A STIRLING business set up by a former footballer is set to increase the number of parts it makes for Formula 1 cars from next season after taking delivery of an £800,000 metal 3D printer.

CA Models has purchased a German-manufactured device which is capable of printing bespoke 3D designs in aluminium. The firm claims to be the first in the UK to offer such a service.

The investment, which was funded with support from Clydesdale Bank, allows the business to embark on a wider growth strategy.

Owner and managing director of CA Models, Clark Campbell, said: “Formula 1 is a sector we expect to see growth in. We’re already getting orders in for components for next year’s cars, which are even more technically advanced than this year’s.”

Mr Campbell left school at 15 to become a professional footballer with stints at West Bromwich Album and St Johnstone before an injury cut his career short.

He then took up an engineering apprenticeship as a pattern maker before founding CA Models in 1983, aged 25.

Mr Campbell said the company – which has 34 employees – was hoping to implement ISO 9001 accreditation in the next 18 months, which will elevate its existing status as a supplier in aerospace and defence.

The business also supplies products to the automotive oil and gas, medical device and product design industries.

“The metal 3D printer helps us to create components in a quicker, more cost effective and precise way than traditional machining,” said Mr Campbell. “This sets us apart from our competitors and provides a solid platform to build future growth.”

Mr Campbell explained that companies looking for prototypes or parts would traditionally send designs to machining firms who could take weeks to produce the components.

“With our new equipment, we can generate a physical model from its design within a day or two,” he said.