The MTC, on Ansty Park near Coventry, is to take delivery of a state-of-the-art metal binder-jetting printer that allows for the fast production of complicated and highly detailed components.
The machine, supplied by Swedish high-precision 3D printing specialist company Digital Metal, is designed for small, highly complex parts.
The digital metal binder-jetting printer will be operational next month. The equipment will be available to MTC member companies and other businesses and organisations interested in testing the technology or taking designs to prototype and pre-production level.
Says Dr David Brackett, additive manufacturing technology manager at the MTC's National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM): "Binder-jetting is a very fast technology that can create complicated and highly-detailed designs, and there is potential for wider material choices than with other metal additive manufacturing processes that require weld-able materials.
“We are delighted to offer this technology to UK companies and are inviting those that require small and highly complex metal parts to get in touch with us to see the potential this process offers for their business. We are particularly impressed by the production speed and the quality of parts produced.
"NCAM is expanding its capacity into a number of technologies which offer further capabilities over more well established additive manufacturing. This is just the start."
