A*Star’s SIMTech and Entegris Asia establish joint research laboratory in additive manufacturing to advance product development capabilities and expand market opportunities
The AM industry, consisting of all AM products and services worldwide, was worth almost US$12 billion (S$16 billion)1 in 2019, and is expected to grow to US$36 billion (S$49 billion)2 by 2027.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and Entegris Asia Pte Ltd have established a joint research laboratory to explore new product design capabilities and expand market opportunities in additive manufacturing (AM). Entegris is a global supplier of advanced materials and process solutions for high-technology industries.
The AM joint research laboratory will serve as a technology centre for Entegris in Singapore. A*STAR’s wide-ranging capabilities in Industry 4.0 technologies, coupled with Entegris’ deep knowledge of advanced materials and process solutions, will strengthen Entegris’ competitive position and expand opportunities to pivot into new markets and new products. The company will have the opportunity to simulate the performance of their product designs before creating prototypes, and utilise its advanced materials science expertise to research the characterisation of metal powders and redesign of novel metal-based products through 3D printing. Such research could identify ways to overcome the current design constraints in traditional manufacturing and lead to discoveries in 3D printing that benefit a wide range of industries such as additive manufacturing, semiconductor, aerospace, medical and energy industries.
This collaboration will allow Entegris to anchor its activities in Singapore, a global innovation hub, and boost the additive manufacturing ecosystem here. The research collaboration also includes cooperative efforts with several leading global technology companies and research consortia. These collaborations will enable Entegris to explore the use of novel materials with Hitachi Metals, Ltd; state-of-the-art characterisation techniques with Professional Testing Services (PTS); traceable measurement methods and reference standards with A*STAR’s National Metrology Centre (NMC); and next generation modeling and simulation capabilities with ANSYS,Inc., ESSS North America Inc., and CAD-IT Consultants (Asia) Pte Ltd.
Quotes
Dr David Low, Executive Director of A*STAR’s SIMTech:
“The role of technology and innovation in transforming businesses and industries is more important now than ever. Through public-private partnerships such as our exciting new joint lab with Entegris, A*STAR works hand in hand with industry players to co-innovate and develop new solutions to help them become more competitive. The Entegris-SIMTech Joint Lab will create new possibilities through innovation in additive manufacturing as well as co-creation opportunities with other players in the additive manufacturing ecosystem.”
Mr Jim O’Neill, Chief Technology Officer of Entegris:
“3D printing has the potential to make our product design capabilities more robust by enabling more complex designs than traditional manufacturing processes can facilitate. Using 3D printing, we can explore more complex geometric designs for the membranes in our filtration solutions. Combining a deep understanding of fundamental materials properties with models of novel design configurations, we will enable new products with unique performance characteristics.” 
Click to watch the SIMTech-Entegris Joint Lab Official Launch video
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About Entegris
Entegris is a world-class supplier of advanced materials and process solutions for the semiconductor and other high-technology industries. Entegris has approximately 5,300 employees throughout its global operations and is ISO 9001 certified. It has manufacturing, customer service, and/or research facilities in the United States, Canada, China, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Additional information may be found at www.entegris.com.
Media Contact
Elizabeth Han
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A*STAR
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Email: elizabeth_han@hq.a-star.edu.sg
1https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2020/05/08/additive-manufacturing-industry-grows-to-almost-12-billion-in-2019/#6223c03d5678
2https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-global-additive-manufacturing-market-is-expected-to-grow-to-us-36-61-billion-by-2027-from-us-8-44-billion-in-2018--300810990.html