Bashing metal myths

If you want to annoy Archie MacPherson, accuse the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) of being in the ‘metal bashing’ business. ‘That is like a dagger through my heart,’ he complained to The Engineer when the phrase was put to him. As chief executive of the AFRC — part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult — he prefers to use ‘forging and forming’ to describe the focus of the centre’s R&D. This isn’t just a personal preference: MacPherson, who joined the AFRC 18 months ago from a career in manufacturing, is on a mission to change the view that one of the oldest industries is mere metal bashing.

The term ‘advanced manufacturing’ is often used in relation to modern concepts such as 3D printing, composite materials and digital automation. But the AFRC is interested in refining processes dating back thousands of years into highly complex, precise and efficient production techniques. The centre’s underlying skill is in shaping metal in a solid state, explained technical director Michael Ward. Forming typically means shaping sheets of metal while forging refers to manipulating ‘bulk shapes’, larger pieces of metal. Although these basic processes are commonplace on production lines, the AFRC’s role is to push the boundaries of what they can achieve, said Ward.