Rosatom has opened an Additive Technologies General Access Centre (TsATOD – Tsentr Addititivnikh Tekhnologii Obshevo Dostupa) at the VYa Gorina Belgorod State Agrarian University. (BelGAU). The centre was established jointly by BelGAU and the additive technologies business area within Rosatom’s fuel Company TVEL.
It is equipped with modern domestic equipment for industrial 3D printing, including two FORA 3D printers, which grow products using the method of layer-by-layer application of molten plastic and composite materials (FDM – Fused Deposition Modelling). In the near future, the centre also plans to create a metal 3D printing section using the Selective Laser Melting method, operating the RusMelt 310M printer.
The key tasks of TsATOD are to develop domestic additive manufacturing technologies to accelerate import substitution and promote Russian 3D equipment to ensure Russia’s technological independence. The centre will carry out research and practical work in the interests of enterprises, fulfil orders for 3D printing, test additive technology products for orders from the industrial sector and enable students to obtain a new in-demand profession – additive manufacturing engineer. The centre is already ready to accept orders for 3D printing and reverse engineering from various enterprises, including agricultural ones. It is also planned to develop and implement educational programmes to improve the qualifications of employees of enterprises in the Belgorod region.
“In order for our country to make a technological breakthrough, reach a faster pace of industrial development and achieve technological sovereignty, it is now critically important to introduce industrial 3D printing everywhere,” said Ilya Kavelashvili, CEO of Rusatom Additive Technologies (RuSat LLC – part of TVEL). “Rosatom, as the flagship of innovation in Russia, is solving this problem by developing a unified national network of public additive technology centres based on leading universities. 3D printing reduces the time required for research and development work, produces parts of complex geometric shapes in the shortest possible time, and avoids economic costs resulting from downtime of technological equipment. And this is now available in the regions. We also understand that additive manufacturing engineers will be needed at every industrial enterprise in the next 3-5 years, and we pay special attention to the training of relevant specialists. By the end of 2024 we plan to open several more such centres.”
“BelGAU is actively involved in the development of additive technologies in the Belgorod region and is ready to fulfil the tasks of the Ministry of Agriculture … in training additive manufacturing engineers in the agricultural sector, as well as in terms of research work, reverse engineering and production of finished products for industry.” said. BelGAU Rector Stanislav Aleynik. The opening of the TsATOD at BelGAU will make it possible to launch an applied educational programme for professionals in the field of additive technologies to improve the skills of employees throughout the country. The training programme includes practical classes on domestic 3D printing equipment.”
3D printing products are used in a variety of fields, from nuclear and space technologies to medicine. The integrated development of this area in the nuclear industry is the responsibility of RuSat, which consolidates scientific, technical and production resources, efforts and competencies of industry enterprises to solve common problems. The nuclear industry has created a complete technological chain from the manufacture of 3D printers, software development, production of metal powders to the provision of 3D printing services. At the same time, the nuclear industry is both a supplier and a major customer of additive manufacturing.
With the assistance of Rosatom, three public additive technology centres have already been opened in Russia – at the Udmurt State University (Izhevsk), at the Tomsk Polytechnic University (Tomsk) and an additive class at the Autonomous Non-profit Organisation of preschool education, “City of Childhood”, in Krasnogorsk, which is aimed at early career guidance. Also, an agreement has been signed on the opening of a data centre at the Ural Federal University, which will be operational by the end of 2024.
