The Midlands has become a world leader in advanced manufacturing technologies with the opening of a state-of-the-art 3D printing facility in Birmingham.
The UK’s advanced manufacturing sector has achieved a major milestone with the launch of a pioneering new 3D printing facility in Birmingham. The £15 million state-of-the-art complex, developed by AddTech Solutions, represents one of the largest investments in additive manufacturing technology in the Midlands region to date—and there is much to be said about this impressive new development.
The cutting-edge facility spans 45,000 square feet and integrates a host of next-generation 3D printing technologies and innovative production capabilities, including multi-material printing systems, high-precision metal fabrication units, and comprehensive post-processing equipment. Most excitingly to industry observers, the facility features several first-to-market metal powder bed fusion systems capable of producing components with unprecedented structural integrity.
AddTech Solutions, which builds partnerships for advanced manufacturing, based on regional strength, and the Midlands Manufacturing Alliance, are working together on the Birmingham complex. As mentioned, the facility is one of just three such advanced printing centers in Europe, and each employs distinct technological approaches, from aerospace-grade titanium printing, to biocompatible materials for medical applications, to specialized ceramic components for the energy sector. In the case of the Birmingham facility, the operators have opted to include dedicated spaces for academic research alongside commercial production.
These production capabilities include multi-axis robotic post-processing systems, highly precise quality control scanning units, and specialized finishing departments—a classic necessity for industrial 3D printing operations. Totalling over £8 million in equipment investment alone, these systems were all carefully selected—marking a significant advancement in the UK manufacturing landscape—in collaboration with AddTech’s technical partners, a Birmingham-based consortium of engineering specialists with deep experience in industrial applications.
AddTech Solutions leads the industrial implementation of 3D printing technologies, applies its Integrated Production System process for customers, and has also established a research division for pioneering new material applications to solve industrial problems. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Accelerates Electric Vehicle Mobility in the U.S. read the original.
