When Galicia Prints More Future Than Bread
While the world discovers domestic 3D printing, Galicia is redefining industrial manufacturing from O Porriño 🏭. AIMEN, the technology center that sounds like the future but smells of Galician tradition, coordinates the Ecosistema GO! project to turn Spain into an additive manufacturing powerhouse. And it does so with the same determination as its grandmothers kneading bread: mixing ancestral knowledge with cutting-edge technology.
The Spanish Industrial Treasure Map
The project is creating a living census of capabilities that includes:
- 200+ companies with technologies from FDM to laser metal printing (DMLS)
- 47 technology centers specialized in strategic sectors
- 15 universities with training programs in additive manufacturing
- 12 autonomous communities interconnected in a network
"It's not just about knowing who has printers, but creating a collective brain that anticipates industrial needs" - explains Dr. María Pérez, project coordinator.
Workshops That Fuse Galician Knowledge with Global Technology
AIMEN's training sessions are laboratories where:
- Naval engineers learn to optimize propellers with generative algorithms in Rhino
- Aeronautical manufacturers master selective laser sintering (SLS) for Airbus components
- Industrial designers rediscover Fusion 360 for titanium-printed endoscopic parts
Everything with a practical approach where G-code is discussed with the same passion as a plate of pulpo á feira.
Workflows That Cross Borders (and File Formats)
Interoperability is the holy grail:
| Software | Strong in | Key Export |
|---|---|---|
| Blender | Topological optimization | STL with variable density |
| SolidWorks | Mechanical tolerances | STEP with metadata |
| Materialise Magics | Industrial preparation | Multi-axis G-code |
Success Stories with a Galician Seal
AIMEN has already collaborated on projects where:
- Wind turbine parts reduce their weight by 40% through lattice structures
- Custom medical implants are produced in 72 hours instead of 3 weeks
- Automotive tools incorporate impossible-to-mill cooling channels
The Galician Paradox: Tradition That Prints the Future
While Galicia preserves its millennial hórreos, AIMEN designs the factories of the future. Perhaps the secret lies in understanding that innovation, like good wine, needs deep roots to grow. And if anyone knows that, it's those who turned stone and water into cathedrals... and now metal powder into airplane turbines. 🛩️
So the next time you see a 3D printer, remember: behind that layer of plastic there may be Galician knowledge, national coordination, and European vision. Or as they would say in O Porriño: "This isn't futurism, it's common sense with GPS".