Composite Metal Technologies Plc
Composite Metal Technologies Plc (CMT) is an advanced
materials technology company that produces innovative casting
machinery for the manufacture of Aluminium
Matrix Composites (AMCs) using the Liquid
Pressure Forming (LPF) process in order to provide next generation
engineering solutions. AMCs are a class of Metal
Matrix Composites (MMCs) that offer significant weight and performance
benefits over conventional unreinforced materials, such as steel
and other common alloys. The LPF process
technology was originally developed by the UK’s Ministry of
Defence (MoD) to satisfy their requirements for stronger, lightweight
materials for defence and aerospace applications, and is licensed
to the Company by the UK Government, acting through QinetiQ, the
MoD’s research and development agency.
According to leading authorities in the field of
materials science the LPF process is one of the most efficient and
cost-effective methods of manufacturing AMCs, and represents a significant
technological advance in the commercialisation of these aluminium-based
composites. The LPF process technology involves the liquid metal
infiltration of a porous preform which permits the direct casting
of a final near-net shape AMC component. This is a major advantage
in the fabrication of AMCs because near-net shaping achieves not
only higher productivity, but also offers substantial cost savings
by reducing the amount of secondary processing, such as machining.
After more than 15 years of research on the development
of the LPF process technology and associated manufacturing systems
by British Government agencies and industrial enterprises at a cost
of over £20 million, CMT has designed and built a full-scale
LPF Fast Cycle Machine (MCM Series 2) using its proprietary technological
know-how. The primary objective of the joint venture, which was
supported through the Department of Trade and Industry’s SPUR
programme, was to develop a flexible manufacturing system capable
of reproducibly casting high-quality AMC components to near-net
shape at a fast cycle rate.
The CMT Group is able to offer its customers a
wide range of services from the design, development, prototyping
and testing of AMC components, to the supply of turnkey LPF manufacturing
systems for high volume production. The Group has its corporate
headquarters on the Prisma Business Park in Basingstoke.
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