Quality Update

Ilmor Engineering’s design and development capability and racing achievements are world renown but they would not have been possible without the highest level of quality management. It is this quality management that has helped Ilmor to produce multiple IndyCar championship winning racing engines, where the challenge includes punishing 500 mile events involving cars lapping at well over 200 miles per hour.
 
Our ISO 9001 certification demonstrates adherence to documented quality processes and procedures. But it also goes much further ensuring ongoing improvements in design, development, production and support of racing engines. This desire to improve forms a fundamental part of the DNA of each and every one of us.
 
In fact, during the recent AS9100 Revision C implementation project, we re-evaluated a number of our existing processes resulting in further opportunities for improvement. Although AS9100 Revision C was aimed at aerospace work, its implementation at Ilmor has benefited other areas of our business including our racing programs.
 
To support the additional aerospace workload we have recently increased our three axis measuring capacity with the installation of a new coordinate measuring machine and this now resides in our larger, expanded, inspection department.

Ilmor Engineering Ltd Receives AS9100 Rev C Accreditation

Following on from the recent announcement of receiving a Silver award from Boeing for superior supplier performance, Ilmor has recently passed a comprehensive compliance audit and been recommended for AS9100 Revision C approval. ‘Although AS9100 is a tough standard to achieve, our current systems and procedures developed from our racing programs and ISO accreditation meant it wasn’t such a significant stretch for our company.’ – Steve Miller, Managing Director. ‘However it means we can now offer our high precision, high quality machining capabilities to new markets which could benefit from our well established expertise in machining difficult to produce, complex shapes, from castings or solid billet material.’
 
Ilmor has a range of 5 axis machine tools and recently invested in two new multi-pallet Matsuura MAM 72’s each featuring six pallets and a .75 cubic metre working envelope. These machines were purchased to support the Chevrolet IndyCar racing engine program but due to their 24 hour running capability are not yet completely utilised resulting in some spare capacity.
 
Ilmor’s racing pedigree and core strengths of performance, innovation, reliability and quality stem from a highly motivated, highly skilled and experienced workforce who approach all projects with a ‘can do’ attitude and a fundamental desire to do a good job. Supported by modern facilities, equipment and the right tools to do the job means that Ilmor Engineering has the capability to deliver quality assured aerospace components on time and at a competitive price. Contact Carl Whitworth or Tim Roberts to discuss your next project.

  James Hinchcliffe Wins on Streets of Sao Paulo

 
In an incredibly dramatic and exciting finish, Andretti Autosport driver James Hinchcliffe, behind the wheel of his No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet powered entry, won the 2013 Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 on the Streets of SãoPaulo, Brazil with a last lap, final turn pass.
 
It was Hinchcliffe’s second win of the 2013 IndyCar season, and the second of his IndyCar career. The win means that three of the top four drivers in the 2013 championship are powered by the Ilmor designed and built Chevy Indy V6 engine. The next race will be the legendary Indy 500 at the fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26th.

Investing in the Future

When Paul Morgan and Mario Illien formed Ilmor over 25 years ago they knew that the success of the company would be reliant upon having the very best people. Mindful of the steady decline in UK engineering and manufacturing since the 1970’s they created an apprenticeship scheme to give young people the skills and knowledge required to support the business for the long term.
 
2012 Apprentice of the Year winner Luke Trethewy poses with the Paul Morgan trophy

Fast forward to 2013 to find Ilmor’s philosophy unchanged and if anything it places even more importance on apprentices as the future of the organisation. ‘It is increasingly difficult to find people with the required skills to design, manufacture, assemble and test our products.  Our products are highly complex and designed to extremely high levels of quality so it’s imperative that we continue to inject fresh blood by refreshing our intake’. – Steve Miller – Managing Director
 
 Although Paul Morgan is sadly no longer with us his legacy continues in the form of the prestigious annual ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award. The award is presented each year to the apprentice who demonstrates the highest achievement in both the workshop and classroom. The 2012 recipient was Luke Trethewy who joined the company in 2011. Luke, currently in his second year of a four year apprenticeship, is now a key member of the machine shop and has started to program and run a number of CNC machines.
 
‘The award started in 2006 and its extremely rewarding to watch each winner’s career progression through our organisation.’ – he added.
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Ilmor Engineering Ltd receives Performance Excellence Award from Boeing

Each year The Boeing Company recognizes suppliers who have achieved superior performance  by presenting them with a silver or gold award. Ilmor maintained a silver composite performance rating for each month of the 12 month performance period leading up to the end of September 2012. Boeing recognized 594 suppliers in all and Ilmor is one of only 441 suppliers to receive the silver level of recognition.
 
‘Ilmor is delighted to have our efforts recognised by Boeing by receiving this award. We regard this as a truly worthwhile achievement, especia
lly as we have been working in a unique technical area rather than mainstream component supply. For a small organisation like ours to rise above the many thousands of companies which Boeing use as suppliers to be one of their top 594 is an incredible pat on the back.
 
Ilmor supplies intellectual property generation services to Boeing for future technology development and have now worked for Boeing for just over three years. We have built up a very solid working relationship around quality engineering solutions and the generation of new technology, which has been supplied at a competitive price and on time.’ – Steve Miller – Managing Director
 
 Chevy Indy V-6 Update

 The 2012 Multiple Championship Winning Chevrolet Indy V6

After a dominant performance in 2012, winning more than twice as many races as its nearest competitor, the Ilmor Engineering Ltd designed and manufactured Chevy Indy V6 continues to evolve and develop in readiness for the expanded 19 race 2013 season. With the unfortunate demise of the Lotus engine, Ilmor expects to supply a number of new teams this year and judging by pre-season testing we can look forward to another competitive season of racing.
 
For 2013 there will be three ‘double-header’ events at Detroit, Toronto and Houston. Races will take place on Saturday and then the following day on the Sunday. The season kicks off with a race around the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida on March 24th.

Small Batch Pre-Production Machining
Click here to watch
 Choosing your ideal partner to machine a small pre-production batch of cylinder blocks and heads can be a challenge at the best of times. There are many sub-contract machine shops that, in theory at least, have the capability but can they deliver the quality, overcome the inevitable teething problems and achieve your immovable delivery date?
 
Ilmor Engineering is the perfect company for this type of work as we specialize in small batch production runs of cylinder blocks, cylinder heads and other engine components for our own racing programs. Our manufacturing engineers are fully versed with the best tooling and machining methods to achieve the required quality, and when problems arise, as they inevitably will do with a new project, they have the experience and knowledge to deal with them quickly.
 
Short lead times and delivery dates that have no scope for slippage are an everyday occurrence in racing and form an integral part of our DNA.
 
11 Race Wins from 15 Starts Secures A Clean Sweep of Championships for Chevy Indy V-6 Power
 
Ed Carpenter’s Chevy powered last lap pass of former champion Dario Franchitti was a fitting end to a thrilling 2012 Izod Indycar season. His victory secured Chevrolet and Ilmor a clean sweep of the silverware winning the Series’ Manufacturers’, Driver’s, Oval and Road Course Championships. Ryan Hunter-Reay started the race with a 17 point deficit to Team Penske driver Will Power, but Power’s crash and subsequent retirement and with Hunter-Reay finishing fourth meant he secured the Driver’s Championship by just three points.
 
The Ilmor Engineering designed and manufactured Chevy Indy-V6 dominated the 2012 IndyCar season securing more than twice the number of victories and pole positions than it’s nearest rival.

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