Wednesbury Aerospace, Automotive, Marine, Defence and Formula One technology specialist Rojac Tooling Technologies Ltd, designers and manufacturers of advanced tooling and components, has embarked on a major investment programme to sharpen its edge competitively in producing a new generation of tooling equipment and carbon composite parts.
Rojac’s latest acquisition is an £80,000 autoclave supplied by Autoclaves Ltd of Yorkshire. The 7 x 2.1metre autoclave cures carbon fibre composites. The new machine forms part of a brand new composites facility within a state-of-the-art environmentally controlled clean room and wi l l be in product ion by January 2008.

The facility will enhance the worldwide services already provided by Rojac in carbon composite pre-impregnated tooling, and low volume and prototype parts for the aerospace, automotive, marine, rail and civil engineering industries.

Duncan Blakemore, managing director of Rojac said:“Components made of advanced carbon fibre composite materials are lightweight, have a high strength to weight ratio”.“

Aerospace and Formula One are leading the way in their use. The market price of carbon fibre reinforced plastic saw a 150 per cent increase during 2005 primarily due to increased use in the civil aerospace industry.”He added: “I believe something like 80 per cent of the working parts the wings and fuselage of the new Boeing 787 are made using carbon composite materials. Our new facility will give us a stronger edge competitively in high technology sectors such as these.”

Rojac has extensive experience in the manufacture of mould tooling, jigs and fixtures, master models, patterns and prototypes for a diverse variety of tooling components. Market demand is growing for carbon fibre composite materials because they are also recognised as ideal for manufacturing consumer goods such furniture, motorcycles, bicycles, laptop computers, and sporting equipment.