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Additive Manufacturing: Enabling Faster Industrial Growth in Africa

Additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3D printing, is an advanced manufacturing technology that is slowly but surely changing industrial production globally. While its adoption has gained significant traction in regions like Europe, America and Asia, Africa has only recently begun to recognize additive manufacturing’s value as a catalyst for economic development. The rise of additive manufacturing in Africa presents both opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed to unlock its full potential.

Additive manufacturing in Africa remains in its nascent stages, with limited adoption and infrastructure compared to more developed regions. According to a report in Manufacturing Review, between 2010 and 2018, 37% of industrial additive manufacturing systems were installed in…

Mintek adds a laser powder bed fusion 3D printer to array of cutting-edge technology

The acquisition of the AMAZEMET rePowder ultrasonic atomisation and alloy development machine by Mintek, South Africa’s national mineral research council, marked a technological breakthrough for the mineral processing and manufacturing industry. Mintek is proud to announce the purchase of a GE Additive Concept Laser Mlab Cusing R laser powder bed fusion 3D printer. Multitrade 3D Systems supplied and installed the machine.

Thales deploys AddUp 350 in Morocco metal 3D printing facility

AddUp has installed a FormUp 350 quad laser machine at Thales 3D Morocco’s Casablanca-based facility.

The machine has been qualified under the European space protocol ECSS-Q-ST-70-80 C and is said to have met the technical requirements for some of the most challenging applications in the Thales ecosystem.

AddUp’s FormUp 350, launched in 2021, has been designed to be modular and scalable with four lasers each covering 100% of the build volume, and the machine equipped with advanced traceability and production control options to ensure it meets the ‘highest expectations in terms of productivity.’

As part of the dynamic between the two companies, AddUp will provide production assistance to Thales, with twin machines located at an AddUp facility. These twin machines are currently undergoing the same validation process, helping to ensure business continuity when demand increases above Thales’ capacity.

Thales opened its metal additive manufacturing facility in Casablanca in 2017, strategically basing its Thales 3D Morocco business in the heart of the local aerospace ecosystem. Since then, it has used metal 3D printing to deliver parts for heat sinks, radio frequency components and antenna supports in industries such as space, aviation and security.

With the addition of the FormUp 350 capacity, Thales 3D Morocco expects to expand its application opportunities, while also achieving an increase in productivity and reduction in costs.

Mintek’s AMAZEMET acquisition to support SA’s additive manufacturing ambitions

Mintek’s latest technological acquisition, the AMAZEMET rePowder ultrasonic atomisation and alloy development machine, is an extremely advanced piece of equipment that is expected to strengthen and bolster the country’s minerals-based and three-dimensional (3D) printing industries.

The machine also aligns with the national mineral processing and metallurgical research council’s goal of providing critical infrastructure for South Africa’s industrial development.

14Trees launches Iroko 3D printer for construction made in Africa

14 Trees, a joint venture (JV) between construction materials company Holcim and UK governmental development finance institution British International Investment (BII), has launched its new construction-ready three-dimensional (3D) printer, Iroko, to improve construction speed, cost and flexibility, while scaling up digital automation to build resilient and affordable housing, education infrastructure and commercial real estate worldwide.

The Iroko 3D construction printers were co-designed and manufactured with construction equipment company PMSA. The printers’ mobility and optimised assembly are key tenets of the design by 14Trees, it…

Orascom Construction and Cobod Create JV to Bring the Latest 3D Printing Construction Technology to Egypt

Orascom Construction PLC (NASDAQ Dubai: OC; EGX: ORAS) announces that it has formed an exclusive partnership with Denmark-based COBOD International to bring the latest 3D Printing Construction (“3DPC”) technology for the first time to Egypt.

The partnership, owned 76% by Orascom Construction and 24% by COBOD, will play a leading role in the technological advancement of the construction sector in Egypt. Not only is this new technology more cost and time efficient compared to traditional methods of construction, but it…

Watch Algerian Students 3D Print Drones & Projects at a GE Garage

A GE Garage, located at the Sylabs co-working space in Algiers, has been offering Algerian students the opportunity to prototype their graduation projects using 3D printers and laser cutters – technologies at the heart of faster, leaner, more “democratic” production processes that reduce the cost and time involved in…

Morocco to Inaugurate 3D Printing Polytechnic

A polytechnic school that uses 3D printing will see the light in the beginning of this coming academic year in Morocco. The school represents an initial phase of a massive project of 15 polytechnic schools that will be established in the country.

Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Lehcen Daoudi told Hespress Morocco has received the first shipment of machinery that will be used in these schools.

