Oerlikon opens new 125,000 square foot facility in North Carolina. (Credit: Twitter @OerlikonGroup)
Oerlikon, a global provider of surface solutions, equipment, advanced materials and materials processing, will officially cut the ribbon today on its 55 million USD Innovation Hub & Advanced Component Production facility in North Carolina.
The new 125,000 square foot Huntersville facility, the Swiss company’s second location in the state, will serve as a cornerstone of Oerlikon’s additive manufacturing business in the US.
The Oerlikon AM production facility employs around 60 people and will house a range of advanced manufacturing technologies across 40,000 sq. ft. of AM space and 40,000 sq. ft of post-processing space. Oerlikon says its AM experts are equipped to help customers in aerospace, automotive, energy and medical industries to transform their production processes with more complex and better performing components, simplified logistics and reduced environmental impact.
“We are already working with customers in the aerospace, automotive, energy and medical industries in the US, and we anticipate continued growth in those sectors, as well as in others,” said Dr. Sven Hicken, Head of Oerlikon’s Additive Manufacturing business. “We believe that additive manufacturing can transform production in many industries, and we are excited that our presence here in North Carolina allows us to better demonstrate those possibilities to our customers.”
The inauguration brings Oerlikon’s AM network to a total of four locations across the US and Europe and marks a major milestone in Oerlikon’s ongoing US growth strategy. The company has invested 400 million USD in the US over the past five years and expects to invest an additional 200 million USD over the next three, creating around 400 high-skilled jobs.
“This facility marks an important step in our investment strategy for growth,” said Prof. Dr. Michael Süss, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Oerlikon Group. “Additive manufacturing will play a decisive role in how industries and industrial processes will look in the future. We are committed to investing in this business and leading the industrialisation of this technology.”
