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Fortescue, an Australian mining giant, has announced the acquisition of a test, research and engineering facility in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The newly acquired test lab will play a crucial role in expanding prototype, manufacturing and testing capability says Fortescue,  enabling in-house management and control of the majority of product testing.

The R&D lab is believed to be acquired from the assets of electric truck developer Arrival.

The test lab covers 2339 square meters with multiple test cells, a workshop, a battery prototype and development area, as well as a number of test control centres and an EMC test chamber. The company is now recruiting engineers for the site close to Fortescue’s existing battery manufacturing facility in Banbury. A power supply of 2.8 MVA, to support future growth.

“This is a significant step forward for the company and demonstrates our commitment to building our electrification capability within the UK,” said Mark Hutchinson, CEO of Fortescue Energy, which owns Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE).

“For our customers, this means accelerated, and enhanced support for their testing requirements, all managed in-house. Further substantial investment in test equipment and services is also planned in the short and mid-term”

The Banbury test lab includes a 3E Laboratory and Spin Rig to assess the functional and durability performance of a Device under Test made of an electrical drive unit or a gearbox while the E-Machine Laboratory is designed to evaluate the performance of a Device under Test (DUT) made of an electric machine and inverter.

The Steering Laboratory conducts functional, categorisation, and durability tests for steering components, ensuring optimal performance and safety and the Battery Laboratory specialises in comprehensive testing of cells, modules, and battery packs to ensure their efficiency, safety, and longevity in real-world applications.

The Environmental and Vibration Laboratories are equipped with advanced testing capabilities including climatic, humidity, IPx, thermal shock, corrosion, and vibration testing to simulate harsh environmental conditions and assess product resilience while the EMC chamber provides a controlled environment for conducting EMC testing, ensuring devices meet regulatory standards for electromagnetic compatibility and immunity.

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