Think3D announced the collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in June 2017 to setup a 3D Printing facility to cater to the Medical devices companies in the special zone. AMTZ, a special-purpose entity was formed by the Indian government and the Andhra Pradesh provincial government with the goal of advancing medical device manufacturing in the country. Within 18 months of this announcement on 13th December 2018 the facility was inaugurated by Shri. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
The creation of such a zone is based on the fact that medical devices manufacturing requires certain high investment facilities which are too capital intensive for individual manufactures to invest upon.The zone with in-house high investment scientific facilities would help manufacturers reduce the cost of manufacturing by more than 40%-50%. Currently, due to lack of such centrally located sharable facilities, either manufacturers do not undertake production of technologies requiring them or send their products abroad for process up-gradation and value addition.
As a part of this collaboration, AMTZ will provide think3D with equipment through the facility on lease, while think3D will use its own expenses to manage the facility, offering services to customers at a subsidized rate or at market rate for non-AMTZ customers.
“We are very excited to be part of AMTZ facility and contribute to the MAKE IN INDIA initiative,” said Raja Sekhar Upputuri, co-founder of think3D. “A state-of-art 3D printing & 3D designing facility helps manufacturers bring innovative products into the market at a much faster pace. We look forward to see some great medical devices coming out of this park in years to come.”
This new 3D Printing facility is conceptualized to offer rapid prototyping and batch production services to various manufacturers present in the park. To cater to the needs of the manufacturers, think3D has set up 3D Design, 3D Scan, 3D Print, Batch Production centers in this facility. A manufacturer can come to think3D facility with an idea and leave with a small batch of finished items that they can assemble in their facility.
3D Printing will be used for prototype and batch production of few parts for medical devices. For example MRI, ECG, Ultrasound machines, different types of syringes and so on. TUV Rhineland is also setting up a testing center in the facility to thoroughly test these devices before they are launched in the market.
The facility is a comprehensive one including the entire value chain of Additive Manufacturing under one roof including 3D designing, 3D Scanning, Varied AM technologies from companies like EOS, HP, Stratasys and 3D Systems, Post processing services and CNC, EDM machining, Injection moulding and vacuum casting for batch production needs.
The facility also has a well-equipped maker space for entrepreneurs & start-ups to shape their ideas. The facility will be completely up and running soon in a month’s time in January 2019.
