Accelerating Industrial Digitalization with New Additive Manufacturing Hub

Siemens announces the opening of its Center for Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub (CATCH), located in Charlotte, NC. This new research and development hub, spearheaded by Siemens Digital Industries and Siemens Technology, focuses on helping its customers accelerate plans for the industrialization of additive manufacturing (AM). Specifically, Siemens plans to use this space to collaborate with key machine builders (OEMs), end-users and U.S. national laboratories to promote the successful industrialization of additive manufacturing.

In conjunction with this announcement, Siemens also recently announced partnerships with Xerox, Roboze and ExOne — builders of industrial 3D printers. Siemens says these partnerships help promote access to the most up-to-date hardware on the globe.

“We are excited to launch this new additive manufacturing hub and to begin inviting customers in to collaborate and find ways to accelerate the industrialization of this technology,” says Tim Bell, additive manufacturing business manager of Siemens Digital Industries. “The benefits of additive manufacturing are clear, from faster time-to-market to better design through digital prototypes, to localized manufacturing helping to reduce supply chain constraints. We believe that the future of manufacturing is additive.”

Dr. Hallee Deutchman, head of research in materials and industrialized manufacturing (US) for Siemens Technology states, “The CATCH center will not only help industrialize additive manufacturing, but also help incubate and grow the next generation of technology to solve the industry’s hardest manufacturing problems.”

Siemens also looks to continue its presence in additive manufacturing as the company believes it to be the first truly digital form of manufacturing technology.​ The company seeks to accomplish this by empowering its network of partners and customers to create, make and use additive applications at scale. Siemens says CATCH serves as the entry point for manufacturers to understand how and why AM is crucial to designing products more effectively, manufacturing them closer to the point of purchase and creating a more resilient supply chain.

CATCH is one of seven planned hubs to be strategically placed at major AM ecosystems around the world with the distinct focus of facilitating customer AM journeys.

Siemens Financial Services (SFS) — the financing arm of Siemens — supplied the CATCH facility with a financing solution to aid with the leasing of several 3D printers for use in the lab. Financing additive manufacturing, the company says, is a priority for SFS as the evolution and digitalization of manufacturing continues and the use of 3D printing expands.