Deeley on the job at £2.3m auto research centre

DEELEY Construction has started work on the £2.3m Automotive Composites Research Centre for WMG at the University of Warwick.

WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group), a department of the University of Warwick, has created the new centre to extend its work with the West Midlands’ automotive supply chain and to exploit the opportunities offered by lightweight vehicle technologies.

The centre will provide local industry with hands-on technical expertise and equipment to develop its manufacturing capability for polymeric composites.

The thinking behind it is that the requirement for lightweight structures will soon become the industry standard as automotive manufacturers seek to reduce emissions over the life-time of their vehicles.

The two-storey, 4,000 sq ft extension, which is expected to be complete by April of next year, will feature workshops, laboratories and offices and will be an extension of WMG’s current IMC building.

Martin Gallagher, managing director of Coventry-based Deeley, said: “We have worked with the University of Warwick previously and also have experience with other technology businesses, so we have developed an expertise in this kind of development.

“There is much more to it than simple bricks and mortar – the new extension must be in-keeping with the architecture of the current IMC building as well as the surrounding properties within the university’s portfolio.

“We have worked closely with BMJ Architects and Scott White & Hookins, the structural engineers, in the planning stages and look forward to delivering the project on time and on budget in the spring of 2014.”

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, chairman of WMG, said:  “As WMG continues to expand, our new Automotive Composites Research Centre will help keep the region’s automotive sector at the cutting edge of the latest manufacturing technology.”

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