Nefyn professor Philip Michael Dickens, founder of Added Scientific, receives an MBE for services to the additive manufacturing sector.

The 66-year-old is considered the first true expert by the UK’s additive manufacturing (AM) community. Commonly referred to in the popular media as 3D printing, it is his research that has helped demonstrate that AM is a must have technology for the UK manufacturing sector to survive, compete and flourish on a global basis.

Commenting on the honour, he said: “It’s great, a real surprise! My friends and family are very happy about it – my two young granddaughters sent me a rose.

“The letter notifying me of the award went to the wrong house, so we didn’t find out about it for a while. It’s taken a while for it all to sink in.”

“It was such a surprise to get the honour. It was down to all the great people I have worked with over the years in additive manufacturing,” he added.

“We are hoping to set up a volunteer system where companies can get free advice on when it is appropriate to use additive manufacturing.”

Philip is credited by his peers as providing the foundations for the adoption of this technology and instrumental in ensuring that the UK has grasped the potential of and maximised the benefits it offers.

He has been a mentor to this community and at the heart of some of the earliest global innovations.­

He was the first academic worldwide to investigate multi-pass welding to make 3D metal shapes and the first to show the technical feasibility of injection moulding into stereolithography tool cavities.

His work led to a patent for its build style that is now used worldwide to make patterns for investment casting, a key industry underpinning aerospace and other high technology products.