It’s only been a few weeks that BASF, together with its partner Xuberance, cut the ribbon of an Additive Manufacturing Technical Center in Shanghai. The chemical company – through its Forward AM brand – is making another great stride in the 3D printing industry, with the opening new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Applications Technology Center (ATC) in Detroit, Michigan.
This time, BASF opened the new centre in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), an organization that focuses on education and innovation in the 3D printing design and service space.
By joining forces, both companies will not only educate vertical industries looking to adopt AM. They will also provide integrated 3D printing solutions: Forward AM will deliver a wide range of high-performance 3D printing materials and deep engineering expertise, while MSU brings years of technical expertise in 3D printing services and design solutions.
Through the ATC, new value-adding technical services are available to customers, like predictive modeling, increasing innovation potential with customers across North America. Emphasizing the joint commitment to major global equipment manufacturers, Forward AM installed more than 20 3D printers of various AM technologies such as Selective Laser Sintering, Photopolymer 3D Printing and Fused Filament Fabrication at the ATC. The Center is in an industrial contemporary Corktown area that has been transformed in recent years thanks to the relocation of many top Detroit businesses including several strategic customers of BASF. The whole AM industry will benefit from these new synergies with Michigan based partners.
“With this step we are significantly strengthening our offerings in North America. By collaborating with Michigan State University, we create a unique combination of science and industry expertise – ideal conditions to drive innovation in Additive Manufacturing together with our customers,” says François Minec, Managing Director BASF 3D Printing Solutions.
“MSU is committed to strong industry partnerships as an engine to drive innovation, economic opportunities, and skills development that meet emerging technology needs. The Scale-up Research Facility (SuRF) in Detroit, established with funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Department of Energy through the Institute for Advanced Composite Manufacturing Innovation, is a prime example of the effectiveness of place-based innovation. BASF has been among MSU’s strongest partners at the SuRF, and we are extremely pleased to expand our relationship to assist in establishing the BASF Applications Technology Center within the SuRF space. We are confident this collaboration will result in significant advances in Additive Manufacturing, new workforce development opportunities, and sustainable economic growth”, says Doug Gage, Vice President for Research, and Innovation Michigan State University.
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