The UK’s largest steel casting group, William Cook Cast Products, has joined the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to develop its capabilities for the nuclear sector and other low-carbon energy markets.
Sheffield-based William Cook Cast Products supplies cast steel components to all segments of the energy sector (including nuclear) as well as for demanding markets such as rail and defence.
William Cook Cast Products’ tier two membership of the Nuclear AMRC will help the company develop its technical and business capabilities for the nuclear sector, and build new relationships with the centre’s network of members and partner companies working across nuclear new build, reactor development and decommissioning.
“Membership of the Nuclear AMRC will help us link up with more businesses in this sector. We have recently brought in heavy machining capability to the group and are currently in the middle of a £1.5 million investment in a new high-energy radiography facility. These investments together with membership of the Nuclear AMRC are part of our strategy to increase our footprint in the nuclear market," commented Chris Seymour, group managing director at William Cook.
"We want to be seen to be a trusted supplier of high integrity castings into this safety-critical market, which is part of an industry key to helping the world achieve its net-zero climate targets.”
Nuclear AMRC said William Cook Cast Products will work with the centre's engineers and research partners through collaborative R&D projects to improve the design and manufacturability of complex steel castings, and work towards achieving additional standard qualifications to allow it to produce certified safety-critical components for nuclear facilities.
William Cook Cast Products already works with the Nuclear AMRC’s sister centres at the University of Sheffield. It became a member of the AMRC in 2016 to collaborate on casting R&D, and has worked with the AMRC Training Centre on apprentice training.
Photo: Sheffield-based William Cook Cast Products has joined the Nuclear AMRC