Ank Kumar
Bengaluru International Airport
A state-of-the-art 3D printing facility is now operational at Airport City on the Bengaluru Airport premises.
The Peekay Group, in partnership with Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL), inaugurated this first-of-its-kind facility, that focuses on engineering, design and collaboration.
The facility houses a production centre and an experience zone that will train individuals and students in 3D printing. It will also be an incubation centre for those who want to ideate new solutions.
“The facility will act as a catalyst to help transform our Airport City into a technology hub. From healthcare to sustainable construction and aerospace, 3D printing helps develop a culture of creativity and scope for scaling innovation across industries,” said Rao Munukutla, CEO, BACL.
Munukutla talked about what the project aims to achieve, he said: “This technology will further help consolidate Bengaluru’s strategic position as a knowledge-based economy, and as the Silicon Valley of India. A technology hub coupled with upcoming world-class retail, dining and entertainment facilities will make our Airport City a truly global destination.”
The Peekay Group is planning to install a metal 3D printing unit to cater to the niche demand from the aerospace industry, and through doing so will also provide employment and have a positive environmental impact.
K.E. Shavanaz, Joint Managing Director, Peekay Group, said: “With the various additive manufacturing processes we are planning to add to this facility, we believe we can create a considerable number of high-quality jobs in the aerospace industry in the future. Furthermore, the social impact will be notable with the adoption of ‘The Go Green’ concept which will spearhead the reduction of our carbon footprint.”
Peekay Group intends to contribute to education and training in the additive manufacturing industry. Shavanaz added: “We intend to tie up with world-renowned universities to embark on various training programs and symposiums to nurture the enthusiasm and creativity in today’s youth by utilising design-based reasoning as a foundation to synchronise all manufacturing processes.”
Airport City is home to a giant 3D printing sand machine that is a highly efficient and environmentally friendly machine with no carbon emission, in line with Bangalore International Airport Limited’s sustainability framework.
Munukutla said: “We are actively making our Airport City truly smart. Our smart streetlight system is the first of its kind in an airport ecosystem in India. We have been awarded the ‘Most Innovative Best Practice for Project Digitalisation of Infrastructure Development in Bengaluru Airport City’ by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).”
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