NATEP, an Aerospace Growth Partnership initiative, is an industry-led program that supports UK companies in the aerospace industry developing innovative technologies.
“We are very pleased to have been awarded NATEP funding for this exciting project,” said Mike Bond, Director of Advanced Material Technology at Aeromet. “By working with our partners, we hope to further develop our powder technology and create a new option for high strength additive manufactured parts. NATEP is a great way for innovative companies to come together to develop cutting edge technologies.”
“Rolls-Royce are excited to participate in this project and contribute to the development of this very promising new aluminium alloy,” said Paul Murray, Principal Materials Engineer at Rolls-Royce. “NATEP is a proven programme with a strong track record of supporting innovation in the UK aerospace supply chain.”
Aeromet has led two collaborative development projects through NATEP, and is actively engaged in cross-industry, collaborative R&D projects funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute. The company is also highly involved in the UK government’s industrial strategy for aerospace, known as the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which in turn is part of the Sharing in Growth program, a 2013 initiative to increase the productivity and effectiveness of the UK aerospace supply chain.
“PSI are very pleased to be a partner in this project which aligns very well with our strategy of optimising powders for additive manufacturing,” said Dr. Gordon Kerr of PSI Ltd. “PSI technology combines VIM with inert gas atomisation and this project will utilise our knowledge of processing and handling aluminium alloy powders.”
These companies will work together to develop what is already an extremely promising material into something that could prove central to increasing the use of additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry.
Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.
[Images: Aeromet]