Additive Manufacturing has been successfully integrated into many different businesses and industries throughout the UK, and there’s no better time to get involved.
First adopted as a means of Rapid Prototyping (RP), and brought to the attention of the whole sector under the banner of Time Comprehension Technologies (TCT) by the Rapid News Group. This was already decades ago, and so today we have come to know these technologies as 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing (AM).
The sudden growth of Additive manufacturing has really come about because of the early adoption by four key sectors – Motorsports, Aerospace, Medical, and Energy.
Who’s using 3D Printing?
Motorsports
Dominated by F1 racing, the teams involved with this sport were quick to understand the advantage of being able to iteratively produce the parts they needed directly with metal AM technologies. In a world where designs do change every season, and can change for every race, it’s only AM that can offer this level of flexibility and delivery.
Aerospace
A sector that is tightly controlled by regulations and standards, where nothing is developed and used quickly has found that AM can still vastly compress time to market. Changing the way some parts are designed and manufactured the biggest gains have been in reducing the buy-to-fly ratio, and assembly requirements of complex parts.
Medical
First employed in the filed of dentistry, AM shot to popularity because of the ease to mass customise any object. Crowns, bridges, retainers, and implants are all easily made to each patients specific designs. This quickly spread to orthopaedic implants and instruments, and now has mass market penetration.
Energy
From Oil & Gas exploration and extraction, to clean energy technologies AM has been making a really significant impact. Allowing for a more economic route to refurbish existing parts, eliminating long lead time processes, and to reduce the risk of product developments AM has been central to many recent successes in this sector.
Cool Examples of AM
Real AM parts in the real World
Flippin’eck
F1 cars need to be very strong and a driver’s life can depend on the roll hoop. AM is what was protecting this driver!
Empty space
This space-aged design was the first example of a weight reduced bracket used on a launched communications satellite.
(Source: Airbus Defence & Space)
Back to front
This incredible innovation using AM allows disc surgery to be carried out through the stomach rather than the more complicated route from the back.
(Source: Ranier Technology)
A burning desire
One of the earliest adopters of AM , Siemens, have been able to radically change the design of this burner unit using AM.
(Source: Siemens Energy)
Join the Next Industrial Revolution!
Today there is hardly any sector that isn’t already make significant advances with the help of Additive Manufacturing. From Agriculture, Food Industry and Health Care to Automotive, Marine and Space Exploration.
Read more about our services and book an Assessment to see how AM can transform your business.
Additive Manufacturing has proven routes to lowering emissions, and helps you to be more sustainable by opening up ways for you to meet your obligations to achieving Net Zero.