TWI and Leitat to collaborate on accelerating Additive Manufacturing adoption
March 5, 2020
TWI Ltd, headquartered in Great Abington, Cambridge, UK, has partnered with Leitat, a technical institute based in Barcelona, Spain, to develop Additive Manufacturing solutions for a range of industries. According to TWI, the organisations will work under the umbrella of the TWI Innovation Network and link to Spain’s 3D Factory Incubator, the first of its kind in Europe for AM technologies and of which Leitat is a founding member.
The arrangement will see TWI and Leitat collaborate on competitive proposals in advanced materials, nanotechnology, information communications technology (ICT), manufacturing and artificial intelligence (AI). The aim is to develop projects which will lead to new solutions in Additive Manufacturing for industries including automotive, aerospace, oil and gas and more.
Under the partnership, TWI is expected to bring its experience in the complete AM value chain, including design and build optimisation, prototyping, performance validation and product industrialisation. TWI explains that its Industrial Members have access to wide range of support in AM including feasibility studies, numerical modelling and topology optimisation, material and process selection, testing and compliance with relevant standards.
Leitat states that it will contribute its knowledge of guiding companies, specifically SMEs and micro-SMEs, on their journey to AM adoption, from experimenting, testing and metrology, end-to-end solutions design and implementation, through to addressing industrial needs in AM by research and development, and training and education in associated technologies.
The institute’s leading role in the 3D Factory Incubator for AM technology innovation also provides further benefits via its connection to the International Advanced 3D Manufacturing 3D Hub (IAM 3D HUB), the leading digital innovation hub dedicated to Additive Manufacturing.
“This collaboration agreement will allow Leitat to continue its development at an 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.”
Tat-Hean Gan, Director of Innovation and Skills at TWI, stated, “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. This will enable us to work in partnership to nurture the development of SMEs working towards Additive Manufacturing adoption.”
