Oxon F1 exhaust manufacturer moves to new, larger factory

Oxfordshire specialist automotive exhaust manufacturer, Primary Designs has announced that it has moved to a larger new factory in Thame, Oxfordshire. The move to a purpose-built 6500 square feet factory was prompted by an increasing order book and diversification into classic, performance car and aerospace sectors, and will lead to recruitment for new manufacturing jobs at the site. Primary Designs said increased demand from Formula One, coupled with the company’s decision to grow its range for Ferraris, Porsches and other supercars as well as develop entirely new sectors had allowed it to upscale its manufacturing operation.

According to founder Pat Barrett, formerly an engineer at the Williams F1 team, Primary Designs’ F1 heritage together with the new factory, creates an opportunity to produce very high quality components for other customer groups including defence, marine and sports car owners: “The design, materials and welding technologies we have can be applied to make durable, beautifully finished exhausts that sound great and release more power and be more efficient.”

Among F1 and specialist vehicle makers such as supercar builder Koenigsegg, Primary Designs is renowned for its very high quality exhausts, often manufactured to aerospace tolerances. Unlike many exhaust suppliers, it forms its own tube rather than buying off the shelf material that may not meet its standards. It has improved its construction processes through experience and diligent training to ensure consistent, clean and contaminant free welds that offer increased durability, even when subjected to temperatures in excess of 900° C.

Barrett believes that the new factory at the Thame Park Business Centre and enlarged workforce, up by 25 per cent in the last 12 months, will help offset the seasonal demands associated with professional motorsport. This includes more work in the aerospace sector where Primary Designs’ ability to weld specialised alloys is already leading to business enquiries and development projects. “The factory is designed to be flexible; anything from a one-off system to significantly higher volumes can be accommodated,” adds Barrett.

In addition to the exhaust manufacturing, Primary Designs could offer other sub contract services such as surface finishing processes and measuring technologies that enable companies from any industry to use F1 grade equipment on an ad-hoc basis. “We had to invest in the highest standards of equipment for Formula One,” claims Barrett. “We plan to offer such services in the coming months.”