- Grants from ‘France 2030’ initiative will drive investment in KeyProd production monitoring solution and MBJ 3D printing activities
- KeyProd ‘gives industrial companies greater operational control and increases France’s competitiveness’, says government
- JPB’s MBJ 3D printing initiatives also deemed to align with government desire to produce low-carbon aircraft
Paris. 29 June 2023 . JPB Système, the manufacturer of efficiency-enhancing technology solutions for aerospace, aeronautic and other industries, has announced that it has received funding from the French Government as part of the wide-ranging ‘France 2030’ investment programme.
The France 2030 initiative, launched by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2021, comprises an overall package of €54 billion for French companies, designed to support innovation and accelerate the transformation of key industry sectors, in order to position France as a leading player on the world stage.
In response to calls for proposals, JPB Système submitted separate requests for funding to further invest in and develop the technological and human resources aspects of both its KeyProd production monitoring solution, and Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ) 3D printing technology activities.
After examination by an independent expert committee, the company’s KeyProd proposal was approved by the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI) on the basis that ‘it gives industrial companies greater operational control and is fully in line with the objectives of the France 2030 initiative – in particular its desire to increase France’s competitiveness’.
At the same time, JPB Système was also successful with its other request for support to further develop its pilot manufacturing line that deploys MBJ 3D printing technology for the creation and pre-industrialisation of aerospace parts for low-carbon aircraft.
According to the SGPI, JPB’s innovation and ambition in this area directly aligns with the programme’s aims. This saw JPB awarded a grant based on the ‘potential positive environmental impact across aerospace parts manufacturing and on the decarbonisation of aircraft thanks to the reduction in both raw material consumption and the weight of the components produced.
Commenting on the company’s successful applications for funding, Damien Marc, President of JPB Système, says, “We’re thrilled that our thirst to drive technological innovation that enables our customers to increase their competitiveness at both a national and global level has been recognised in this way.
“Our KeyProd production monitoring solution is already delivering quantifiable for customers by enabling them to enjoy overall equipment effectiveness of up to 15%, thanks to the insight it offers insofar as the causes of machine downtime. This funding will allow us to consolidate the existing baseline, develop new applications, and in due course launch a new product line to better track machine performance and production follow-up,” he explains.
Equally, the France 2030 support will, according to Damien Marc, provide a boost to the JPB’s ongoing MBJ 3D printing operations, something that was further cemented with the company’s recent acquisition of a stake in 3D printer manufacturer start-up,
“Crucially, this investment injection will allow us to confirm the results we have achieved in trials and stabilise the MBJ process for production,” he explains. “We believe that this technology will enable us to reduce production times for certain parts and speed up delivery times to customers, while the flexibility of MBJ also means that we can produce 100 completely different parts in the same time that it would take to produce 100 that are identical. We will also launch a study on manufacturing with stainless steel via the MBJ platform in 2024,” Damien Marc concludes.
