The University of Nottingham is on its way to become an even more prominent figure in the world of British 3D printing. A ground-breaking ceremony has taken place to mark the start of work to build a pioneering Institute for Advanced Manufacturing located on their Jubilee Campus.
The 9,011 sq m training and research facility will be built by G F Tomlinson. The construction company has worked with the University previously, building the Jubilee Campus. The building will serve as an expansion of the University’s Faculty of Engineering, housing their Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Research Group that a currently holds a research portfolio worth over $8M.
700 staff, students and researchers are expected to be housed in this installations when the construction is complete.
The Research
Currently the research group has 15 projects being developed. Among them, they are looking into different modelling techniques, use of materials, design optimisation methodologies as well as processes used in additive manufacturing. Interesting projects include additive manufacturing with glass, development of 3D printed soft robotics and composites developed at a nanometric scale.
The new facilities will also house University of Nottingham’s flagship Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre for manufacturing technology. Pioneering advances in aerospace, automotive, marine and energy generation take place are set to take place here.
Funding
Building the Institute will cost around $28.6 million, of which $22.5 million will be invested by the university and$6.2 million from D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. An addtional $1.5 million contribution will be provided by the Wolfson Foundation to develop a clean room for the investigation of 3D printed pharmaceutical devices.
D2N2 is the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. It serves as a partnership between local authorities and businesses to drive innovation in the area. The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity that awards grants to support and promote excellence in the fields of science, health, education and the arts & humanities.
Featured image shows chief developers of the Institute. Image via D2N2
