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The new brand was developed following the acquisition of a Leamington Spa-based automotive engineering firm by the Liberty House Group in December 2015. Liberty House is a fully integrated supplier of metals, downstream steel products and advanced engineering solutions, with a substantial footprint in the Midlands and in excess of 1,200 employees in the region. The business delivers value to a number of customers, especially in the automotive sector, through innovation driven by a strategy that ranges from renewable liquid steel to high end engineering products.
920Engineering’s first new offering to the market is a ground-breaking product, aimed at reducing mass and improving braking system performance. Its design incorporates a fully-integrated, park brake mechanism within the envelope of an opposed piston rear caliper. The result is decreased complexity, reduced component count and significant mass reduction against current, comparable performance sliding calipers, whilst also offering greater suitability across a wider range of platforms.
The new streamlined braking solution, which will be targeted at a range of OEMs, delivers a number of benefits, such as a 30%+ reduction in un-sprung mass over equivalent sliding calipers. Its innovative mechanism, which is fully integrated into the space envelope of a standard opposed piston rear caliper, offers improved and simplified packaging opportunities and a clean external profile without the need to extend the caliper body or add additional parkbrake mechanisms. In addition, its design has allowed for opposed piston calipers, normally reserved for performance platforms, to be brought into mainstream automotive manufacturing.
All of these unique design elements mean that, not only does the finished product offer OEMs a sleek and contemporary styling; the refinements brought about by this exceptionally engineered solution harness the latest in high performance caliper design while delivering improved braking feel and performance.
Anthony Blackwell, Managing Director at 920Engineering, said: “Recent years have seen a huge shift in the application of light-weighting and technology within the automotive industry, areas that are traditionally reserved for motorsport. This has totally transformed the demands of OEM customers.
“The creation of our fully-integrated park brake is a reflection of this. We threw the traditional rule book out of the window and designed a ground-breaking new product that we believe addresses the requirements of forward thinking automotive manufacturing.
“For us it’s all about utilising the latest technology and our engineering expertise in order to deliver a commercially viable solution for mainstream OEMs. Each and every application we design needs to be the best it can possibly be. Excellence is in the detail.”
Douglas Dawson, Chief Executive of Liberty Industries Group, commented: “With the launch of 920E, Liberty has vastly increased its engineering capability and is now able to offer new technologies into one of its core markets – the automotive industry.”
Executive Chairman of the Liberty House Group, Sanjeev Gupta said: “This exciting new product is a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of our fully integrated supply chain approach. By creating expertise and developing market leading solutions at every stage of the manufacturing process - from liquid steel production and distribution through to value added advanced engineering products and services – we are delivering innovative solutions to industry both in the UK and further afield.”
“The fully integrated park brake, designed at our Leamington Spa facility, was created by a young and ambitious engineering team, looking to bring a step change into the sector. This vision is key to Liberty’s philosophy of re-engineering the steel and manufacturing industries in the UK, and we will continue to work closely with universities and industry bodies, to seek and attract bright young minds that will help us to deliver this vision.”
Currently in pre-production, the fully-integrated park brake will be ready for delivery to OEMs later in 2016.
Background: 920Engineering
920 Engineering (920E) has a rich and impressive heritage. Founded in 1920 as Automotive Products, the iconic British brakes manufacturer is possibly best known as AP Lockheed, and has an impressive legacy of automotive product design and development.
The business boasts an impressive range of products spanning, classic cars, performance vehicles, motorsport, electric, military, off-road and light commercial vehicles. It is widely recognized for its long standing supply of braking systems to the iconic Land Rover Defender platform but has also supplied Aston Martin, Alvis, Austin Healey, Bedford, Citroen, Daimler, Ford, Hillman, Humber, Jaguar, Jenson, Lagonda, MG, Riley, Rover, Saab, Standard, Sunbeam-Talbot, Triumph, Vauxhall, and Volvo.
920Engineering also provides high performance braking systems for NASCAR and GT vehicles with previous experience supplying the Volkswagen Cup Series and Renault Euro Series. In addition, the company designed the braking system fitted on the iconic Caparo T1.
In line with its notable legacy the strategic focus for 920E is on top level core product design and manufacturing, with a particular focus on innovation.
The unveiling of the 920e fully integrated parkbrake is the first step in a strategic plan that will provide the automotive industry with a new generation of finely engineered, high performance vehicle braking systems and components.
Background: Liberty House Group
920 Engineering’s ultimate parent company, Liberty House Group is an international business, specialising in metals trading as well as the manufacture and distribution of steel and advanced engineering products. Operating from four strategically positioned financial hubs in London, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, the Group has sites in Europe, Africa, the Far and Middle East, Australia and North America. With a network of offices spread across 30 countries around the world, its current turnover is approximately US $4.3 billion and it employs circa 3,000 people globally.
Liberty House Group has two main operating arms – Liberty Commodities and Liberty Industries. Liberty Commodities is a comprehensive services provider to the global steel and metal industries. It specialises in the provision of innovative trade and supply chain solutions, including financing options, to its clients through an international network developed over a quarter of a century. Liberty Industries contains the majority of the Group’s manufacturing capacity. It is a fully integrated global industrial business delivering a large range of engineering solutions - from liquid steel production and distribution through to value added advanced engineering products and services - across many sectors.
Globally, the Liberty House Group is focused on creating a sustainable, balanced international business that is non-cyclical, environmentally conscious and socially responsible, and has an integrated and agile business model.
