Footprint Tools, a manufacturer of traditional hand tools in the United Kingdom, is at the heart of a research project that could see Sheffield spark a recycling revolution in industrial forging that unlocks a step-change in the manufacture of safety-critical components for the aerospace, defense and energy industries using machining waste and linear hammer technology.

The Sheffield-based company with 12 employees and two robots recently unveiled the latest addition to its Admiral Works’ facility: a state-of-the-art Schuler precision linear forge, the only one of its kind in the U.K. and one of only three in Europe, according to the equipment manufacturer.