Ricoh USA, Inc. has announced a strategic partnership with North Carolina State University (NC State) to establish a Center of Excellence (COE) for additive manufacturing. This collaboration aims to address supply chain challenges through the application of 3D printing.
The COE will serve as a hub for research and development of new additive manufacturing applications. Additionally, it will function as the central point for Ricoh’s Managed 3D print services network, allowing product teams to design, prototype, and refine product designs in-house.
Gary Turner, Senior Director of Additive Manufacturing at Ricoh, highlighted the benefits of Managed 3D print services in accelerating innovation and product development. By adopting an as-a-service model, manufacturers can leverage existing onsite 3D printing expertise to shorten lead times and minimize capital investment.
Initial pilots of Ricoh’s managed services have yielded impressive results, with significant reductions in both time and cost for prototyping. This partnership with NC State provides access to additive manufacturing best practices and resources, driving efficiencies and addressing unique challenges.
“Additive manufacturing has significant potential to reduce supply chain complexity and drive innovation in a myriad of industries,” said Mark Schmidt, Ph.D., NC State’s associate vice chancellor for partnerships. ”
Partnering with a company like Ricoh with its vast onsite network will help prepare students for impactful careers and identify new opportunities to advance research.”
Ricoh will showcase its Managed 3D-print services at MODEX 2024, demonstrating its commitment to advancing additive manufacturing.
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