Warrington & Vale Royal College

Warrington Digital AMET Centres at Warrington & Vale Royal College (Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Training Centres)

The Two AMET centres are situated at each of the college’s campuses in Warrington and Winsford housing much needed industry-specific, specialist equipment used to enhance the skills of prospective and current employees in the engineering and manufacturing industries.

The AMET centres will build on the significant strength of advanced manufacturing and engineering across Cheshire and Warrington, enhances Industrial Digital Technologies (‘IDTs’) to improve processes, productivity and therefore drive the economy

The AMET centres will enhance the skills of prospective and current employees through the acquisition of much needed industry-specific, specialist equipment, primarily for skills training and technical education that meets employers’ and sectoral needs. The AMET centres will be accessible to employers, other training providers and schools across the Warrington and Vale Royal areas. The AMET centres will be part of the organisation's VIOT (Virtual Institute of Technology).

The specialist equipment has been agreed following consultation with employers and will enhance existing engineering resources at the college’s campuses. This specialist equipment will enable the college to develop into a sub-regional ‘centre of excellence’ for advanced manufacturing and engineering and a ‘hub’ that meets employers’ and our stated ambition to raise levels of productivity and innovation to compete at the highest level.

The AMET Centres aligns closely with the UK’s Industrial Strategy, Made Smarter Strategy, the ambitions articulated in the SEP to be outward facing, supporting growth, innovation and new thinking through the use of specialist equipment.

The AMET centres align and supports the UK’s Industrial Strategy, building on the significant strength of advanced manufacturing and engineering across Cheshire and Warrington, focusing on the potential to increase business productivity and resilience through investment in skills and industries. The centres will assure that the college plays a full and active role in building the Northern Powerhouse.

Geographical area

The equipment will be based in Warrington and Winsford.

Technologies / Equipment

Warrington

• Hybrid Manual/ CNC lathes x 3
• Colchester Lathes X 2
• Alan Bradley/ Siemens PLC Automation Rig x2
• 5 Welding bays with extraction
• Robotic Pipe Welder
• Programmable Siemens robotic simulator
• Hydraulics and Pneumatics Rig
• Mechatronics rigs x 3
• Mechatronics Software for automation
• CNC 5 axis x 2
• Industrial Control – Process /Power and Drive Automation
• Plasma Cutter 6 axis

Metrology Lab

• Roundness measurement (contour and surface)
• Measurement arm probing with robot control
• Laser tracker with robot control
• Surface roughness and form measurement 3D scanner
• Tensile Tester
• Hardness Tester (Vickers)
• Desktop Mini CNC
• 3 D printer Additive Manufacturing
• Mini robotics kits x 3

Winsford

• Hybrid Manual/ CNC lathes x 4
• Plasma cutter 6 Axis x 2
• CNC 5 axis
• Allen Bradley/ Siemens PLC Automation Rig x2
• Robotic Pipe Welder
• Finite Element Analysis ( FEA)
• Siemens Robotic Simulator
• Hydraulics and Pneumatics Rig
• Industrial Control – Process automation

Metallurgy Lab kit

• Tensile Tester
• Hardness Tester
• Etching Kit
• Dry Belt Surface Polisher
• Metallurical Microsopes x 4
• NDT Ultrasonic Tester
• Shear Test robot
• Fatigue Tester
• Izod Impact Testing Apparatus
• Conveyor pick & place system – Robotic Automation

Skills being developed

• Higher level skills ( L3-L5/7) in
• Mechanical and Operations Engineering
• Electrical Electronic Engineering
• Construction and the Built Environment

Contact: Rebecca Salisbury-Moss - Rsalisbury-moss@wvr.ac.uk