3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company Stratasys has partnered with the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), to spearhead the organization’s objective to demonstrate new processes and technologies that overcome barriers and push the boundaries of traditional manufacturing on an industrial scale.
Driving innovation for economic growth
Working closely with its member ‘customers’, global manufacturing companies from multiple sectors, which include the likes of Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Siemens, the MTC focuses on delivering bespoke manufacturing system solutions. The collaboration will see Stratasys work closely with the MTC to make additive manufacturing central to the projects undertaken in conjunction with its members, supporting the organization’s role to research and advise industry on the technology’s capabilities across multiple platforms. Operating from its state-of-the-art facility in Coventry, the MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which is supported by Innovate UK – the government agency tasked with identifying and driving science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy.
“We aim to inspire great British manufacturing on the global stage and central to achieving this are our partnerships with leading technology providers like Stratasys, through whom we are deploying some of the world’s most advanced, market-disruptive 3D printing based technology solutions,” says Ross Trepleton, Group Technology Manager: component technology, MTC. “Working with Stratasys, we have a clear objective to demonstrate additive manufacturing technology’s existing capabilities to our members and explore the opportunity to push the envelope in other areas,” he adds. “This includes the ability to produce end-use engineering components, as well as the capability to build complex parts with multiple materials and give multi-functionality to a single component, using 3D printing. We’re also looking at the potential to functionally grade parts by material composition.”
“The MTC is the UK’s renowned epicenter for developing and proving innovative manufacturing processes and technologies that equip companies with the know-how to compete on the global stage,” says Andy Middleton, President, Stratasys, EMEA. “This partnership and the integration of our technology solutions at the MTC underscores the fact that, more than ever, the UK is committed to exploring ways to bring growth to the UK economy and promote the real business benefits achievable from transformational technologies like additive manufacturing.
