Last month I covered Nano Dimension’s latest 3D printer, the DragonFly LDM, and now the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre is due to install the first of these machines to arrive in Britain in the next couple of weeks.
The MTC represents part of the British government’s national manufacturing strategy to develop new manufacturing techniques from university-based research, though from what I can see most of the British universities have their own initiatives to commercialise their research. Obviously this would make more sense if the current British government were not set on wrecking the country’s manufacturing sector through its pursuit of a no-deal Brexit though it could be argued that this will actually boost 3D print manufacturing by undermining conventional manufacturing. In any case, the MTC, based at Ansty Park in Coventry, is home to the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing, which offers integrated manufacturing and 3D printing solutions to various sectors including automotive, aerospace, defence and security.
The MTC will use the DragonFly LDM additive manufacturing system for advanced applications development, including production of devices requiring increasingly complex features, high geometrical intricacies and very small dimensions, for smart connected devices and a variety of advanced applications. As such, it will complement MTC’s existing additive manufacturing capabilities and help its industrial partners develop connected products in the UK.
Naim Kapadia, Technology Specialist, MTC, noted: “The DragonFly LDM technology further pushes the boundaries of additive manufacturing, enabling the ability to print an insulating substrate alongside conductors with very high precision.”
The MTC does already have a fair range of equipment, including a Digital Metal printer, which I’ve covered here. You can find more information on the MTC here, and on Nano Dimension here.
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