Group Rhodes - the Chester press, which has been refurbished.Rhodes Interform, part of Group Rhodes, continues its dominance in mechanical and hydraulic press refurbishment within the aerospace industry, with another contract win, worth approximately £1m.

The contract will involve a major upgrade of a 3,000 ton Chester Superplastic Forming press at a plant in Lancashire.  The press is used to form major titanium aerofoil components.

The project forms part of a continual obsolescence programme by the plant and involves upgrades to control software, hydraulic systems, gas management system, platen heating controls and hard wiring replacement.

Rhodes Interform’s Technical Director Peter Anderton said: “We are delighted with this latest contract win, which is testament to the expertise of our team in technical repair, maintenance and upgrade of mechanical and hydraulic presses.  We have seen a major upsurge in the last few months in contracts with the aerospace industry and we are excited about what this means for our business.”

Rhodes Interform’s machine refurbishments offer customers a cost-effective solution to dramatically improve equipment life and increase productivity. The company provides a complete one-stop refurbishment service, from arranging where necessary for the machine to be transported to the company’s maintenance facility in Wakefield, through to retrofitting new components and re-commissioning on site.

Its parent company Group Rhodes, based in West Yorkshire, boasts a 200 year metalforming history and has also been manufacturing presses to form composite materials from as early as the 1930s. The company has won Queen’s Awards for both Innovation and International Trade in recent years, particularly for its work in the aerospace sector.

For more information please visit the website www.grouprhodes.co.uk or contact the Technical Sales department on + (44) 01924 37 11 61.