Companies across South West England can now benefit from a new service that shows them how to improve their businesses by using composite technologies.

Aimed at companies of all sizes this service will provide direct access to facilities and expertise to help them reduce costs, improve manufacturing efficiency, enhance product quality and gain competitive advantage.

Offering specialist advice from the experts and access to their facilities; the new scheme will include  lab time in The Advanced Composites Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS) based at Bristol University that was opened by Malcolm Wicks , Minister for Science and Innovation, earlier this month (17 April 2007).

The new service offers businesses a two day technical audit undertaken by  specialists in composite technologies, the intent of the audit is to help companies understand composites and also to identify possible opportunities to utilise composites.

A further five day study may be undertaken to explore in more detail the companies composite requirements . Companies are then given access to develop these practices or products in any one of the specialist composite facilities in the South West of England.

Increasingly metallic materials are being replaced by composites as they are three times stronger and four times lighter. If production is to remain in the UK, it is vital that the country’s engineering industry takes on board the growing demand for these materials.

Over £10m has been invested by the South West of England Regional Development Agency to secure composite expertise in the region. This has cemented South West England as a centre of excellence by providing a range of specialist facilities which have now opened their doors to share their expertise.

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