Some 543 companies sensitized to the industry of the future, including 60 companies sensitized to metal additive manufacturing, 17 theses launched, five industrial accompaniments, 300 participants in the two workshops organized: this is the record posted by AFH (Additive Factory Hub) since its inauguration, on the Saclay plateau, in December 2017.
The Additive Factory Hub integrates, develops and innovates additive manufacturing technologies by bringing together the skills and resources of technical centers, research centers, academic partners and companies. Its mission is to research, disseminate and train French partner companies and the ecosystem. As an international showcase for Paris Region know-how, AFH today brings together over twenty industrial and academic players, including its ten founding members.
"Today, 60 associate researchers have joined AFH to disseminate additive manufacturing to the industrial fabric. The mobilization of the R&D sphere has begun to ensure the transfer of technology to companies. To answer their questions on standardization, AFH approached the Union de la normalisation mécanique (UNM) a few weeks ago," explains Pauline Le Borgne, Operator Manager for AFH. Our aim is to guarantee product safety and reassure users of the reliability of our technology.
Scientific collaborations with a network of a dozen structures, including IRT SystemX, the Technological Research Institute for Digital Transformation, as well as the Mines Paristech Materials Center and the Mines Paristech Materials Shaping Center, are to the platform's credit. The Lurpa laboratory at ENS Paris-Saclay, the LPGP and Icmmo laboratories at Paris-Sud University and the Maupertuis Institute are also partners.
Additive Factory Hub is financially supported by the Île-de-France region. Its ambitions are in line with the national initiatives and roadmap drawn up under the aegis of the Alliance Industrie du Futur. A total of 15 additive manufacturing facilities are planned, representing an investment of 20 million euros.
To find out more about addtive manufacturing, see our feature on additive manufacturing in our September 2019 issue.
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