Group Rhodes, a manufacturer of metal and composite forming machinery, demonstrated
one of its metal-forming presses within the MMMA Metal Working Village at MACH 2024 in
Birmingham last week. The Rhodes Interform product on display was designed and
manufactured in-house at the company’s Wakefield factory as part of a full turnkey solution
to produce a bespoke twin-press facility for forging forklift truck components. The entire
project, which consists of two Rhodes Interform multi-axis presses, a complete robotic
handling line and an integrated conveying system, is capable of processing the largest forks
at a rate of one every 70 seconds.
At the exhibition, Group Rhodes also discussed the global patents it has registered for its
superplastic forming and diffusion bonding technology (SPF/DB), including the territories of
China, India, USA and Europe. The solution applies extensively to the lightweighting of
components within the aerospace and automotive industries.
Operations director James Gascoigne says: “MACH 2024 gave us the opportunity to
demonstrate our latest innovations in metal-forming technology. It was our first exhibition

since we secured international patents for SPF/DB and it was a great opportunity for our
team to discuss how this technology works and its potential applications globally.”
He adds: “Given that our 19 th century patents were for improvements to the steam hammer,
it’s amazing to think that our most recent innovations are helping to form components for
spacecraft. We were very proud to showcase these innovations, especially in our 200 th
anniversary year.”
Alongside its SPF/DB technology, Group Rhodes’ knowledgeable personnel were also in
attendance to discuss the company’s extensive portfolio of machinery for the hot and cold
forming of metals and composites.
For further information www.grouprhodes.co.uk