SINGAPORE: Two local universities launched a joint lab on Friday to develop new techniques in 3D design and printing.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will collaborate to research and develop innovative techniques in 3D design and printing.
Such new techniques will increase the range of products that can be made using 3D printing, which usually produces an item by adding materials layer by layer.
To achieve this, the two universities announced the launch of a joint lab in the field of Visualisation and Prototyping (VP). Named the VP Lab, it will have dual facilities located at NTU’s Yunnan campus and SUTD’s Dover campus.
In Visualisation, a product is designed using 3D software, while in Prototyping, a 3D printer prints the product – also known as Rapid Prototyping or Additive Manufacturing.
As opposed to conventional manufacturing such as machining, casting and moulding, rapid prototyping generates less material wastage, takes less time to produce, and has lower production costs.
The VP Lab will begin with four research projects leveraging the strengths of both universities, focusing on areas such as large-scale prototyping, multi-material additive manufacturing, and embedded sensor technology.
The agreement was signed by Professor Yue Chee Yoon, NTU’s Associate Provost for Graduate Education, and Professor Martin L. Dunn, SUTD’s Associate Provost for Research.
Professor Yue said that increasingly, 3D printing is becoming the preferred way industry creates prototypes:
“The advent in 3D design and printing allows anyone now to produce an item with complex configurations, while having the flexibility to accommodate design changes conveniently to meet rapidly changing industrial demands without incurring additional tooling cost.”
“NTU has recognised strengths in relevant fields such as rapid prototyping, manufacturing technology and materials research. We are pleased to partner SUTD to create breakthroughs in this new field, as SUTD has expertise in optimising 3D visualisation and design that complements NTU’s strengths.”
Professor Dunn added:
“The VP Lab brings together tremendous expertise from NTU and SUTD in 3D design and printing; the exciting research projects will positively impact Singapore, the region, and the world.”
He noted that the effort is especially timely given global excitement in advanced manufacturing and the potential business-changing paradigms emerging technologies are creating. “The VP Lab is a strategic piece of our ambitious strategy in digital manufacturing at SUTD, and we could not be more excited about its launch today.”
Professor Kristin Wood, Head of Engineering Product Development at SUTD and co-Director of the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre (IDC), will oversee the collaboration with Professor Chua Chee Kai, Chair of NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Prof Wood said:
“Together with NTU, we aim to create a unique environment for innovating the next generation of methods, tools, techniques and technologies for designers and manufacturers. The VP Lab will enable students, faculty and researchers to maximise the capabilities of digital manufacturing to develop technology for Singapore that was previously a mere dream. I am certain, through this collaboration, that we will live up to the motto: ‘Undertake the Impossible. Design the Unexpected.’”
Prof Chua added that in future, 3D design and printing could be part of everyday life, with the possibility of printing items such as clothes, toys, crockery and even medical implants.
“This partnership builds upon NTU’s world-leading expertise in 3D printing, and I am confident it will lead to groundbreaking innovations, in line with our vision of keeping NTU and Singapore at the forefront of this emerging technology.”
The collaboration is timely given the rapid growth of additive manufacturing in Singapore, particularly in aerospace, manufacturing, semiconductor and precision engineering.
The collaboration was announced on the same day as the official opening of the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre.
The 208 sq m centre at SUTD’s Dover campus is for faculty and students to research and showcase their work. When the school moves to Changi in 2015, it will span 5,000 sq m over four floors.
Some 60 faculty members and 53 researchers from SUTD are involved in projects at the centre, with 78 ongoing projects—16 in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
To carry out these projects, SUTD secured $12 million in external funding from industry partners and agencies. One project, led by Assistant Professor Chen Lujie, involves software for prototyping that produces scale models to test product concepts.
Developing skilled manpower will also be a key priority at the VP Lab, with NTU and SUTD contributing $200,000 in research funds and four PhD scholarships.
