Engine assembly services
Engine assembly and sub-assembly services
Full-service quality assured engine assembly solutions for traditional and alternative fuels supplied in niche volumes.
Engines built to specification by our specialist technical team
Our engine assembly clients trust Ricardo with their most demanding build programmes in industries where performance, reliability durability, and quality are critical.
Our expert technicians and industrialisation specialists take on niche volume assemblies of traditional ICE engines, hydrogen engines, and other alternative fuelled engines.
Our services ranging from hand-built prototype and pilot volumes right through to series production with the option to create flexible semi-automated production lines capable of producing thousands of high-quality products annually.
We work closely with our clients to create an assembly programme tailored to their unique requirements, either setting up production at one of our global technical centres or establishing a dedicated facility at another location of our clients' choosing.
Highlights
Ricardo congratulates McLaren on the reveal of the new W1 supercar
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Ricardo and McLaren renew engine supply agreement
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Ricardo and McLaren Automotive announce long-term multi-year V8 engine supply agreement partnership for future high-performance hybrid powertrains
Read press releaseShoreham-by-Sea engine assembly facility
We have been building engines for all manner of applications at Ricardo for over 100 years. From high performance engines for hypercar right through to defence and marine applications. In that time, we have developed our niche volume engine assembly service down to a fine art.
Our experienced team deliver quality-assured engine build programmes from our IATF-accredited facility in Shoreham-by-Sea. This facility currently averages 100 engines per week which are continuously assembled and tested to the most exacting OEM standards. Our quality-focussed assembly line with high levels of automation and in-process checking to maximise 6-sigma performance.
Our experienced team delivers engine assembly services using a proven New Product Introduction framework which means that we are able to establish flexible assembly lines in a location optimised for the production programme.
By applying the latest in production scheduling and lean techniques together with high automation and no-fault-forward checking, our assembly lines are designed for efficiency and adaptability to meet changing market demands.
Facility overview
The facility incorporates best practice lean manufacturing principles and is a showcase for Ricardo know-how.
- 13 station assembly process
- 10 station main assembly line plus;
- Break-in pass-off (BIPO) rig/de-rig
- BIPO cell
- 88-point pre-delivery inspection (PDI)
- 6 station cylinder head sub-assembly line
- 45-minute Takt time
- Single Piece Flow (1 engine per station)
- Minimal in process stock
- Line-side delivery of components into flow racks
- 2,000 engines per year (single shift)
Facility build support
Ricardo's industrialisation consultants have decades of experience bringing niche volume mechanical products from concept through to production.
For clients who would like their engines built in a dedicated facility, we offer facility build and specification support supported by our New Product Introduction (NPI) experts. They provide expert consultation on all aspects of bringing a new engine product to market - including facility specification, supply chain selection and management, and production engineering support.
Markets we service
We offer our engine assembly programmes to a wide range of market sectors.
Motorsport
Motorsport is in our DNA. We offer engine assembly solutions in batch sizes suited to the unique requirements of each championship series. We have decades of experience effortlessly managing cyclical and seasonal demand to give our customers the flexibility they need for the assembly of their specialist engine products.
Performance automotive
Ricardo is perhaps best known for our work in supporting performance automotive OEMs to design and assemble world-class engines to go into their premium road car products. We are also able to support specialised vehicle platforms that have complex performance requirements such as emergency services vehicles.
Defence
Ricardo partners with prime contractors, vehicle design authorities and tiered suppliers across the global defence sector. Our engine build programmes support the demanding most defence applications, prioritising reliability, availability and performance whilst maximising value for our clients.
Off-highway
Ricardo can take on engine assemblies for off-highway applications from agriculture and construction to industrial machinery and power generation applications. We build on our experience in adjacent markets which share the requirement for prioritising reliability, durability, and performance without compromising on cost-effectiveness.
Marine
Ricardo provides engine assemblies to support both inboard and outboard motor programmes for small to mid size marine vessels for a variety of applications. From leisure craft to working vessels, we align our capability in adjacent markets to best suit our clients' applications.
Engine assembly services Resources
