Milltek is welded to the future

Milltek is investing in advanced laser welding technology as part of its ongoing commitment to new engineering capabilities. Dedicated laser bays have been installed in both its Ilkeston and Derby manufacturing facilities.

“We are seeing significant changes in welding equipment,” says Kev Hall, Technical Operations Manager of Milltek. “Laser welding is a strategic enhancement to our manufacturing processes. It doesn’t generate the high temperatures of traditional welding methods, so there is less heat and potential distortion. This makes it ideal for more intricate parts, and it can dramatically reduce production times and cost while improving efficiency.”

This investment in laser welding is also allowing Milltek to upskill its workforce and create new jobs. Kev Hall says: “By providing comprehensive training in laser welding, with no prior experience required to master the technique, we can quickly bring existing staff and new apprentices up to the highest standards, equipping them with valuable skills and ensuring their professional growth in a short period.”

In the past year, Milltek has sold more than 16,500 performance exhaust systems, so streamlining the production process is vital to meeting increasing demand. Milltek has always been at the forefront of innovative technologies, embracing plastic prototyping and 3D printing in both development and production.

These technologies help us develop a new exhaust system more efficiently and use modular design to adapt sections. It means an exhaust system design can be modified from road legal to motorsport use while still complying with varying legislation around the world.

We believe in rigorous real-world testing and purchasing development cars for 90 per cent of our new-build exhaust systems. This ensures the correct packaging, emissions, noise, heat management, and performance.