Legal and Regulatory

TÜV SÜD to help thyssenkrupp additive manufacturing development in APAC

thyssenkrupp Innovations, the additive manufacturing arm of multinational conglomerate engineering group thyssenkrupp, has a new collaborator in the APAC region. Certification and qualification specialist TÜV SÜD, has signed an MoU with thyssenkrupp Innovations to help in the company’s development of a market for “additive-manufacturing-enabled solutions.” The agreement adds to a long list of partnerships thyssenkrupp Innovations has spearheaded in the APAC region, culminating recently in the launch of an Additive Manufacturing TechCenter Hub in Singapore.

“Additive manufacturing delivers enormous potential to transform the region and level up vital sectors of the economy, reducing import dependence and simplifying supply chains,” comments Jan Lueder, CEO thyssenkrupp RHQ Asia Pacific.

“Additive manufacturing will surely be an innovative solution to further drive growth, as long as stakeholders work together to continue building awareness as well as create a supportive ecosystem for additive manufacturing adoption and development.

“The collaboration is thus a step towards this direction, and we are sure we will be able to provide best services to our customers.”

Full steam ahead in AM for rail

thyssenkrupp and TÜV SÜD’s current project will run for an initial period of three years. To start, the partners will focus on developing industrial additive manufacturing solutions for land transportation and mobility, and industrial plant services. Harnessing TÜV SÜD’s expertise, this will also include the development of related testing, inspection and certification services.

The first project to be undertaken as part of this plan is the testing and commercialization of a train component for a leading local train operator. As well as reducing the weight of said part, the project seeks to significant improve functionality through redesign for additive manufacturing. If this, and subsequent projects, prove to be fruitful for the partnership, the parties may seek to expand the scope of their MoU to cover other sectors in the future.

“The field of additive manufacturing is an integral pillar of Industry 4.0. AM presents new opportunities for serial production and supply chains but early adopters will need to navigate through uncertainties in this fast evolving technology,” comments Holger Lindner, CEO of TÜV SÜD Product Service Division.

thyssenkrupp Innovations and TÜV SÜD partners at the signing of the recent MoU for the APAC region. Photo via TÜV SÜD
thyssenkrupp Innovations and TÜV SÜD partners at the signing of the recent MoU for the APAC region. Photo via TÜV SÜD

A $100 billion opportunity

The hub of thyssenkrupp’s additive manufacturing activity in the APAC region is currently Singapore. Under an MoU with the country’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) this has so far included a commitment to developing, producing and qualifying spare parts for use in the maritime industry. For this purpose, leading quality assurance and risk management firm DNV GL provided the company’s Additive Manufacturing TechCenter Hub with a Approval of Manufacturer certification.

Quantifying the estimated impact of additive manufacturing in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in general, thyssenkrupp recently published a whitepaper estimating the industry to generate an incremental value of $100 billion for the economy by 2025.

Launching ceremony of the Class 218SG submarine Invincible. Photo via Thyssenkrupp.
Thyssenkrupp’s MoU with the Singapore DSTA sees it 3D printing spare parts for watercrafts like the Class 218SG submarine Invincible. Photo via Thyssenkrupp.

For all of the latest additive manufacturing news subscribe to our newsletter, you can also follow us on Twitter for to-the-minute updates.

Seeking a career change? Search 3D Printing Jobs now.

Featured image shows a probehead for taking gas samples in hot gas atmosphere, produced at the Thyssenkrupp TechCenter Additive Manufacturing. Photo via Thyssenkrupp