Victrex has chosen an innovative tooling design and processing technology called Production to Functional Specification (PtFS) from Surface Generation to enhance manufacturing effectiveness to its parts-based mega-programmes, OEM, Tier 1s, and moulding community. The investment will help Victrex increase commercialisation of its parts-based mega-programmes.

Surface Generation’s unique technology uses patented hardware and proprietary software to actively manage multiple part areas during processing and drive reductions in the energy consumption, injection processing pressures and cycle times required to make even the most complex material and part combinations, according to a press release by Victrex.

Victrex’s reason to invest reflects that it is gaining technology which could enable customers to produce more complex parts that may have limitations from traditional tooling designs used in injection or compression moulding due to heating and cooling profiles of existing techniques in the tools.

The agreement with Surface Generation is directly in line with Victrex’s strategy of continued investment in its mega-programmes, parts portfolio offering new and innovative disruptive technologies that not only extend the company’s capabilities as a material solutions provider, but also complement Victrex’s wider technology offering to its customers. Victrex has invested a small equity stake in Surface Generation, alongside the ability to utilise the technology.

“This investment with Surface Generation provides Victrex with an opportunity to finesse unique and potentially breakthrough manufacturing techniques,” said Jakob Sigurdsson, CEO at Victrex. “We believe that the advantages of PtFS processing, where crucial controls can be applied to temperature levels in real time in the tool, could be a major advancement for our parts programmes, such as medical or automotive gears and potentially in aerospace composite solutions. At Victrex, we are very excited about the wide range of potential benefits that could result from PtFS.”

“At Surface Generation we are focused on using PtFS based processing techniques to transform manufacturing with advanced high-performance materials, resulting in improved parts with less waste,” said Ben Halford, CEO at Surface Generation. “We look forward to working with Victrex, a global leader in PAEK polymers, with decades of acquired expertise and market access. High-performance polymers are revolutionising design in a number of application areas, across multiple industries, offering the opportunity to replace metals and consolidate optimised parts.” (PC)