Factory Tour: Rolls Royce, Advanced Blade Casting Facility

Where: Brunel Way, Catcliffe, Rotherham S60 5WG
When: 1:00pm - 3:30pm

Please note that safety shoes and safety glasses are mandatory for this tour.

Overview

Step inside Rolls-Royce's Advanced Blade Casting Facility, an industry leader in aerospace manufacturing and the most advanced producer of single crystal turbine blades globally. This exclusive tour offers a deep dive into the strategic vision and operational excellence driving their production. Discover how this facility, a world-leading foundry, is doubling its capacity from 105,000 to 210,000 blades a year with a £28 million investment scheme.

Attendees will gain insights into Rolls-Royce's commitment to safety, quality, and continuous improvement, alongside their innovative approaches to technology and workforce development. Learn about their rigorous KPI monitoring, their roadmap to achieving zero defects, and the implementation of cutting-edge linishing technology to minimise manual intervention in polishing. This is a unique opportunity to witness the strategic planning and operational execution that underpins world-class manufacturing.

Agenda

• 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Registration, snacks, and networking.

• 1:30 PM – 1:40 PM: Welcome & introduction from Made in Group.

• 1:40 PM – 2:00 PM: Presentation from Ian Bickley, Head of Manufacturing:

  • Open introduction to Rolls-Royce at a corporate level, followed by a breakdown of the turbines business unit (MBU) and the local Advanced Blade Casting Facility (ABCF) operations, concluding with an overview of business metrics and enablers for achieving their goals.

• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Attendees split into two groups and will alternate between:

  • Operational Tour: See how Rolls-Royce is enacting its growth plans, including insights into the information centre and digital team centres.
  • Technical Tour: Explore the world-class casting process for single crystal turbine blades and learn about the new linishing technology.

• 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Panel discussion and Q&A with the Rolls-Royce (ABCF) team.

• 3:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Relaxed networking and event conclusion.

Members who attend will gain:

• A front-row view of strategic growth and operational execution – discover how Rolls-Royce is doubling its capacity and managing a significant investment scheme to achieve its goals.

• Practical lessons in advanced manufacturing – learn about the world-class single crystal casting process and the implementation of new technologies to enhance efficiency and safety.

• Insights into rigorous performance management – understand how 400 KPIs are monitored and how digital team centres are used to drive accountability and continuous improvement.

• Inspiration for fostering a safety-first and quality-driven culture – hear about their focus on zero defects, zero loss of machine uptime, and initiatives to reduce hand and arm vibration syndrome