Astor Defence, a leading military packaging company based in the UK, has won two awards in the 2024 Army Technology Excellence Awards, in the Investments and Business Expansion categories.
The Army Technology Excellence Awards celebrate the greatest achievements and innovations in the defence industry. Powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence, the programme provides a platform to recognize the people and companies that are driving change in the industry.
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Astor Defence won the awards for its substantial investments in a new advanced manufacturing facility, enhancing production and testing capabilities for military packaging, and for expanding its business operations, which bolstered local employment and underscored its commitment to national industry support.
“We are absolutely delighted to have won these awards in recognition of the substantial investment we have made in our facilities which will enable us to offer superior products, customised solutions and shorter lead times for our customers” – Henry Turnbull, MD, Astor Defence
Strategic investment in advanced manufacturing facilities
Astor Defence’s decision to channel over £2.1 million into a new, state-of-the-art production facility on the South Coast of England demonstrates their dedication to maintaining a competitive edge in the defence sector. The investment includes a bespoke six-stage Zinc Phosphate Pre-treatment Plant, which adheres to the rigorous military specification TTC490. This plant, along with a fully-automated Powder Coating and Wet Paint Line, will significantly increase production capacity to more than 5,000 boxes per day, meeting the growing needs of defence clients with efficiency and precision.
The facility will also house an advanced Limitronic V7 UV print line, alongside other specialised equipment such as Press Machines, the Dycometal SSC 2000 salt fog corrosion chamber, as well as a state-of-the-art testing laboratory. The total area of the new factory exceeds 32,000m2 (344,445ft2), providing ample space for increased stock levels and reducing lead times for order fulfilment – a critical factor for defence contractors operating on tight schedules.
Catalysing business expansion through military packaging innovation
Astor Defence’s expansion extends beyond manufacturing prowess; it also includes a comprehensive strategy for military packaging innovation. The new facility’s in-house laboratory, outfitted with the latest testing equipment, facilitate stringent testing of ammunition containers. This capability ensures that products adhere to the highest standards of quality, robustness and safety, which are critical for military applications.
The investment in testing infrastructure, including Tensile Weld Test machines, CMM machines, Elevated Temperature Ovens and Weathering Chambers plus Applied Vacuum Engineering Test Chambers, enables Astor Defence to be capable of performing all required testing internally. This strategic move is in line with the current economic and political focus on bolstering national manufacturing industries.
Stimulating local employment and economy
Astor Defence’s expansion is poised to positively impact the local economy, with an initiative to triple their workforce, creating job opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers in Southampton and Portsmouth. This growth not only benefits the local economy but also contributes to the broader goal of supporting national manufacturing industries, a priority for the UK, US, and European governments.
Company Profile
Astor Defence Ltd’s experience and expertise within the Defence Industry dates back to 1942 and World War Two, when the Royal Ordnance factories supplied the British Army with both weapons and military equipment. Since this time, they have been designing, manufacturing and testing packaging, storage and transit solutions for a diverse range of high value weapons, explosive and military components and other high value, sensitive equipment. They manufacture in metal, timber and plastic and produce packaging for small, medium and large caliber ammunition.
Astor operates a 200,000ft2 factory with five production lines capable of producing over 150,000 ammunition boxes every month. In addition, the new 32,000m2 facility on the South Coast of England includes a fully automated, state-of-the-art zinc phosphate powder coating and paint line together with all in-house environmental, laboratory and destructive testing facilities ensuring that all products are manufactured and tested in accordance with the required military specification.
Their superior knowledge of the quality procedures required by the Defence Industry, both for Europe and the USA, means that their products will have passed rigorous testing procedures and strict quality protocols, all carried out in-house. Furthermore, the company holds stock of their main product lines enabling them to offer short lead times to meet urgent operational requirements, which is becoming vital in today’s uncertain times.
Innovation and excellence are at the heart of the company’s ethos. It is their care and attention to detail that enable them to stand out from other manufacturers and be the sole source supplier of metal ammunition boxes to the British Army and a prime supplier to NATO forces and the US Government plus many of the world’s major munitions manufacturers. Over the next few months, Astor Defence will be undertaking various further First Article Acceptance Tests with representatives of the US Army and other prime American ammunition manufacturers who will be visiting the new UK facility. Astor has already secured orders for 60 and 81mm mortar containers with further orders in the pipeline.
Contact Details
Henry Turnbull
Managing Director
Astor Defence Ltd
E-mail: henry@astordefence.com
Links:
Website: https://astordefence.com/
