www.3ders.org

Sep 28, 2015 | By Alec

While companies like Shapeways dominate the 3D printing market here in the West, 3D printing service supplier Ultra Clean Asia Pacific seems to be busy taking over the market in South-east Asia. Perhaps better known as UCT, they have just announced the launch of a gigantic 3D printing facility in Singapore. Called the UCT Additive Manufacturing Center Pte Ltd., this new center for commercial 3D printing will be the largest of its kind in the already bustling South-east Asia 3D printing market.

To explain, Ultra Clean Asia Pacific (UCT) is a Nasdaq-listed company with an excellent reputation and lots of experience in commercial 3D printing. Founded in Japan in 1991, they were originally affiliated to Mitsubishi before going solo in 2004. In December 2014, they also founded a partnership with Belgian giants i.materialise. Asian-based customers who purchase from i.materialise will receive their 3D printed products from Singapore instead of delivering them from the other side of the world.

UCT offers a wide variety of 3D printing technique options, including FDM 3D printing, Poly jet modeling, SLA and SLS metal 3D printing, DMLS (Direct metal laser sintering), full color powder binding and wax jetting. They also offer a variety of services, really anything from design optimization to tooling and obsolete parts manufacturing.

But with this new 3D printing facility, UCT seems to be taking things to a completely new level. Located in Woodlands in Singapore, this new UCT Additive Manufacturing Center will rely on its extensive manufacturing experience to greatly increase their manufacturing capacity. Seeking to be available throughout the area, the Woodlands facility has already announced that they will house a complete menu for 3D printed manufacturing. Think prototyping, part optimization, 3D engineering, virtual warehousing and of course large scale manufacturing of consumer parts. According to the company, the new factory is able to print in 17 materials, including (precious) metals and ceramics plus over 70 combinations of materials and finishes.

This high quality 3D printing center will of course be open to all parties, but has been specifically planned with an eye on industrial applications. Among the targeted parties are the semiconductor industry, and the multi-billion industries like aerospace, dental and medical sectors, and numerous others. Lavi Lev, the senior Vice President of the UCT’s Asia Division, said that this new center will also be open to individuals and small companies to avoid the need for capital equipment investment.

While thus focusing on expanding their manufacturing capacity, this innovation is also riding on an expanding 3D printing market in South-east Asia, they say. ‘The establishment of UCT’s additive manufacturing facility reflects Singapore’s progression towards advanced manufacturing and engineering,' Mr Lim Kok Kiang, the assistant managing director of the Economic Development Board, which has supported the development of this brand new 3D printing facility.

Posted in 3D Printing Services

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