IMPLEMENTING THE SOUTH AFRICAN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP – THE ROLE OF AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CENTRE OF COMPETENCE

Willie Bouwer Du Preez,Deon J De Beer

doi:10.7166/26-2-1179

Abstract

The Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa (RAPDASA) expressed the need for a national Additive Manufacturing Roadmap. Consequentially, the South African Department of Science and Technology commissioned the development of a South African Additive Manufacturing Technology Roadmap. This was intended to guide role-players in identifying business opportunities, addressing technology gaps, focusing development programmes, and informing investment decisions that would enable local companies and industry sectors to become global leaders in selected areas of additive manufacturing. The challenge remains now for South Africa to decide on an implementation approach that will maximize the impact in the shortest possible time. This article introduces the concept of a national Additive Manufacturing Centre of Competence (AMCoC) as a primary implementation vehicle for the roadmap. The support of the current leading players in additive manufacturing in South Africa for such a centre of competence is shared and their key roles are indicated. A summary of the investments that the leading players have already made in the focus areas of the AMCoC over the past two decades is given as confirmation of their commitment towards the advancement of the additive manufacturing technology. An exposition is given of how the AMCoC could indeed become the primary initiative for achieving the agreed national goals on additive manufacturing. The conclusion is that investment by public and private institutions in an AMCoC would be the next step towards ensuring South Africa’s continued progress in the field.

Highlights

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is often described as the chapter in the industrial revolution
4 THE SOUTH AFRICAN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP During their Annual General Meeting in 2012, Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa (RAPDASA) expressed the need for a national Additive Manufacturing Roadmap. In response to this resolution, the South African Department of Science and Technology commissioned the development of a South African Additive Manufacturing Technology Roadmap in 2013
Following the results achieved from a unique development approach over the past two decades, it is clear that the different initiatives taken to date have enabled South Africa to become an international contender in the AM field

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is often described as the chapter in the industrial revolution. In Europe, AM has recently been recognised as a key emerging technology. Efforts to drive the technology into manufacturing applications have increased. In its 2014 Strategic Research Agenda for AM, the European AM Platform [1] identifies two distinct markets in which AM has flourished over the last few years: the industrial or production market, which includes medical (orthopaedic implants), dental, aerospace, automotive, and power generation; and the consumer market, which includes home accessories, fashion, and entertainment. In a report published in May 2013, the McKinsey Global Institute [2] included AM as one of the current disruptive technologies

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING INITIATIVES

THE CENTRE OF COMPETENCE MODEL

THE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CENTRE OF COMPETENCE VALUE PROPOSITION

CONCLUSION