Dec 16, 2015 | By Kira
Spanish aviation leader Aciturri Aeronautics has recognized 3D printing and additive manufacturing as the future of the aviation industry, and is looking to form strong technical partnerships with 3D printing specialists as a key business strategy. Thus, the aviation company has partnered with Prodintec, an Asturias-based technology center specialized in industrial design and advanced manufacturing, to open a 3D printing factory in the city of Gijon. The project will see Aciturri invest between €10-12 million over the next five to ten years, with the aim of developing knowledge and applications related to 3D printing in the aviation industry.
Íñigo Felgueroso, right, Ginés Clemente, and counselor Francisco Blanco left, holding an 3D printed airplane part
Aciturri is currently one of the biggest names in Spanish aviation, manufacturing aircraft components and providing aero structure and engine programs for aerospace industry giants such as Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer. Founded in the 1970s by Ginés Clemente, the Burgos-based company now boasts more than 1,200 employees at plants in Alava, Burgos, Valladolid, Madrid and Seville. With its new technology partnership with Prodintec, it can now add Gijon, the largest city in Asturias, to that list.
The new ‘Aciturri Additive Manufacturing’ 3D printing facility will see the creation of 15-20 highly skilled jobs over the next few years, and will take advantage of Prodintec’s 10+ years of experience in additive manufacturing. The company currently offers 3D printing in a wide variety of materials, including metals, polyamides, ceramics and more, as well as a team of dedicated professionals in additive manufacturing, CAD/CAM systems, industrial robotics, and other manufacturing technologies.
3D printing is becoming widely adopted in the aviation, aeronautics and aerospace industries, both for the development of prototypes and functional end-use pieces. An increasing number of countries and various industrial sectors have begun to implement 3D printing processes, and the Spanish aviation industry doesn’t want to be the last on the runway.
“In our sector growth is a necessity, not an option, and we want to participate in the wake of this new technology,” said Clemente at the time of the partnership’s announcement, acknowledging that while it may take some time to officially implement new 3D printed parts or 3D printing manufacturing processes due to stringent security measures in the aviation industry, once incorporated, the new technology will have a lasting, irreversible effect on the industry at large. “Even in the best case scenario, we never would have imagined working with Aciturri,” said Director of Prodintec, Íñigo Felgueroso. Felgueroso and Clemente together presented their first 3D printed product: part an engine componented that was 3D printed with a mixture of aluminum.
For his part, Minister of Employment, Industry and Tourism, Francisco Blanco, stressed the importance of public-private partnerships for the reindustrialization of Asturias—of which this agreement between Aciturri and Prodintec is a prime example. He added that both companies’ commitment to new technology, including additive manufacturing, is also a key priority of the Regional Strategy for Smart Specialization in Asturias, and will help diversify and strengthen the region’s economy.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
Maybe you also like:
- Monash University creates 3D printed cadavers in an attempt to modernize anatomical models
- 28 schools in South Australia to be equipped with 3D printers, minister announces
- BB-8 Builders Club and J.R. Bédard reveal two 3D printable Star Wars BB-8 Droid designs
- Reel in the big fish with Zombait 3D printed bait ‘re-animator’
- Nonmanifold: 3D printed jewelry for the 'modern woman'
- Build your own walking, waving, 3D printed 'Social Quadruped' robot
- Hans Fouche shows off cool 3D printed acoustic guitar made with Cheetah 2 3D printer
- Fan successfully flies super cool 3D printed Star Wars: The Force Awakens Speed Racer
- Exclusive Komorebi 3D printed jewelry collection inspired by sunlight in nature
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
