Collins Aerospace Systems, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense suppliers, has announced its intention to open an aerospace innovation hub for advanced maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in Singapore. To be located at the Collins Changi MRO Campus, East Singapore, the new hub will house the company’s first additive manufacturing lab outside the United States.

Ajay Agrawal, President of Aftermarket Services, Collins Aerospace comments, “We’re experiencing tremendous growth and transformation in aerospace globally […]”

“[…] we are focused on innovation in order to remain at the forefront of advanced methods and materials for maintenance, repair and overhaul solutions.”

Collins Aerospace additive manufacturing

Formerly known as Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace Systems is a subsidiary of the American United Technologies conglomerate. It was founded in 2012 as UTC Aerospace Systems, and earned its current name in 2018. The company’s focus is on providing innovative, technological solutions to the field of commercial, private and military aerospace sectors.

Already active within the field of additive manufacturing, Collins Aerospace Systems currently has three specialist labs for the technology located in the U.S. As Rockwell Collins, the company was also a founding member of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM).

Expanding on the application and development of 3D printing within the company Paula Hay, Executive Director of Additive Design and Manufacturing at Collins Aerospace, explains, “We are focused on parts across a wide spectrum of materials including Aluminum, Inconel, Titanium, Copper, Nickel, as well as other special alloys.”

“The additive lab in the Singapore innovation hub,” Hay adds, “will further our additive capabilities and techniques.”

“It’s a very exciting time for additive technology as it moves out of the research and prototyping realm and into production.”

Once complete, the center will be Collins’ first titanium additive manufacturing facility, and will be capable of producing prototypes, tooling and development projects.

A ground breaking ceremony for the site is to be held in August 2019. The official opening of the facility, post construction, is currently expected to take place in the first quarter of 2020.

Additive manufacturing in Singapore

Collins Aerospace’s new Singapore aerospace innovation hub is founded in collaboration with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). According to Gian Yi-Hsen, Executive Director, Conglomerates, EDB, “The Collins Aerospace Innovation [Hub] is an exciting addition to Singapore’s vibrant aerospace ecosystem and a new growth chapter for Collins Aerospace in Singapore.”

“Its focus on emerging technologies like additive manufacturing,” Yi-Hsen adds, “underscores Singapore’s regional leadership in advanced manufacturing and innovation. With its added innovation capacity in Singapore, Collins Aerospace will be well-positioned for continued success in the region and beyond.”

In April this year, the EDB also supported the founding of an Additive Manufacturing TechCenter Hub from German multinational engineering group Thyssenkrupp. Other sites of interest in the area include the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) , the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s on-port AM facilities and HP’s $84 million R&D center.

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Featured image shows a Collins Aerospace Systems jet. Photo via Collins Aerospace Systems