Coventry University’s £5 Million Lab To Include Metal 3D Printing Technologies
Additive manufacturing is in some ways less developed in the UK than in other countries. In the UK, only 17% of companies have any experience with additive manufacturing, in sharp contrast to Germany with 37% and China’s 24%. According to Jurgen Maier of Siemens UK, the additive manufacturing market in the UK has untapped potential: “Although it is widely recognised that the UK is one of the leaders in world-class research and innovation in additive manufacturing, it is falling behind in its commercialisation.”
The UK market has today received a much-needed boost: Coventry University has announced plans to open a brand new lab for manufacturing and research, named the Precision Digital Manufacturing and Healthcare Technology Lab. The lab will include metal 3D printing technologies and will be funded by a £5 million grant from the Office for Students. It is hoped that the lab will ‘foster a collaborative approach’ between students, both the healthcare and engineering sectors. According to Professor Catherine Hobbs, head of Academic Dean at Coventry University’s Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, ‘The precision 3D printing technology available will mean we can create usable components for healthcare applications, while digital twinning will allow us to simulate how objects will work in a virtual environment.’
Coventry University is a modern research institution in the West Midlands (Photo credit: Coventry University)
The Office for Students, who provided the monetary means, is an independent regulatory body for English higher education. They offer funding to boost facilities and equipment: For the 2022-23 academic year, the OfS is distributing £1,347 million of recurrent grant funding to 342 educational institutions. According to Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the body, “Competition for funding was strong, with high quality applications from across the sector.” Nevertheless, Coventry University’s project was one of those chosen: and the money will certainly be put to good use.
In terms of a precedent, Coventry University has previous experience with healthcare manufacturing using 3D printing. FabLab Coventry (a similar laboratory scheme from the University) used 3D printing to produce straps for face masks in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic. FabLab also offers online tutorials for at-home printing, as well as free Digital Fabrication courses for learners. Indeed, additive manufacturing is increasingly featured in higher education programmes. From degree courses in AM technologies to research grants, its importance in engineering, healthcare, and many other disciplines is becoming increasingly recognised. For the statistics on AM in the UK, you can click HERE. To read more about the Precision Digital Manufacturing and Healthcare Technology Lab at the University of Coventry, you can find the press release HERE.
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*Cover image shows Professor Stephen Hagen and Professor Catherine Hobbs. Photo credit: Coventry University
