Additive Industries MetalFAB1
Additive Industries' MetalFAB1.
Premium AEROTEC subsidiary APWORKS will begin to focus on the series production of certified aerospace parts produced with Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 3D printing platform.
The companies have been partners since March 2016 when APWORKS installed the first MetalFAB1 beta system. Operating out of Taufkirchen near Munich, APWORKS has routinely worked on the development and production of complex parts in non-regulated industries, like automotive and robotics, while also putting emphasis on materials and software development. Both parties have now agreed to advance their collaboration, progressing to the development of certified aerospace applications and transferring to the UK.
It has been decided efforts for this next phase of the partnership would be better placed in Additive Industries’ Process & Application Development Center on the aerospace campus in Filton, near Bristol. This facility was announced last year, with the UK being described by Dr. Mark Beard, who oversees operations at the location, as ‘a global leader in the successful application of additive manufacturing in series production and end-use components.’ Beard will work closely with APWORKS' Chief Product Officer Jonathan Meyer, who will combine the expertise of their teams to further qualify and certify aerospace parts additively manufactured in nickel based alloys, such as Inconel 718.
“We believe metal additive manufacturing will continue to evolve into a mature fabrication technology and prove to be able to compete with conventional processes like casting, machining and powder metallurgy,” commented Joachim Zettler, CEO of APWORKS. “In the next years, we expect this market to continuously and rapidly grow and especially in the aerospace industry, new aeroplanes and aeroengines will contain a substantial number of parts that are additively manufactured.”
“We are proud to continue our journey from prototyping to series production with APWORKS, our first customer and one of the frontrunners in our industry,” added Daan Kersten, CEO of Additive Industries.
