Caunton have recently started on-site on a most interesting development project in Coventry. It is styled The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

The MTC is to be located on Ansty Park and will support UK manufacturing businesses in their pursuit of world-class business performance. The research centre has been developed in response to the Government’s Manufacturing Strategy ‘manufacturing: new challenges, new opportunities’ published in September 2008.

The MTC is a £40.55m investment by Advantage West Midlands and East Midlands Development Agency (emda) to create a manufacturing research centre.

The MTC has the backing of some of the UK’s major global manufacturers and will support UK manufacturing companies, and their supply chains, to bring about major improvements in their manufacturing competitiveness.

A new model of collaborative partnership between industry, universities and research & technology organisations (RTO), the MTC reflects the need for manufacturers to move away from competing simply on cost and to compete more on knowledge.

Founder industrial members of the MTC are Rolls Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, Aero Engine Controls and Airbus UK. Research partners include the University of Birmingham, The University of Nottingham, Loughborough University and TWI Ltd, the operating division of The Welding Institute – an organisation of which Caunton are members and hold accreditation to their prestigious welding standards.

The steelwork, comprising over 900te and which is designed by Caunton under a D&B contract with main contractor Morgan Sindall is in effect three portal frames interspersed with two-storey buildings, and a covered “Street” linking all five distinct areas along one side. The portals are two single frame-works 27.5metre span and 22.5 metre span, with a double portal in the centre of total span 41 metres. These three areas contain the manufacturing facilities, and the steelwork includes substantial crane beams too – no mean 10te and 15te lifting capacities. The centre will thereby provide resources and a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale. The two storey buildings will be providing viewing galleries to allow spectators to observe activities in the manufacturing areas. These buildings comprise not only the viewing galleries but contain exhibition areas and some technical areas including an electronic fabrication shop and metrology area.

The design of the street by overall project architect Fairhurst aims to complement the buildings image of state of the art, and will be a most imposing area comprising attractive oval-shaped columns fabricated from Corus’ Celsius Ovals sections.

Construction of the MTC started earlier this year and is scheduled to open in early summer 2011.