Space launch vehicle corporations INNOSPACE is joining hands with Hyundai Motor Group to broaden the application of its additive manufacturing (3D printing) process management technology to the auto industry.
INNOSPACE said on the 29th that it signed a supply contract with Hyundai Motor Group for its independently developed additive manufacturing control solution, "INNO AM-X." The company said the deal applies to the auto sector the additive manufacturing process management capabilities it has built while producing launch vehicle engines and key components. It added that it is significant as the first commercialization result of expanding additive manufacturing technology to other industries.
INNO AM-X is a control solution designed to integrate and manage equipment status, process conditions, and quality data of metal 3D printing processes in a single system.
INNOSPACE plans to use this supply contract to move beyond its existing business structure centered on internalizing launch vehicle parts and to actively expand a new revenue model focused on systems and solutions based on its own additive manufacturing technology. In particular, it plans to diversify its business portfolio to target high-reliability manufacturing industries such as defense and energy, as well as automobiles, which require aerospace-level precise quality management systems.
Chief Executive Kim Su-jong of INNOSPACE said, "The additive manufacturing control solution accumulated in the launch vehicle development process is a leading technology that can be applied to various industries requiring high-precision, high-reliability manufacturing, beyond a simple internal management tool," adding, "Starting with supply to Hyundai Motor Group, we will expand across industries to broaden our footing as corporations with differentiated technological competitiveness not only in space transportation but also in the additive manufacturing field."