APF - ADVANCED PROTOTYPING FACILITY
The Advanced Prototyping Facility project is provided by Aston University to assist businesses improve awareness of the opportunities available through additive manufacture (3D Printing) to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing designs and to develop new products all the way through to producing prototypes.
The project brings together 3D printing methods such as
VAT Polymerisation (SLA,DLP,CDLP)
Material Extrusion (FDM,FFF,CFM)
Binder Jetting (BJ)
Material Jetting (MJ,NPJ,DOD)
Powder Bed Fusion (MJF,SLS,DMLS,SLM,EBM)
Direct Energy Deposition (LENS,EBAM)
Sheet Lamination (LOM)
Allowing for additive manufacture in a wide range of polymers, plastics, ceramics and metals.
All this combined with a team of experts and academics that can help improve designs and create designs for manufacture
The project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund programme and part-funded by Aston University, and as such is bound by State Aid and public funding rules, regulations and eligibility criteria, and is available to SMEs in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull region.