Aston Martin signs up Bridgnorth castings company

Aston Martin has confirmed Bridgnorth-based Grainger & Worrall, GW, as its preferred engine castings partner for the new DB11, the replacement for James Bond's favourite the DB9.

The car debuted at the Geneva motor show in March and the company is now preparing to roll-out the new brand.

The Bridgnorth company provides engine blocks for a number of high-profile marques and has grown rapidly in recent years to meet demand for its high-performance castings.

It has now been brought in to provide the engine castings for the 5.2-litre twin turbocharged V12 engine, which Aston said makes the car its most fuel efficient, powerful and fastest accelerating model ever.

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

"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.

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

Grainger & Worrall has set up a production area in its factory on Stanmore Business Park to make the engine blocks and heads for the model.

The parts, created from a high-grade, recyclable aluminium alloy, are made using its precision sand-casting process at the company's foundry on the same site.

The 48-valve engines will then be assembled at Aston Martin's engine plant at Cologne in Germany.

Grainger & Worrall has made intricate sand cores and structures using the latest 3D sand printing technology.

Sand is formed into technical shapes and assembled into the reverse of the engine – like a three-dimensional photo negative.

The aluminium alloy is then poured into the mould, and allowed to cool, at which point the sand is dissolved and poured out of the engine blocks.

Grainger & Worrall has invested millions in its Shropshire facilities in recent years, including in medical-grade scanners to checks parts for any faults.

Its castings are used by major customers including top-end racing teams from the Formula One and Nascar world.

The company is headquartered in Shropshire, with operations in Bridgnorth and Telford, plus a recently-acquired site in Worcester. It is currently in the process of moving its Telford site into a refurbished building close to its home in Bridgnorth, which has seen a further investment in its operation.

Employing more than 550 people in the UK, with an annual turnover in excess of £50m, the family-owned company exports more than 55 per cent of its products to other countries.

Aston Martin opened the order book on the new DB11 almost as soon as it was unveiled, and the new model certainly doesn't come cheap – prices clock in at around £154,900 for the latest coupe.

The company has promised delivery of the cars in the final quarter of this year.

Aston said the new model, which was decorated with an eye-catching black and white paint job for its press unveiling, can hit 60mph from a standing start in just 3.9 seconds.

The British manufacturer added the motor also has an impressive top speed of up to 200mph.