Group Rhodes, the Wakefield-based manufacturer of hot and cold forming machinery for metals and composites, will be exhibiting at the Advanced Engineering 2026 show.
The company will be highlighting how its Rhodes Interform division supports aerospace manufacturers in producing lighter, stronger and more complex components.
Visitors to stand Q150, located near the Aerospace, Defence and Engineering Forum, will be able to discuss the company’s latest export and domestic projects, alongside its patented superplastic forming and diffusion bonding (SPF/DB) technology and its bespoke press solutions for composite and metal forming.
Weight reduction remains one of the most powerful ways for aerospace manufacturers to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and increase payload. Rhodes Interform designs, builds and commissions bespoke forming equipment that allows tier one manufacturers and their supply chains to produce light aero structures in advanced composites and titanium and aluminium alloys, to the tolerances flight-critical parts demand.
“Aerospace is under constant pressure to take weight and cost out of every structure, and that is where our forming technology can really make the difference. Whether it’s SPF/DB press technology for titanium components, presses for light aero structures in composites, or a complete turnkey forming solution, our team will be available to talk through real projects and overcoming real-life production challenges. The Advanced Engineering show brings together some of the most influential designers, engineers and manufacturing leaders, and we look forward to discussing our latest technologies.” said Mark Ridgway OBE, DL, CEO of Group Rhodes.
The company’s recent aerospace credentials include a multi-million-pound contract to design and manufacture three bespoke hydraulic presses for forming high-tech composite components used in light aero structures. All three presses were designed, built and commissioned by Rhodes Interform’s engineering team in Wakefield.
Rhodes Interform’s portfolio spans hot and cold forming technologies, from heated platen presses for thermoset and thermoplastic composite parts to high-tonnage hydraulic presses for metal forming. Every machine is engineered around the customer’s component, material and production rate, with options for automation, robotic handling, recipe-driven Human-Machine Interface (HMI) control and full turnkey integration.
Superplastic forming combined with diffusion bonding allows titanium and aluminium alloy sheets to be formed into large, complex shapes and joined at a molecular level in a single high-temperature process. By removing the need for rivets, fasteners, adhesives and welds, SPF/DB reduces part count, assembly cost and weight, while producing exceptionally strong, integrated structures.
Group Rhodes has been involved with SPF/DB since the technology was first commercialised in the mid-1970s and is today one of only a handful of companies worldwide supplying SPF/DB presses. Its latest SPF/DB innovation, which improves forming accuracy, reduces scrap and boosts productivity, is protected by patents granted in territories including Europe and China.
Group Rhodes designs and manufactures state-of-the-art machinery from its facilities in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which it sells to both the UK and global markets. The company has extensive capabilities including the design, development and manufacture of bespoke equipment and complete turnkey solutions for the aerospace, automotive and defence and general engineering industries.
The Advanced Engineering show is the UK’s largest annual gathering for engineering and manufacturing professionals and a hub of innovation, collaboration and development for all sectors and areas of the engineering supply chain.
