Conclusion
The project not only helped promote additive manufacturing, but also created or safeguarded 100 jobs. By helping large businesses and SMEs, TWI was able to help shorten lead times for manufacture or prototyping, and show how highly complex parts could be produced to near-net-shape with a significantly reduced need for machining or finishing. Companies supported also highlighted other benefits including reduction in risk and production costs, increased profitability and environmental wins in lower waste, power consumption and materials usage.
Speaking on the project, TWI Project Leader Roger Fairclough said, “As one of the TWI engineers who has been implementing the AM-TT project by visiting companies and discussing the technology, I have been extremely encouraged in the way that companies have really shown interest and developed their use of additive manufacture during the project. TWI has been able to produce a variety of demonstration pieces 'in the metal' that can be handled and inspected, which have shown in exact detail how additive manufacture can be used in a wide variety of different industries and applications.”
TWI received lots of positive feedback from the technology transfer project, including:
- “Opening opportunities for new business. Helped future thinking”
- “Fantastic service and facilities”
- “Contributed to knowledge and understanding of AM, leading to a strengthened capability. This has helped lay the foundations for a move into AM production”
- “Provided a springboard for further work. The output of the support was put to work with a customer who was delighted. Now having work done by AM as a result of project support.”
- “The company is now keen to take AM further”
You can find out more about additive manufacturing at TWI here.