15 years of rapid prototyping
The CRDM team celebrates 15 years of rapid prototyping
Probably the UK's longest established provider of rapid prototyping and rapid tooling services, CRDM celebrates its 15th anniversary this month.
Founded in 1995, the company now employs a team of 40 and works across a wide range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical, defence and motor sport with a growing export base of customers.
Martin James, chairman of CRDM, says: “During the past 15 years we have been focusing on continually developing our range of production services in order to deliver faster, more efficient solutions for our clients. This approach underpins our successful development into a full production services provider and has allowed us to become one of the industry leaders. Over the last five years we have increased our turnover by 63% having reached £3.5 million and we are predicting significant growth over the next few years as we have scaled up our capacity to handle large tooling projects and the in-house manufacture of plastic production parts.”
CRDM says its history includes a long list of firsts. In 1998 the company initiated the first of its kind Rapid Design, Prototyping and Manufacturing Conference, which is now in its 11th year. CRDM was a pioneer in using DMLS technology (1999), combining two SLA machines with one laser (2002) and using Carbon Filled Nylon for SLS (2005). It was the first UK bureau to use EOS metal sintering technology and to manufacture parts for aircraft. Since its establishment, CRDM says it has made more metal sintered tools than any other UK organisation and this year alone the company has produced and project managed over 150 injection mould tools.
Martin James adds: “Since 2007 CRDM has been operating from the new 22,250 sq ft purpose built facility in High Wycombe, which even offers air conditioned rooms for some production processes. Not only do we have the UK’s broadest range of rapid prototyping, tooling and manufacturing equipment under one roof, we also have a fully equipped tooling machine shop and injection mould shop to support large scale tooling projects and plastic part production. It is a great achievement to have reached our 15th anniversary as an industry leader and we are looking forward to a long and successful future at the heart of UK manufacturing.”
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