Group Rhodes, a manufacturer of hot and cold forming machinery for metals and composites, showcased its aerospace capabilities at the Advanced Engineering exhibition in Birmingham earlier this month, highlighting how its Rhodes Interform division helps manufacturers produce lighter, stronger and more complex components.
The UK-based company presented its patented superplastic forming and diffusion bonding (SPF/DB) technology alongside bespoke press solutions for composite and metal forming.
Weight reduction is a key priority for aerospace manufacturers seeking to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and increase payload. Rhodes Interform designs, builds and commissions specialist forming equipment for producing lightweight structures from advanced composites, titanium and aluminium alloys, meeting the demanding tolerances of flight-critical components.
Mark Ridgway OBE, CEO of Group Rhodes, says: “Aerospace is under constant pressure to take weight and cost out of every structure, and that’s where our forming technology can really make the difference.”
Recent projects include a multi-million-pound contract to design and manufacture three bespoke hydraulic presses for forming advanced composite components used in lightweight aircraft structures. All three machines were engineered, built and commissioned by the company’s Wakefield team.
Rhodes Interform’s portfolio ranges from heated platen presses for thermoset and thermoplastic composites to high-tonnage hydraulic metal-forming presses, with options including automation, robotic handling and turnkey integration.
The company’s SPF/DB technology combines the forming and molecular bonding of titanium and aluminium alloy sheets in a single high-temperature process. Eliminating rivets, fasteners, adhesives and welds reduces component numbers, assembly costs and weight while producing strong, integrated structures.
Involved in SPF/DB since its commercialisation in the mid-1970s, Group Rhodes is now one of only a handful of companies worldwide supplying these presses. Its latest patented innovation improves forming accuracy, reduces scrap and increases productivity.
More information www.rhodesinterform.co.uk
