Thales Opens Metal 3D Printing Plant in Casablanca worth €20 mln

Thales, French aerospace industry leader, has opened a new industrial competence center in Casablanca, with capabilities spanning all aspects of 3D metal printing.

Spanning over a surface area of 1000 square meters, this plant was achieved for a total cost estimated at €20 million and equipped with cutting-edge technologies to produce satellites parts, said Thales, the electronic firm active in the aerospace, defense, security and land transportation sectors.

“With an existing aerospace ecosystem of subcontractors, Morocco has everything needed to become Thales’ global center of expertise in 3D printing. The use of a secure digital platform provides the industrial Competence Center with the latest innovations in terms of connected industry and smart plants, and will improve the competitiveness of the solutions offered to our customers,” Pierre Prigent, Thales Country Director in Morocco, was quoted as saying in a statement.

“Thales is bringing state-of-the-art technology and a high added value profession to Morocco: it is a genuine source of pride for us to deliver this leap forward to the country’s industrial sector. This new project is proof that Morocco is achieving a diametric shift in its industrial sector, which is driving the creation of highly specialized jobs in the country,” said Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Investment, Commerce and Digital Economy.

This industrial Competence Center will add impetus to Morocco’s Industrial Acceleration Plan, which attaches particular importance to developing innovative ecosystems and creating high-tech industrial competence centers.

The plant will eventually employ around twenty engineers and technicians and is currently equipped with two so-called selective laser melting technology machines. This technique, which involves fusing metal alloy powders using a high-intensity laser, is used to manufacture metal parts of unrivalled complexity, which cannot be manufactured using current technologies.

Thales has a long-standing partnership with Morocco. The company opened its local office in Rabat in 2006 and is active in defense, aerospace, transportation and security. It has 45 employees.

In April 2013, Thales and Rabat International University signed a partnership agreement in aerospace, space and cybersecurity to support technological innovation through training and research.