- UTEP’s Keck Center is Home to the First America Makes Satellite Center
Youngstown, Ohio — August 7, 2018. America Makes proudly extends its congratulations to The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a Platinum-level member of the Institute, and UTEP’s renowned W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation, on today’s announcement of the university’s agreement with Aconity3D, based in Herzogenrath, Germany, to function as its North American base of operations as AconityUS.
Aconity3D leaders say they were drawn to UTEP because of the prominence, expertise, and facilities offered by the Keck Center. UTEP has been a leading force in the worldwide revolution of 3D printing since 2000 when the Keck Center and UTEP’s College of Engineering made strategic investments in additive manufacturing technologies. Aconity3D also recognized UTEP’s collaboration with America Makes and the economic development impact of the affiliation as also uniquely positioning UTEP for this partnership.
Since 2015, UTEP’s Keck Center has served as an America Makes Satellite Center, complementing and expanding America Makes’ mission and its current regional, industrial, and technological footprint to innovate and accelerate 3D printing and increase domestic manufacturing and economic competitiveness.
“The selection of UTEP and the Keck Center by Aconity3D is not a surprise to any of us at America Makes,” said America Makes Founding Director and NCDMM President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Resnick, FSME. “Their superior technical excellence in additive manufacturing, outstanding educational program, and proven ability to have a positive impact on the El Paso region are well known and are the key differentiators that set them apart when we too selected them to be our first Satellite Center. On an economic development level, this partnership will further elevate the impact of the world-class research underway and performed by talent at the Keck Center that will continue to elevate additive manufacturing technologies and enable our nation to better compete in the global economy.”
The announcement of the partnership between UTEP and Aconity3D was held at a press conference at 2:30 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) today at the Keck Center. Mr. Resnick was in attendance, joining UTEP President Diana Natalicio, Keck Center Director Ryan Wicker, Ph.D., and Aconity3D Managing Director Yves Hagedorn, Ph.D., in speaking at the event.
“Our partnership with Aconity3D is a major milestone in that direction and is validation of all of our combined efforts,” said Dr. Wicker. “The only way a company like Aconity3D would decide to come here is because of our technical strength in additive manufacturing, access to our graduating talent to meet their workforce needs, and the tremendous opportunities available for commercial success through collaborations with UTEP, as well as our affiliation with America Makes. We can apply this economic development model to build other businesses around their technologies, recruit other 3D printing businesses to our region and create new businesses from our own 3D printing technologies coming out of UTEP. As a research university, UTEP must be—and is excited to be—fully engaged in stimulating economic development for the benefit of our region and beyond.”
Of the partnership announcement, Rob Gorham, America Makes Executive Director added, “Through our affiliation with UTEP and the Keck Center as our Satellite Center, we are acutely aware of the synergies, capabilities, and talents that made them a standout as the leading contender to Aconity3D. We offer our congratulations to our UTEP and Keck Center colleagues in this partnership, wish AconityUS great success, and look forward to the opportunity of our own collaboration with them.”
As one of the world’s emerging technology leaders in the production of 3D printing equipment, Aconity3D develops laser-based 3D printing machines for fabrication of complex metal parts for use in airplanes, automobiles, medical implants and more. UTEP’s agreement with Aconity3D will further enhance its production and service operations, attract high-end jobs for engineering students in the community, and advance the broader technology through meaningful research investigations, involving UTEP, Aconity3D, government agencies and industry. Global interest in metal 3D printing continues its rapid ascent as industry now looks to 3D printing to build next-generation products.
Initially, AconityUS will be located at the University Towers Building, 1900 N. Oregon. The partnership’s long-term goal is also to develop a technical center and research space in Keck Center facilities, which will operate in tandem with Aconity3D’s German headquarters to sell and service its 3D printers for North America.
For more information about America Makes, its Satellite Center at UTEP’s Keck Center, or how to become a member, please visit the America Makes Web site at https://americamakes.us.
About America Makes
America Makes is the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. As the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM), America Makes is the nation’s leading and collaborative partner in AM and 3DP technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation. Structured as a public-private partnership with member organizations from industry, academia, government, non-government agencies, and workforce and economic development resources, we are working together to innovate and accelerate AM to increase our nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes is the first Institute within the Manufacturing USA infrastructure and is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). For more information about America Makes, visit https://americamakes.us.
About NCDMM
NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness. NCDMM has extensive knowledge and depth in manufacturing areas—both commercial and defense—to continually innovate, improve, and advance manufacturing technologies and methodologies. Our experienced team specializes in identifying the needs, the players, the technologies, and processes to attain optimal solutions for our customers. We connect the dots. That’s the NCDMM methodology. NCDMM also manages the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing (3DP), America Makes—the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. For additional information, visit the NCDMM at http://ncdmm.org/.
About The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
UTEP has redefined public higher education not only in Texas, but across the nation as the University begins its second century of service. Since opening its doors as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1914, UTEP’s geographic location along the U.S.-Mexico border has enabled generations of students to pursue their goals through higher education in one of the largest binational communities in the world. With more than $80 million in annual research spending, UTEP is dedicated to becoming the first national research university serving a 21st century student demographic. The University’s outstanding record of receiving extremely competitive grant awards reflects the quality of UTEP’s faculty and their sustained commitment to excellence while also maintaining an academic environment dedicated to addressing the educational needs of students. For more information about UTEP, visit http://utep.edu.
About the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation
Located at the University of Texas at El Paso, the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation (Keck Center) is a unique multidisciplinary research facility focused on the use and development of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies with primary focus areas in AM Technology Development (large area and hybrid processes), AM-Enabled Materials Science (metals, polymers, and ceramics), and Advanced AM Applications (3D printed electronics, biomedical, and others). Established in 2000, the Keck Center is home to over 65 AM systems and more than 60 students, faculty, and staff from various engineering disciplines. In addition to its 13,000 square feet of on-campus research space, the Keck Center recently expanded its operations to a 17,000 square foot, off-campus facility, providing additional space for research, economic development, and training. For more information, visit http://keck.utep.edu.
Source: America Makes
