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Commercial 3D printing in Brechin first in the UK

Written by Michelle Rodger

A leading Scots 3D printing company is bringing cutting-edge F1 technology to Scotland for the first time.

Brechin-based Angus 3D Solutions will use the revolutionary technology to help deliver up to £1 billion of benefits to the Scottish economy by boosting the circular economy.

Thanks to a £175,000 grant from Zero Waste Scotland, global manufacturing veteran Andy Simpson has bought the world’s most advanced metal printing machine.

The machine, expected to arrive at the Brechin start-up in December, will be used to make new components for industries as diverse as oil and gas, medical and satellites and in the reverse engineering of obsolete parts. It’s expected to help the business gain new clients as well as aid the growth of the circular economy in Scottish manufacturing.

Simpson says additive manufacturing can aid the circular economy by reducing waste in the design process and extending the lifespan of machinery by allowing obsolete parts to be manufactured from 3D scans – cheaper, faster and using less input materials than traditional manufacturing.

It’s believed the only machines in the UK to date are owned by a Formula One team and universities. None are available for external commercial use.

A circular economy is a greener alternative to the traditional linear economy – where we make, use and dispose of items – in which we keep precious resources in use for as long as possible. The benefits include creating opportunities for growth; reducing manufacturing waste; higher resource productivity; a more competitive economy; reducing the environmental impacts of production and consumption and positioning Scotland better to address emerging global resource security and scarcity.

Angus 3D Solutions’ grant is one of three cited as being part of a programme which could unlock up to £1 billion potential value in the economies of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Tayside by boosting the circular economy, according to reports commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland and written by independent consultants with the help of the local chambers of commerce.

 

About the author

Michelle Rodger

Michelle is a former national newspaper journalist who co-founded an award-winning IT business before launching Tartan Cat Communications. A social media and crowdfunding expert she manages media and communications for Business for Scotland.

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