Siemens to invest £27m in a new 3D printing factory

Siemens, a global technology company, is investing up to £27m in a 3D printing factory for Materials Solutions LTD in Worcester, UK, to create a global centre of excellence for additive manufacturing.

The new building, set to open in September 2018, will enable it to increase its fleet of 3D printing machines from 15 to 50 over the next five years and support the creation of more than 50 high quality manufacturing jobs in Worcester. Siemens acquired an 85% stake in Materials Solutions Ltd back in 2016, recognising the potential of a company whose Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology manufactures high performance metal parts for automotive, power generation and aviation industries.

Materials Solutions has already produced world’s first 3D printed gas turbine blades – one of the most challenging applications for the technology. “It is one of the most challenging applications for metal additive manufacturing,” says Dr Markus Seibold, head of additive manufacturing in Siemens Power & Gas. “If you can print a turbine blade, you can print pretty much anything.”