Industrial automation and robotics specialist Loop Technology has recently opened a new UK office in Sheffield just just minutes away from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

“Due to a big upswing in orders we had to execute a rapid expansion plan,” said Alun Reece, CEO of the company which is headquartered in Dorchester, Dorset, and already has an additional office in Bristol. “Several sites were considered, but the standout was the Advanced Manufacturing Park. With modern, energy-efficient factory space ready for occupation and abundant local talent, the Sheffield/Rotherham conurbation provided everything we were looking for.”

Loop’s FibreLINE robotic system for the high-rate manufacturing of large-scale composites attracted significant attention at this year’s JEC World composites exhibition in Paris.

The technology provides end-to-end automation for the preforming of large composite structures and received the 2025 JEC World Innovation Award in the Aerospace Process category for Loop and its UK development partners Fanuc, Güdel, Zung and the National Composites Centre in Bristol.

Specifically intended for advanced material deposition and accelerating the building of aircraft wings and fuselage sections, as well as engine nacelles, wind turbines and drones, it can significantly accelerate the production rate of such carbon fibre-based components.

FibreLINE cuts, sorts and sequences carbon fibre material before shaping and placing it onto a mould where it is inspected, heat staked and made ready for the next stage of production.

The new Sheffield office is also nearby the new COMPASS (Composites at Speed and Scale)  facility, where  Loop Technology is involved with the Isothermic High Rate Sustainable Structures project, alongside partners Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, and the AMRC.

Currently, Loop’s Sheffield site houses three Fanuc M-2000iA robots, which will complement the automated composite manufacturing technology being installed at COMPASS.

www.looptechnology.com