Grainger & Worrall races to King’s Award for Innovation with casting breakthrough

A global leader in complex aluminium sand castings has secured the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation after pioneering a new breakthrough in developing lightweight structures for electric vehicles.

Grainger & Worrall, which employs 525 people at its state-of-the-art facility in Bridgnorth, is one of only 46 organisations to be recognised in the high-profile category and this latest ‘win’ follows three previous Queen’s Award successes.

The company’s critical role in supporting the world’s pursuit for lightweight components played a key role in its recent triumph.

Significant investment in R&D, combined with the firm’s unrivalled technical expertise, has seen it develop ‘gigacastings’, which not only reduce vehicle weight but also enhance structural performance and ease of assembly.

Grainger & Worrall has developed methods to produce prototype gigacastings rapidly and consistently so that they perform like ‘die-castings’ made for high volume cars and off highway production.

This gives customers the opportunity to test vehicle designs quickly before committing to expensive production equipment.

“There is no bigger business accolade than the King’s Award for Enterprise, so we are thrilled and honoured to claim our fourth award, an achievement that puts us in an elite group of companies that have won so many,” explained Duncan Eldridge, Chief Executive Officer of Grainger & Worrall.

“This achievement reflects the dedication, creativity and expertise of our talented team, who relentlessly strive to push the boundaries of what is possible in aluminium casting technology.

“Our development of prototype gigacastings is a perfect example of this and is not just a response to industry needs, but also represents our commitment to sustainability. Innovation is the cornerstone of our success and will help drive our growth both in the UK and in the dozens of international markets we serve.”

Grainger & Worrall has consistently set the standard for excellence in the manufacturing of high-performance engine and gearbox castings.

Over the decades, the Bridgnorth-based firm has expanded its portfolio to include castings for electric vehicles, defence, marine and infrastructure applications, earning a reputation as one of the world’s leading providers.

Following a management buyout in 2023, the company has maximised its technical capabilities to add more ‘blue chip’ customers and build on an impressive pipeline of new business in sectors keen to tap into its complex aluminium casting capabilities.

Duncan concluded: “The King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation is revered across the world and will support our desire to push technology - born in Shropshire - to customers in existing and emerging international markets.

“We are putting Bridgnorth on the global map when it comes to producing components that will help drive sustainable manufacturing for years to come.”