AIC & TE Connectivity Forge Groundbreaking Partnership to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Ultra-Fine Feature Electrical Connectors
The Additive Manufacturing Centre (AIC) and TE Connectivity will be deepening their collaboration to push the boundaries of precision metal additive manufacturing (AM). This partnership builds upon successful projects that have demonstrated the capability of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), also known as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), in producing functional high-resolution metal parts for high-mix low-volume prototyping and small pilot runs via the SIMTech-developed micro-LPBF system and technology.
TE Connectivity is a world leader in connectors and sensors, with strong multi-industry presence from oil & gas / marine to energy solutions and IoT connectivity. AIC is hosted by A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and supported by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC). The AM hub serves to drive the industry adoption of A*STAR’s industrial AM solutions.
Since 2021, TE Connectivity has been exploring fine feature AM with SIMTech as a potential manufacturing solution. The partnership began with a joint project focused on developing high-resolution capabilities applied to alloys relevant to TE Connectivity’s market segments. This successful collaboration expanded into small pilot runs in 2023 and 2024, utilising fine feature metal AM technology to deliver innovative parts to design engineers and customers.
Looking ahead, TE Connectivity is advancing its additive manufacturing (AM) journey by entering a broader and more strategic partnership led by AIC with A*STAR. This expanded collaboration will focus on refining the AM process to meet growing demands for functional prototyping and production. Key areas of focus include:
- Improving surface finishing to enhance part quality
- Advancing AM resolution through enhanced printer technology, processes, and new materials system
- Increasing build rate productivity to boost manufacturing efficiency
- Exploring soft-tooling production using AM techniques to offer flexible, cost-effective solutions for rapid tooling needs
- Transferring developed technologies into pilot and/or production settings, in Singapore and beyond
"We are excited to continue our work with TE Connectivity and further enhance the capabilities of metal additive manufacturing," said Dr Sharon Nai, Director of AIC. "This collaboration will not only deepen our understanding of fine feature AM but will also pave the way for industrial applications that meet the growing demand for advanced electrical and electronic components."
Dr Wong Kim Hai, R&D Manager, TE Connectivity echoed these sentiments: "The results we’ve achieved with SIMTech have sharpened TE’s competitive edge and we are excited to enter this new phase of collaboration to translate the advantages of precision AM into innovative, high-quality TE products."
This joint effort will accelerate advancements in additive manufacturing, positioning both A*STAR and TE Connectivity at the forefront of the evolving AM landscape and setting new benchmarks for the industry.