Arridex Expands 3D Printing Network to Ghana

Ngeria-based Arridex has deep experience in oil and gas additive manufacturing. Previously known as RusselSmith, the firm has in-house metal and polymer additive technology. The company is making 3D printed approved parts in polymer and has worked with BLT on metal LPBF and Spee3D on cold spray additive, and worked on a digital inventory solution as well. Arridex opened a new facility, the Omnifactory, and wants to expand its manufacturing throughout the region. It has now added a Ghana Node to its Africa Distributed Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) Network. Arridex partnered with Ghanaian firm Sodah Engineering and Logistics Limited and hopes to target defense as well as energy, mining, and maritime.

Arridex Group CEO Kayode Adeleke said,

“Across Africa, industry does not stop for want of ambition or for want of talent; many times, it stops for want of a critical part in a piece of legacy equipment. Today, we begin a borderless manufacturing network, conceived to rewrite how manufacturing and maintenance happens across our continent. By expanding our footprint into Ghana, we are establishing the core building blocks of a seamlessly connected, tech-driven manufacturing network that empowers local industries to produce high-value components on demand and build operational resilience.”

Meanwhile, Sodah Engineering Managing Director Dr. Tesa D. Ayernor stated,

“When a critical part fails in Ghana today, industry can wait months for a replacement to arrive from another continent, and that wait is one of the largest undiscussed costs in our economy. The ADAM network presents an opportunity for the region to leapfrog into the future, going far beyond solving supply chain problems for industries to establishing true manufacturing capability. As the first node of the ADAM Network, Ghana has the opportunity to model what is possible for every node that follows on the continent.”

The duo will work on training and industry outreach over the coming months, while connecting Ghanaian companies to Arridex’s manufacturing capabilities in Lagos. Arridex hopes to connect fifteen countries to its network, with up to 25 partners. Arridex’s approach is very powerful. It aims to become the de facto 3D printing partner for the region. Not many additive firms are active in Africa, and it’s not an area of focus for services or OEMs.

Meanwhile, Africa is a significant opportunity. With the war in Ukraine showcasing what 3D printing can do for defense, local defense departments are bound to be curious about the technology. With 3D printing, it can also be easier for them to repair existing kit, adapt new equipment, or localize things. At the same time, additive manufacturing can help defense departments build parts locally, enabling them to build their own vehicles and the like. 3D printing can be the missing piece for governments that wish to produce key military goods locally. Building the entire supply chain would be cost-prohibitive, but making some items locally, leveraging existing local capacity, and combining them with foreign goods and additive manufacturing could be an enticing option for local defense departments. I’m pretty sure that, just like defense departments around the world, African defense organizations are looking at drones and 3D printing at the moment. And energy firms in the region are definitely looking at additive manufacturing. Arridex is steadily building out its network and capacity. If the firm continues, it could become the leading 3D printing player in the region or perhaps across the entire continent.