Additive Manufacturing Advancing the South East

The WIT-led AMASE: Additive Manufacturing Advancing the South East The Strengthening has been approved under the Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3 (Innovation and Agility) and has been awarded € 2,152,349.

This proposal is being led by the School of Engineering in Waterford Institute of Technology in partnership with: the Faculty of Engineering in the Institute of Technology Carlow; the Engineering the South East Cluster; and nine leading companies in the South East and wider Southern Region – Stryker, Boston Scientific, Bausch & Lomb, Jabil, Waters, Sulzer, DPF Engineering, Keenan-Alltech and Glanbia. All partners will contribute to the design and delivery of this innovative blended programme.

3D

The WIT School of Engineering through its SEAM research centre is a leader in the development of Additive Manufacturing, frequently referred to as 3D Printing. SEAM established the 3DWIT facility in 2019 for 3D printing and training and this will be central to the project. The funding will enable the development and implementation of a new and unique degree programme in Additive Manufacturing.

The funding will enable the development and implementation of a new and unique Degree Programme in Additive Manufacturing. This will incorporate 5 no. Embedded Awards: Introduction to Additive Manufacturing; Designing for Additive Manufacturing – DFAM; Additive Manufacturing Health & Safety and Regulatory Affairs; Additive Manufacturing Technologies & Post Processing; and Additive Manufacturing Applied Project.

Future Vision

Dr Ken Thomas, Head of the School of Engineering, said: “Additive Manufacturing is both the present and the future for many of the companies in region. Not only is very significant investment in new technology required, it is also absolutely vital to have personnel with the new knowledge and skills. This funding will lead to a higher-skilled workforce, sustainable employment, more and better jobs.

The new technologies and their adoption by industry are having a transformative impact on high value Med-Tech, Bio-Pharma, Aerospace, Agri-Tech and Precision Engineering. The key features of Additive Manufacturing include:

• designing and producing complex components more efficiently, including less waste;
• surpassing limitations of conventional technologies – lighter and stronger in many cases;
• experimenting with alternative options – rapid innovation of bespoke solutions.