Aerospace Defence

Rhodes Interform refit underpins Typhoon production

Posted 25 July 2022

Wakefield based Rhodes Interform has secured a major aerospace project win, recently completing phase one of two for the refit of a 1989 vintage 3000 Ton ‘Chester Hydraulics’ SPF press at BAE Systems Samlesbury, which is a critical piece of equipment manufacturing major parts for the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Above: The Rhodes Interform manufacturing plant in Wakefield.
Courtesy Rhodes Group

Rhodes Interform’s Technical Director Peter Anderton said: “This is a specialist repair to the ‘hotbox’ ensuring the stringent temperature accuracies required during the manufacturing process are maintained. We won the contract based on our vast expertise in the manufacture, design and repair of SPF presses in the aerospace sector.

"The lockdown was obviously a difficult time for the industry but over the past few months we have won a number of contracts for both new machinery and equipment refurbishment. We are very optimistic for the continued recovery of the UK aerospace sector.”

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.

Rhodes Interform’s 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.