The 7 reasons we joined IAMM
Ronny Blaauwgeers - Director Manufacturing Engineering
It’s another milestone in our industry… and one we support wholeheartedly. Three universities of applied sciences have partnered up to form Industrial Additive Manufacturing in Metals (IAMM). This initiative is supported by knowledge institutions, network organizations and companies from the manufacturing industry. And we are one of them!
IAMM focuses on practical research and has a comprehensive approach: it’s not just about technology, but the whole chain. Our Director Manufacturing Engineering Ronny Blaauwgeers explains: “3D printing is becoming increasingly popular in industries. However, when it comes to additive manufacturing in metal, we know that there are extra challenges involved, both technological and commercial. Aeronamic has a leading position in additive manufacturing and we are therefore keen to take a joint role in tackling these challenges. Of course, we can’t join every initiative out there, but IAMM really deserves our attention. Allow me to summarize the seven reasons why we joined.”
#1: Match with our identity
“It’s in our DNA to push limits. We are eager to discover how we can benefit from anything new in our industry. This initiative and how this partnership works… it’s a perfect match with Aeronamic’s profile.”
#2: Our duty to education
“As a front-runner, we cannot forget where our experts got their knowledge in the first place: in school. And thanks to research done by universities, our industry gets to keep moving forward. We are grateful for our educational systems and how they facilitate new talent into becoming the next generation to lead our industry. We need to back our gratitude up with action and give back where and when we can. It’s a relationship of mutual benefit.”
#3: History
“There are three universities of applied sciences involved in the founding of IAMM: Fontys, Saxion and Windesheim. Aeronamic has worked in partnership with Saxion before and it proved to be a successful one. Joining this initiative now gives us a sense of familiarity. We feel sure that supporting the IAMM initiative will lead to another fruitful partnership.”
#4: Taking responsibility for our economy
“The Dutch economy is already a strong one, but that doesn’t mean we can just sit back and relax. We have to continue our work as a company and at the same time push ourselves to support our economy as a whole. Continuous development is necessary in all kinds of fields. By joining IAMM, we are using our size and stature to achieve further technological development. By doing so, we are also further strengthening the economy of the Netherlands, keeping a level playing field with other strong economies like those of Germany, UK and USA.”
#5: Strengthening networks
“We all know the value of building and maintaining a strong network. IAMM is a way of expanding our network, but not solely for our own benefit. Supporting IAMM creates the opportunity for others outside our realm to discover that Aeronamic exists, and to find out that we have expertise and technology which may offer a possible solution to the challenges they face.”
#6: Cutting edge technology
“Being part of IAMM grants us access to the latest and greatest AM production technologies. It enriches our possibilities as Aeronamic, but also inspires us to push our current technological boundaries. To give you some insight, an innovation center will be available for both the industry as well as for students, with AM technologies like laser powder bed fusion of several metals, cold-spray, WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing), LMD (Laser Metal Deposition) with both wire or powder integrated in a 5-axis milling machine (and off-scope: printing high performance plastics like PEEK and PEAK).
#7: New opportunities for applied research
“Those who are following Aeronamic closely know that we are taking big leaps forward in developing the e-compressor of the future. Additive manufacturing is a pivotal aspect in the process and working together with IAMM gives us the opportunity to conduct applied research. You can imagine how greatly this motivates us to work towards our vision and how it accelerates our progress in achieving it.”
We are looking forward to pushing limits together with IAMM. Knowing what a partnership like this can accomplish, we can only encourage other tech companies everywhere to play a role in education. You are often in a position to make a huge impact on educational institutions and in the end, our industry as a whole will benefit.