Birmingham-based Dunlop Aircraft Tyres, the world's only specialist aircraft tyre company, has strengthened its research, quality and production teams with three key appointments.

Dr Aditya Deshpande joins in the newly-created role of finite element analyst. Part of the company's research team, Aditya is responsible for using this powerful design and analysis tool to accelerate the introduction of next generation aircraft tyres into the market.

He joins from the University of Nottingham, where he had been a research fellow and had been involved in projects with BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.

Meanwhile, Dave Smith, Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' new quality manager, arrives from Dana Spicer Axles with responsibility for all areas of quality assurance including system and regulatory management, health and safety and training.

His first major tasks involve assessing the company's current quality system and establishing opportunities for improvement, identifying the composition of a new system and then facilitating and project managing the change throughout the company.

Finally, a new factory technical manager has been appointed to focus on optimising the company's production processes to ensure that aircraft tyres are manufactured in the most efficient way.

Jeremy Braisier-Creagh was previously production manager at medical home care and mobility products manufacturer Sunrise Medical and he started his engineering career in Dunlop Tyres' commercial vehicle division.

"These appointments reaffirm our commitment to expansion through innovation," said Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' chairman Ian Edmondson.

"While we have been celebrating our proud history during the company's centenary this year, we have also been very much looking to the future and have made several significant investments in new people and equipment.

"These latest appointments will help us be at the leading-edge of product design with our eye firmly on quality and the efficient manufacturing of new tyres."