Innovating, developing and integrating additive manufacturing in a single location: that's the ambition of the Additive Factory Hub (AFH) initiative, inaugurated this Tuesday, December 5, 2017 by Valérie Pécresse, President of the Île-de-France region. Located at Digiteo-Saclay (CEA Paris Saclay center), the AFH platform will structure the industrial additive manufacturing ecosystem around research players from the Paris-Saclay Campus and the Île-de-France region to meet the major industrial and economic challenges it involves.
At the heart of the changes in production and working methods in the industry of the future, additive manufacturing - or 3D printing - is taking on a strategic dimension, overturning the industrial challenges of manufacturing and shaping: new geometries, lighter materials and structures, enhanced functionalities, customization of parts, improved performance and logistics. The structuring of the additive manufacturing sector undertaken by the Alliance Industrie du Futur (AIF) since 2016 has made it possible to collectively write a roadmap into which this initiative fits completely.
A transdisciplinary ecosystem covering the entire value chain
With a view to efficiency, the Additive Factory Hub brings together players from academic and technological research and industry, SMEs, technology suppliers and end-users. As an open, shared platform, AFH enables its members and partners to pool their expertise and state-of-the-art equipment for projects ranging from upstream research to industrial applications. This is the path mapped out by the Alliance Industrie du Futur.
Shared R&D, a strategic vision
Together, AFH members define shared R&D programs, focused on achieving scientific and technological milestones. These programs range from design and digital simulation to the development of manufacturing processes (instrumentation and equipment optimization), right through to the qualification of produced parts. The complementarity of leading digital players paves the way for a complete digital chain: design, multi-scale and multi-physics simulations, equipment management and control simulation. The optimization of manufacturing techniques will benefit from the involvement of equipment and parts manufacturers, as well as academic and metrological expertise. These joint developments will both improve current processes and produce breakthrough innovations (multi-material applications, implementation of the Internet of Things).
The Additive Factory Hub, managed by Cetim and operated jointly with CEA, both founding members of the Alliance Industrie du Futur, also aims to disseminate, train and support manufacturers through technology transfer to SMEs. The platform is thus fully in line with the Smart Industrie strategy of the Île-de-France region. Finally, in line with the Alliance Industrie du Futur roadmap, Additive Factory Hub structures the additive manufacturing ecosystem and gives international visibility to French know-how.
Additive Factory Hub members and partners
Addup, Air Liquide, AREVA NP, Arts et Métiers ParisTech, CEA, CETIM, CNRS, Dassault Systèmes, ENS Paris-Saclay, EDF, LNE, MINES ParisTech, Onera, Poly-Shape, Safran, SystemX, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Vallourec. The Île-de-France region is contributing 2.5 million euros to the platform's capital expenditure in the first phase (mid 2017-2018).
Learn more: www.cea.fr