI)

Ian has had a long career in nuclear power, with a deep knowledge of Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) as used for submarine propulsion, which is supplimented with experience in Civil Nuclear (AP1000 and European Pressurised Reactors).

He has also been involved in research and development for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) and fusion. His knowledge and expertise is pivotal to our engagement with fusion developers to understand their technology and advanced manufacturing needs.

Lauren Ednie (BEng (hons) AFHEA)

Lauren is an engineer within Frazer-Nash Consultancy’s Material performance team. She recently finished an industrially sponsored EngD titled “The Effects of Surface Roughness on the Fatigue Performance of Additively Manufactured Aerospace Components”, which involved looking at the effects of surface roughness on the fatigue performance of titanium alloys using a selection of additive manufacturing techniques, including powder bed methods, with both a high-energy laser beam and an electron beam to build test pieces. Lauren has presented her work nationally and internationally, with publications in full refereed journals.  

Lauren recently took on the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Hub (AMTecH) campaign lead role. AMTecH aims to support the United Kingdom and the United States of America’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to meet and deliver any required scope, reduce the risk of quality and cost issues in full production, and ensure the security of supply for the future.

Michael R. Cartwright

Michael is a Senior Consultant for Frazer-Nash Consultancy’s Fusion and SMR interests and will support the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Hub (AMTecH). He has 30 years of industry experience, ten of which were spent in the nuclear sector between Rolls Royce Submarines and the Nuclear AMRC Catapult.

Michael represented the MoD on the UK/US manufacturing knowledge transfer team and held process engineering positions at Toyota Manufacturing UK. He is an apprentice trained engineer and a Royal Navy weapons systems Artificer NCO veteran and has a wealth of experience in applying new product introduction tools and techniques in both high and low volume production environments. His passion lies in providing the best possible value for the customer by challenging the norm and solving problems with manufacturability. His innovative approach to process and product development will help support some of the most complex programmes in the UK’s nuclear sector.

Alex Reeve (MEng, AMIMechE)

Alex is a Senior Engineer within the Advanced System Design team and sits at the core of Frazer-Nash’s AMTecH and fusion ventures. He specialises as a mechanical engineer, focussing on liquid metal systems and the design and manufacture of demonstrators for fusion environments. The liquid metals he has worked with include lead-lithium, lithium, gallium and tin, for which he has investigated existing applications, developing technologies, corrosion effects, activation products, purity control and available equipment and instrumentation. Additionally to fusion and AMTecH, Alex works in a variety of other sectors and his interests also lie in robotics, Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) and systems engineering.

Alex manages UKAEA’s STEP Manufacturing Support Services Framework and deputy manages UKAEA Engineering Design Services Framework for Frazer-Nash Consultancy. He works closely with UKAEA, our Tier 2 suppliers, industry and academia, to deliver innovative projects pivotal to the success of fusion.

Nigel Pready (MEng CEng MIMechE)

Nigel Pready is Group Leader of Frazer-Nash’s Structural Technology group. He is a chartered mechanical engineer with over 20 years’ experience working in design and analysis of structures across a wide range of industries, including nuclear, aerospace and marine. He has worked across the product lifecycle, from research, through design and certification, and supporting in-service systems, within consultancies and an OEM.

Nigel has expertise in structural simulation, including manufacturing process simulation, and has a particular interest in using simulation to assess the impact manufacturing and assembly processes have on the through life performance of structures. He is the Technical Lead for the AMTecH, with a particular focus of bringing the wide range of technical capabilities available within Frazer-Nash to support our offering.

Huw Dawson (MPhys, PhD, CEng, REnvP, MIMMM)

Huw is a Consultant at Frazer-Nash in the Advanced Nuclear Technologies team. He focuses on materials engineering and manufacturing, supporting the Fusion and AMTecH groups.

He has over 10-years’ experience in R&D of structural materials for nuclear energy, many of which were spent working in the fusion industry. Huw has a specialist knowledge in the development of fusion-relevant steel alloys.

Gethin Williams (Meng, hons)

Gethin is a Consultant in our Fusion and SMR interests and supports the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Hub (AMTecH). He brings industry experience of manufacturing in a high-risk and highly regulated environment.

He has held technical, leadership and executive advisory roles in support of the business and delivered across all these roles. Gethin’s passion come from improving effectiveness and efficiency of processes to improve the overall value to the customer.

Leigh Lancaster

Leigh is a Consultant within the Advanced Nuclear Technologies group. He brings a breadth of industry experience in mechanical, design, manufacturing and process engineering gained over a 25-year career within highly regulated environments. Prior to joining Frazer­-Nash, Leigh spent four years with Nuclear AMRC supporting clients with varied complex manufacturing and engineering projects.

He has experience of manufacturability projects specific to decommissioning containers, having been the technical lead on several Sellafield projects (including 3m3, DCC & HISSC). Leigh also spent 17 years in the aerospace sector with responsibility for a diverse range of products and processes as well as integrated project team leadership. During 10 years at Rolls-Royce, he represented the company by leading a major development project between the USA/UK over a 2-year period. He has a wealth of experience in applying new product introduction tools and improvement techniques to achieve quality, cost, and delivery targets.

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