A new smart manufacturing hub, dubbed the Emerging Manufacturing Collaboration Center (EMC2), planned for the 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis will be home to General Electric (GE) Additive's Binder Jet technology.

Binder jetting is a form of 3-D printing involving a print head that crosses a bed of powder and deposits a liquid binding agent, according to a release from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. The layers created in this manner eventually add up to the part that is desired.

“We’re excited by the opportunity presented to us by the state of Indiana,” Christine Furstoss, GE Additive' CTO, was quoted as saying in the release. “Binder jet is one of the most dynamic areas within additive manufacturing today, and one that the automotive and mobility industry in particular is watching closely. Given Indiana’s strong automotive manufacturing focus, we have high hopes that this partnership will tap into its abundant seam of innovation and spark new forward-thinking applications – especially in fields of automation and software development."

The binder jet printing method is commonly used with metals, ceramics and sand, according to the release. The expectation is that other innovators located at the facility will be able to make use of GE's technology.

“Collaboration with industry sits at the very core of our strategy,” Josh Mook, GE Additive innovation leader, was quoted as saying in the release. “We deliberately set out to identify a select group of strategic partners that could help us develop a real-world solution. It’s critically important that when we bring our solution to market next year it can deliver value from day one. Our beta partnership program is already paying dividends in many ways. Now, we’re now looking to extend that industry collaboration. Through the R&D partnership with the state, we'll create a test bed to work with partners, customers, startups and SMEs in Indiana and further afield to develop additive-centric innovation and real-world solutions."

The hub is expected to help support long-term manufacturing growth as part of the state's Economic Activity Stabilization and Enhancement (EASE), according to the release.