The Moroccan government previously ratified two draft decrees that the Minister of Higher Education had previously submitted. The first draft decree relates to the ambitious project of establishing 15 polytechnic schools dispensed through 11 faculties.

The news website continues …

Will 3D Printing Change Africa

Anyone following the 3D Printing fever will likely have come across stories about 3D Printing possibilities for the developing world. There is no doubt that many in the maker community including economists, doctors and engineers, rave about how 3D printing specifically, and technology in general can help developing countries improve by overcoming structural handicaps like poor infrastructure and small industry capacity. By so doing, there will be acceleration in development and most importantly there will be upliftment of people out of poverty. However, there is a skeptical lot contending that there is lack of necessary skill base and entrepreneurial spirit when it comes to developing countries’ workforce in…

Students Launch Campaign to Provide African Hospitals with 3D Printing Mini Factory

In July of 2015, the United Nations released a report that focused on 3D printing as a local manufacturing source for goods related to humanitarian relief, one of the major uses being 3D printed prosthetics. Inspired by the medical benefits that 3D printing technology could provide to areas of humanitarian crisis, 15 students from the Rome-based Massimiliano Massimo Institute have teamed up with 20 volunteers and 69 additional students from the local “Making 3D Printers” class to launch a crowdfunding campaign to provide 3D printing technology to two…

Additive Manufacturing: Implications for African Economies

Global trade, the merchandise exports component of which was about US$15.5tn in 2016, according to World Trade Organisation (WTO) data, is expected to shrink by at least half over the next half century due to 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM). In tandem would be global value chains (GVCs), which were set to give African countries perhaps their last fighting chance at industrialisation. At $346bn in 2016, African merchandise exports were just 2% of the world total. And 32% of these were oil exports.

Still, African manufacturing…

3D Printing for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa

I’ve noticed a common refrain in today’s news cycle: in order to remain viable in the global economy, countries need to get behind 3D printing, and fast. Africa, which has been experiencing an encouraging amount of growth across the continent, hasn’t seen much of a reduction in poverty and unemployment, unfortunately. This is likely due to the stagnation of the manufacturing sector, while the service sector expands…

Completed sand core for a new turbine wheel,

Additive Manufacturing to the Rescue for Hospital in Ethiopia

As interesting as I find the development and potential expressed by each new additive manufacturing (AM) system, I enjoy writing about humanitarian applications of the technology. AM offers the possibility of changing the world in so many different ways, such as 3D printing projects developed to help the blind better experience the world around them.

Another example of how AM can help individuals can be seen at a hospital in Walga, Ethiopia. A defective turbine wheel resulted in the hospital’s loss of electricity, and the clinic was unable to afford to purchase a…

3D printing in the emerging markets – South Africa

South Africa is sometimes included as the final country in the group of emerging markets known as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and China), but when it comes to the emergence of 3D printing, it is hard to overlook.

The country has been actively involved in additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping for more than two decades, adopting the technology shortly after its birth in the late ’80s.

According to the Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa (RAPDASA), the 3D printing market in South Africa is growing from strength to strength, expanding from a single 3D Systems SLA 250 in 1991 to approximately 268 machines in 2011.

And the country is now in an excellent position for getting returns on its early investment in the technology, as sales have benefitted from considerable growth in the last three years.

But since its relatively early establishment, how has 3D printing in South Africa developed and does it see itself as a world leader?

Blog Name

Additive Manufacturing: Enabling Faster Industrial Growth in Africa

Mintek adds a laser powder bed fusion 3D printer to array of cutting-edge technology

Thales deploys AddUp 350 in Morocco metal 3D printing facility

Mintek’s AMAZEMET acquisition to support SA’s additive manufacturing ambitions

14Trees launches Iroko 3D printer for construction made in Africa

Orascom Construction and Cobod Create JV to Bring the Latest 3D Printing Construction Technology to Egypt

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Watch Algerian Students 3D Print Drones & Projects at a GE Garage

Morocco to Inaugurate 3D Printing Polytechnic

Will 3D Printing Change Africa

Students Launch Campaign to Provide African Hospitals with 3D Printing Mini Factory

Additive Manufacturing: Implications for African Economies

3D Printing for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa

Additive Manufacturing to the Rescue for Hospital in Ethiopia

3D printing in the emerging markets – South Africa

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Additive Manufacturing: Enabling Faster Industrial Growth in Africa

Mintek adds a laser powder bed fusion 3D printer to array of cutting-edge technology

Thales deploys AddUp 350 in Morocco metal 3D printing facility

Mintek’s AMAZEMET acquisition to support SA’s additive manufacturing ambitions