A three-year ‘Additive Manufacturing Business and Technology Support’ (AM-BATS) project has helped small businesses from a range of sectors to learn more about how to design and adopt new processes, with the aim of developing more sustainable products and entering new markets.

The programme was delivered by National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) — operated by the University of Strathclyde and part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) — and was funded through the Scottish government’s Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund via the European Regional Development Fund.

Some 36 individual projects took place, involving manufacturing businesses from industries ranging from renewable energy and electric vehicles to food and drink, sports, oil and gas, and medicine. NMIS assisted companies with a variety of activities, such as exploring the initial feasibility of additive manufacturing for a particular scenario, providing knowledge and skills, designing systems, setting up factory equipment, and assessing sustainability benefits.

Design optimisation
Some businesses began from scratch seeking to understand what AM is and what it can offer, while others sought help to accelerate and develop existing processes that they already had experience with. Many of the businesses have since created new products or changed existing ones to include 3-D printed elements, and several have now adopted AM and achieving benefits that include reduced development times, increased sustainability, design optimisation, faster time to market, and the ability to use digital inventories.

Confidence Plus, a medical equipment manufacturer, received support from the NMIS team to develop a new product designed to support people using ileostomy bags. Anne Inch, the company’s founder and managing director, said: “Working with NMIS on our medical device will enable us to access new markets and could see the creation of new job opportunities in the healthcare manufacturing industry. The device aims to make a big difference to the lives of users of ileostomy bags and we were grateful for the team’s support in exploring this new innovative technology.”

Dickon Walker, NMIS’s Polymer AM theme lead, added: “AM has many advantages, from enabling rapid prototyping and reducing lead times to creating low-cost bespoke components and reducing materials waste. However, for SMEs it can be quite a daunting challenge knowing how to get started. This programme aimed to eliminate some of those barriers, reduce the risk, and provide the necessary skills and expertise to help companies get to grips with the technology. We are pleased to see the impact now translating to new product development and the introduction of new production processes, all taking place here in Scotland.”