Welsh aluminium fabricator strengthens creation of GKN Aerospace Research and Development facility

ONE of Wales’ leading aluminium fabricators, Dudley’s Aluminium, has secured a high-profile project with Buckingham Group Contracting for GKN Aerospace. Together they will support the development of the multi-technology aerospace supplier’s new R&D facility in Bristol.

This will be the first time Dudley’s Aluminium and Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd team up. The contract, worth nearly £500,000, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Dudley’s Aluminium will install state-of-the-art curtain walling as well as thermally broken doors in the new research and development facility, which will be home to 300 engineers.

The new centre in Bristol enables GKN to expand its current work with a focus on additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing. In the new innovative research facility GKN plans to advance its high-rate production of aircraft structures.

Colin Shorney, Managing Director of Dudley’s Aluminium said:

We are thrilled to start working with Buckingham Group Contracting. As an award-winning contractor who have worked on a number of impressive projects throughout the UK, their expertise is highly valued. So, to support them in the construction of GKN’s Aerospace new facility, is a great opportunity for us and we look forward to working with them.”

This is not the first time Dudley’s Aluminium has been part of the construction of research and development facilities throughout the UK. Most recently, the Cardiff-based fabricator played a significant role in the development of the Babraham R&D Campus in Cambridge, alongside SDC construction.

With a reputation for quality, Dudley’s has been recognised with several industry-related accreditations. The company is CHAS and Achilles accredited, Constructionline registered and certified to manufacture “Secured by Design” products. The fabricator also strengthened the Central Square plots and the construction of the BBC Headquarters in Cardiff, which was named Project of the Year at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards, with their aluminium expertise.

Since 1993, Dudley’s Aluminium has offered full in-house design and production facilities to their clients. The aluminium fabricator has completed many successful and prominent projects across a range of sectors throughout the UK and Channel Islands including education, health, commercial, retail and defence.