Company offers a turnkey AM production service including design, optimisation and finishing.
“Akhani 3D, a newly established venture between Rapid 3D and Kemtek, has been created to meet the rising demand from within the manufacturing sector for a turnkey AM (Additive manufacturing/3D printing) production service that translates ideas into objects as efficiently as possible,” said Akhani 3D Managing Director David Bullock.
“We are leveraging 15 years of experience in an industry that has seen notable shifts recently. AM is no longer a trend on its way into the mainstream, it’s a serious global business. With new innovations reaching the market constantly, it’s a challenging world to navigate. AM machines are getting faster, design tools smarter and the portfolios of materials and finishes ever more suited to industrial applications. Some of the world’s largest companies are making increased investments in AM, with GE, HP, BASF and Siemens all vying for position,” continued Bullock.
“Additive manufacturing has side-stepped age-old design, tooling and production problems more effortlessly than anyone a decade ago thought imaginable. The ability to consider a component holistically and design specifically to purpose is changing the nature of the $12 trillion manufacturing sector, shortening supply chains, spearheading innovation and significantly reducing time to market,” stated Bullock.
Hailing from far ranging industries and disciplines from mining to mountain bikes, Akhani 3D’s clients include Pyga, who build a world renowned range of bespoke trail bikes. Akhani 3D have also played an instrumental role in honing the design of their premier Slakline enduro bike, reducing its weight while building frame strength and durability
“The promise of full serial production is drawing ever closer, with the industry driven towards the holy grail of delivering high volumes of reliable product at lower costs than traditional processes.”
“Rapid 3D launched when 3D printing was in its infancy, not just in South Africa, but globally. It’s an industry that has progressed at a staggering rate, and through the years we’ve filtered out the noise to pinpoint the processes that deliver real value,” explained Bullock.
“Kemtek Imaging Systems is a specialist supplier of leading internationally renowned brands to the commercial print, industrial print, 3D print/additive manufacturing, auto identification, barcoding and labelling industries in sub-Saharan Africa.”
“Akhani is taken from the Zulu word meaning ‘to make’. Under the vision of ‘Make Possible’, the goal at Akhani 3D is to unlock value through product innovation.”
“Akhani 3D has been established for two reasons. The first is the growing demand among our clients for cutting-edge manufacturing technologies that speed up their research and development workflows. The second is recognising that the AM industry has reached a level of maturity where the costs, quality and time factors have converged to make scaling production feasible,” said Pauline Bullock, Akhani 3D’s Director of Operations.
“Akhani 3D’s expert team will provide traditional manufacturers with access to industry-leading additive manufacturing production processes that deliver a clear competitive advantage,” continued Pauline Bullock.
“We have recently added the EOS M290, what we believe is the industry benchmark in the industrial 3D printing of metal parts, to our arsenal of 3D machines. With a building volume of 250 x 250 x 325mm, the EOS M 290 is ideal for manufacturing highly complex DMLS components from aluminium and steel in a range of quality grades, the investment has unlocked new possibilities for Akhani 3D’s clients, as the EOS M 290 allows for a fast, flexible and cost-effective production of metal parts directly from CAD data,” said Pauline Bullock.
“Hailing from far ranging industries and disciplines from mining to mountain bikes, Akhani 3D’s clients include Pyga, who build a world renowned range of bespoke trail bikes. Akhani 3D have also played an instrumental role in honing the design of their premier Slakline enduro bike, reducing its weight while building frame strength and durability.”
“For Raptor Rescue, Akhani 3D built solar powered GPS units to track and monitor birds of prey, providing their team with the ability to quickly to respond to poisoning sites to save critically endangered vulture species.”
“As technologies have advanced, components have moved beyond the arena of R&D and on to the production line. Consider the aerospace industry. Subject to some of the world’s most stringent performance standards, the ability to develop high performance, lightweight components individually has had far ranging implications in both commercial and military applications. With the rise of additive manufacturing, Boeing has completely overhauled its engineering model, developing a new design approach that considers every mechanical element individually, managed by a single design engineer.”
“A similar revolution is currently underway in the medical field, where high tensile, flexible and biocompatible substrates are transforming surgical implants, dentistry, prosthetics and countless other applications.”
Turnkey AM production service
Akhani 3D will be offering a turnkey AM production service that includes design, optimisation and finishing. The company also offers Stereolithography (SLA/DLP); Selective Laser Sintering (SLS); Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF); Composite (FFF); ColorJet Printing (CJP); MultiJet Printing (MJP) and Direct Metal Printing (DMP/DMLS), as well as a full finishing and colouring workflow.
For further details contact Akhani 3D on TEL: 033 330 2936 or visit www.akhani3d.com
