Sector-leading North-East 3D printing start-up Angus 3D Solutions Ltd is celebrating being named a Finalist in three categories of the prestigious 2019 Insider Made In Scotland Awards.
The Brechin company, founded and led by global manufacturing veteran Andy Simpson in 2017, has been named as a Finalist in the categories for Engineering Company of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year and Innovator of the Year in the awards judged by Scottish Business Insider magazine and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre. The Final will take place at the Glasgow Science Centre on May 9.
Last year Zero Waste Scotland was so impressed with a presentation Andy gave it on how additive manufacturing can aid the circular economy that it awarded Angus 3D Solutions a £175,000 grant from its Circular Economy Investment Fund – part of the Resource Efficient Circular Economy Accelerator Programme, supported by the Scottish Government and the European Regional Development Fund – to buy the world’s most advanced metal printing machine, the Markforged Metal X.
It’s been on-site since last December and is the first of its type commercially-available in the UK – the previous ones are owned by Formula One teams and universities, none of which make them available externally.
Unprecedented
The Metal-X uses the latest Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) technology – where metal powders are encased in plastic binders and then melted off to create designs previously impossible to manufacture and with unprecedented levels of detail as well as faster and at a fraction of the cost.
So far Angus 3D has used the Metal-X to print lightweight custom parts for a bicycle business and components for a new product design for an oil & gas company as well as remanufacture obsolete components for a local textile manufacturer to help maintain production and reduce breakdowns. It’s also producing test pieces for an F1 team looking for help carrying out performance analysis on parts.
Speaking about the good news, Andy Simpson, who’s based at Brechin Business Centre, said: “We’re delighted to have our vision and all the hard work we’ve put into the company to date recognised by Insider with this fantastic trio of category finalist places.
“Thanks to everyone who’s helped us get to this point. We’re now greatly looking forward to meeting the other finalists in Glasgow next month.”
For more information about the circular economy and Angus 3D Solutions, go to its website at www.angus3dsolutions.co.uk .