Do you want to learn more about additive manufacturing, especially with metals? Opportunities to learn are beginning to arrive. The latest is from UL, a global safety science organization, and the University of Louisville. Representatives of UL and the University announced the official opening of a 3D printing training center named the UL Additive Manufacturing Competency Center (UL AMCC). Developed for established additive manufacturing (AM) technical and business professionals, the end-to-end training center, located on the University of Louisville campus, will be a hub for advancing AM knowledge and workforce expertise.

Concurrent to the opening ceremony, UL and EOS announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which the two companies will collaborate to provide joint AM training, conformity advisory services and facility safety management to EOS customers. The goal of the relationship is to promote the proper usage and advancement of AM technologies to the manufacturing industry.

The UL AMCC offers hands-on training in additive manufacturing for metals and curriculum covering design set up, design corrections, machine set up, part production, post-processing and parts inspection, testing and validation. The training will allow professionals to understand how to produce metal parts and emerging materials through additive manufacturing, and establish safety systems, identify hazards from materials and machines and manufacture parts with safety built into designs.

“Our vision has always been to collaborate with the additive manufacturing industry to further innovation, safety and quality. The UL AMCC is a direct outcome of that collaboration. The University of Louisville, AM machine manufacturers and other industry leaders demonstrated incredible commitment in the creation of this facility,” said Simin Zhou, vice president of UL’s Digital Manufacturing Technologies division.

The UL AMCC joins the University of Louisville’s global advanced manufacturing campus, the Institute for Product Realization (IPR), and collaborates and shares knowledge with other corporate residents, including GE and Local Motors’ FirstBuild.

As additive manufacturing technologies evolve, UL AMCC will update course curriculum and introduce new content every six to 12 months. As part of the training program, UL has developed a formal additive manufacturing professional certification for students who have demonstrated proficiency in the minimum competencies to manufacture conforming parts.

For information on specific courses or to register, visit UL.com/AMtraining or email 3dprinting@ul.com.