In partnership with Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL), Peekay Group has opened a 3D printing facility at Bengaluru Airport City, near Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru in India.
The facility houses a production center and an experience zone that will train individuals and students in 3D printing. It will also be an incubation center for those who want to create new products. One of the aims of this new setup is to increase awareness about 3D printing applications and to train technology experts who want to upgrade their skills. Additive manufacturing – popularly known as 3D printing – is used widely in industries including architecture, construction, automotive, aerospace, military, biotech (human tissue replacement) jewelry design and education. Going forward, the Peekay Group plans to use a 3D metal printing unit to cater to the niche demand from the aerospace industry.
The global 3D printing market is estimated to reach US$62.79bn by 2028 and is expected to undergo a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.0% from 2021 to 2028. Market data consultancy McKinsey predicts that additive manufacturing could have an annual economic impact of US$550bn by 2025. Peekay Group has asserted that while traditional manufacturing negatively affects the environment, 3D printing is an eco-friendly technology that reduces carbon footprint.
Rao Munukutla, CEO of BACL, said, “We are excited to inaugurate this state-of-the-art 3D printing facility at our airport city and partner with the Peekay Group. This 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. This technology will 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. 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 digitalization of infrastructure development in Bengaluru Airport City’ by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).”
K E Shanavaz, joint managing director of Peekay Group, added, “With our vast experience and the trust for quality, delivery and cost that we have built over the last few decades, we are confident that Peekay can contribute immensely toward skill development, design-based thinking and optimization of products for customer benefit. Over and above this, 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 utilizing design-based reasoning as a foundation to synchronize all manufacturing processes. 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.”