UCT to Serve Overseas Clients Better with Largest 3D Printing Facility in Southeast Asia

September 28, 2015 by Bridget O'Neal 3D Printing Business

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Many say that Singapore is one of the top places to do business. With its location in the heart of Southeast Asia, the island country thrives as a center of commerce on land, as well as a maritime hub. They are all about business, and the government makes it easy for companies there, with few obstacles to overcome in creating profitable new entities, as well as offering a very low taxing system.

The engaging city is famous for networking and finance, food, and fun, and holds a population well known for their affinity toward technology, and that’s integrated into all sectors–with an emphasis from the government as they instill technology in education, startups that are beginning to cluster heavily, as well as a general enthusiastic attitude from the public. The technology of 3D printing certainly has not been overlooked, and now Singapore is about to become the home of the largest 3D printing factory in southeast Asia.

Opening today in the district of Woodlands, Ultra Clean Holdings (UCT) spent S$5 million to open the enormous commercial facility which currently boasts fifteen 3D printers to start, meant to provide services for clients in the aerospace and medical industries. Their mission with the Singapore factory is to have much more rapid access to their clients in Asia, with a factory positioned right at the gateway to Malaysia.

Lavi Lev

Lavi Lev, senior vice president for Asia at UCT, has reported that they actually launched the facility nearly a year ago, but only ‘in a semi-functional state.’ Their goal all along has been to focus not so much on highly sensationalized innovations but the more utilitarian purposes 3D printing can offer to manufacturing in terms of high-quality parts.

“The establishment of UCT’s additive manufacturing facility reflects Singapore’s progression towards advanced manufacturing and engineering,” said Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, which supports the facility.
“Companies can tap into Singapore’s base of skilled engineering talent, industry-focused public research and development ecosystem … to develop better products and services to serve their growing Asian customer base.”

Not only can the facility offer services that allow for 3D printing with metal finishes like gold, silver, ceramic, but they offer a total of 17 different options for materials in 3D printing. For individuals and smaller firms that are clients, UCT directs them to i.materialise, where they can upload their 3D models and allow the Belgium-based 3D printing service printing bureau to fulfill their needs.

While UCT has had an office in Singapore since 2009, this marks their entry into the 3D printing market in Asia full-force–and they are certainly not the only ones there offering the technology. While there is some competition already, UCT plans to cater to the ‘serious side’ of manufacturing. UCT also has multiple offices in the US, Shanghai, and one in the Philippines.