Article

Pittsburgh Airport Unveils Additive Manufacturing Center

Pittsburgh International Airport recently unveiled plans for Neighborhood 91, which is being positioned as the worlds first development focused on bri...

Pittsburgh Airport Unveils Additive Manufacturing Center

Pittsburgh International Airport recently unveiled plans for Neighborhood 91, which is being positioned as the world’s first development focused on bringing all parts of the additive manufacturing/3D printing supply chain into one communal location.

The University of Pittsburgh partnered with the airport on Neighborhood 91, which is also the first project for the 195-acre Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus near the airport terminal and runway. Arencibia, a supplier of argon gas for the aerospace and additive manufacturing sectors, has signed on as the development’s first tenant.

The name is based on Pittsburgh’s 90 distinct neighborhoods. Construction on this symbolic 91st will begin in 2020. According to Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis, “Part of our vision is to advance the region’s role as a world leader. Additive manufacturing is looking for a place to call home and no one has made that happen – until now.”

Medium_N91-flowchart.jpg - a few seconds ago
Neighborhood 91 will be the first site in the world to host the entire supply chain, from design to production and distribution.

The Neighborhood 91 concept is built on sharing capital resources to help save time and money. It will house an end-to-end ecosystem that will include:

  • Powder, parts, post-production, testing, and analysis. Officials are estimating that manufacturing lead times will shrink by 80% and transportation costs could be reduced by even more.
  • Communal powder storage and delivery facilities.
  • Airport access. As part of Neighborhood 91, a second microgrid is being planned by the airport to exclusively power the development.
  • Easy access to argon, helium, and other noble gases that can account for up to 60% of additive manufacturing costs.
Nina Roundwell
Nina Roundwell
Nina Roundwell Role: Centerless Grinding Process Engineer Nina is skilled at optimizing process parameters for centerless grinders. She specializes in improving radial accuracy and surface quality of workpieces. She knows how to adjust the grinding and regulating wheels to solve issues like vibration and workpiece deviation.