Teesside University and Saturn Turbo Services Limited KTP 24_25 R3

A small engineering firm in Teesside is overhauling its factory floor to let computers and robots design and make replacement parts automatically, without human intervention at every step. Saturn Turbo Services Limited (STSL) currently relies on skilled workers to manually program machines for each new part a client needs. This is slow and expensive, and it limits how many custom components the company can produce. The problem is not unique to STSL—many small manufacturers struggle to adopt the digital tools that larger competitors already use. This project will install the software and hardware needed to create a fully digital production line, where a 3D scan of a broken part can be turned directly into a machine code that a robot arm or lathe can execute. If successful, STSL will be able to develop new optimised parts for clients far more quickly and at lower cost. The company could take on more work without adding skilled programmers, and its customers—likely in industries such as power generation or marine engineering—would receive replacement components faster. This is a practical, applied project with a clear commercial goal: to demonstrate that a small manufacturer can achieve an Industry 4.0 production environment and remain competitive against larger rivals.