Parts for iconic car designed in county

Aston Martin has confirmed Shropshire manufacturer Grainger & Worrall as its preferred engine castings partner for the new DB11.

At the heart of this iconic sports car is the new 5.2 litre twin turbocharged V12, providing the cleanest, most fuel efficient, powerful and fastest accelerating model in Aston Martin’s history.

Using skills and technology pioneered by the Bridgnorth-based manufacturer in its work with F1 teams and other high performance marques, Grainger & Worrall (GW) has worked closely with Aston Martin’s engineering design team to enable the evolution of a lighter, more powerful power plant.

The engine blocks and heads are produced in a dedicated production environment at GW’s UK facility. Exploiting the potential of GW’s precision sand casting process all castings are manufactured from a high grade, high integrity and recyclable aluminium alloy.

Edward Grainger, managing director of prototypes, said: “GW’s precision sand casting process, developed specifically for the engine’s manufacture, delivers accurate, high integrity parts with increased design freedom.

“Utilising the latest real time X-ray and CT scanning capabilities in parallel ensures exacting and reliable quality in the development process.”

Assembled at Aston Martin’s engine plant in Cologne, Germany, the new twin turbo, 48 valve, V12 unit is able to meet stringent emission and fuel consumption requirements, whilst producing increased performance.

As part of the extensive engine development process, the Shropshire firm has created intricate sand cores and structures using the latest 3D sand printing technology.

This supported the complex CAD outputs of the design team, which was responsible for the production and validation of the development parts prior to production.

In addition to the ongoing supply of engine castings, GW provides rigorous in-process inspection together with unique part identity, ensuring full product traceability.

Edward Grainger continued: “Aston Martin is a great British success story across the globe and acts as a superb ambassador for UK engineering. We are delighted to be a part of this very special and desirable sports car, which has been described as the ‘true 21st century Aston Martin’.”

Grainger & Worrall now employs more than 550 people in the UK, with an annual turnover in excess of £50 million, and supplies high precision castings to F1 motorsport and prestige marques.

The family-owned business – a former Shropshire Company of the Year - invests significantly in research and development, and exports more than 55% of its products.

Picture: Edward Grainger, right, says the company is delighted to be associated with a success story like Aston Martin