Leitat TWI
Left to right: Dirk Saseta Krieg, Projects Director, Leitat, Tat-Hean Gan, Director of Innovation and Skills, TWI and Amro Satti, Proposal Manager, Leitat.
Manufacturing research organisation TWI has teamed up with Spanish technical institute Leitat to co-develop 3D printing solutions for a range of industrial markets.
The partners will focus solely on the European market to advance the implementation of ‘industry 4.0’ technologies, with a particular emphasis on the utilisation of 3D printing. Through the collaboration, they will work on competitive proposals in a number of areas including advanced materials, nanotechnology, manufacturing and artificial intelligence, and target industries like automotive, aerospace and oil & gas.
For their 3D printing endeavours, TWI and Leitat will look to harness Spain’s 3D Factory Incubator, a hub designed to promote the adoption of 3D printing by SMEs of which Leitat is a founder member. Leitat also brings experience of working with SMEs to implement 3D printing technology, train staff and identify suitable business cases, while the organisation also has links to the International Advanced Manufacturing 3D Hub (IAM 3D HUB). TWI supplements this repertoire of knowledge and connections with its own expertise in the 3D printing value chain, from design and build optimisation to producing functional parts. Industrial partners of TWI can also garner the organisation’s support for feasibility studies and material and process selection.
“This collaboration agreement will allow Leitat to continue its development at international level within strategic areas,” commented Dirk Saseta Krieg, Projects Director at Leitat. “Leitat has been focusing on AM since the very beginning and we aim to continue strengthening our position with such partnerships.”
“We look forward to combining TWI’s additive manufacturing capabilities and in-depth experience of bidding for, and winning, public funding for collaborative projects with our new partner Leitat’s considerable expertise in 3D printing technologies and wider role in the IAM 3D HUB,” added Tat-Hean Gan, Director of Innovation and Skills at TWI. “This will enable us to work in partnership to nurture the development of SMEs working towards additive manufacturing adoption.”
