Westminster Tool Awarded $100,000 Grant for Additive Technology

Westminster Tool has been awarded $100,000 as a recipient of the Additive Manufacturing Adoption Program (AMAP) grant, a Connecticut-based program recognizing six manufacturers in the state that have adopted innovative additive technologies into their operations.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) announced the six recipients in early September at an event hosted by Okay Industries, another AMAP grant recipient.

“Connecticut is the Silicon Valley of advanced manufacturing, plain and simple,” says Governor Ned Lamont. “These grants will help our brilliant manufacturers across the state continue to innovate, building bigger, faster and more complex machines that drive our state, country and the world further into the 21st century.”

Developed by CCAT and the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund (MIF), the competitive grant was created to support manufacturing companies seeking to add new 3D printing equipment and capabilities to their processes.

Westminster Tool has spent the last seven years exploring 3D printing applications. In 2020, the company embarked on a partnership with metal additive technology company Mantle Inc. Working together, Westminster Tool extensively researched Mantle’s metal additive applications specific to the injection mold industry.

“Our partnership with Mantle gives our team a unique opportunity to learn about the latest metal additive technology and as a result, allow us to deliver innovative solutions to our customers,” says Westminster Tool CFO, Colby Coombs. “Using metal additive technology for tooling component manufacturing has the potential for major cost and lead time reductions, and it also opens the door to several new engineering opportunities for injection mold making.”

The company says the grant and the support given by CCAT and the state of Connecticut will enable Westminster Tool to take its application of additive even further. “Connecticut has made it a priority to provide manufacturers with the support they need to adopt advanced technology,” Coombs says. “This program is another great example of how Connecticut helps drive manufacturing forward, and we are honored to be included in that effort.”