MetalFAB1
Additive Industries first UK development facility will boast a MetalFAB1 demonstration system.
Additive Industries, a Dutch metal additive manufacturing company, is opening a development centre in the UK, expanding on the success it has generated throughout Europe.
Since the company unveiled its MetalFAB1 platform at formnext powered by TCT 2015, Additive Industries has shipped the machine to the likes of Airbus, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 and GKN. It is setting up a UK-based facility, an exact location yet to be decided, to work closely on mature applications for use in the aerospace, motorsports, and medical industries, expanding its Process & Application Development network. Additive Industries expects to have it up and running by the autumn.
The facility will be run by Dr. Mark Beard who has more than 14 years of experience in the additive manufacturing sector, and previously held the role of Technical Director at 3TRRPD, a provider of metal 3D printing in the UK. He’s of the belief that Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 can continue to have an impact on the aforementioned industries in a series production capacity.
“Over several decades, the UK has established itself as one of the global leaders in knowledge and successful application of additive manufacturing in series production and end-use components,” commented Beard. “Strong academic research and established AM users in medical, aerospace, industrial and motorsport sectors have developed a mature, standardised and qualified supply chain for these markets. The MetalFAB1 is the next logical step for these users.”
The MetalFAB1 integrates multi-laser powder bed fusion with post processing stages, to enable consistent quality and unattended operation. Additive Industries’ new facility will be home to a MetalFAB1 demonstration system and will be used for process and application development for the UK and Ireland. It will also house a team of 3D printing professionals, who will provide support companies looking to utilise the MetalFAB1 for series production across the full manufacturing process chain. The company has a range of similar facilities distributed across Europe and North America, and supplement the research and development and system integration that occurs within its Eindhoven headquarters.
