Page 41 - Materials Australia - April 2019

FEATURE – Additive Manufacturing
CSIRO’s Lab 22
The CSIRO has played a central role in driving innovation through the establishment of Lab 22. The $6 million Lab 22 is providing Australian companies with affordable access to specialist additive manufacturing equipment and expertise and offers huge efficiency and productivity benefits for product development.
By lowering their capital investment risk and allowing companies to ‘try before they buy’, Lab 22 overcomes one of the major barriers facing smaller businesses in adopting 3D printing with metal.
The advanced equipment available at Lab 22 is in the range of $1 million per unit, but the vast majority of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) don’t have that amount of capital on-hand to take a leap of faith on a new or emerging technology. It is critical for companies to be able to take advantage of new technology and development if they are to remain internationally competitive, but investment can be risky and expensive and the technical aspects are complicated.
Lab 22 makes it much easier and
University of Sydney
In December of 2018, GE Additive signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Sydney. The company has agreed to invest up to
$1 million per year over a ten year period for research and development.
“By partnering with GE Additive, an industry leader in Additive Manufacturing, we can set the agenda for this disruptive technology and ensure that Australia is primed to both participate in, and contribute to, this exciting next phase of the industrial revolution,” said the university’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Michael Spence.
“The collaboration will drive the R&D needed to learn how this disruption to manufacturing can be harnessed for economic benefit. We are especially delighted that this initiative aligns with our plan to establish a new campus at Parramatta-Westmead, where advanced manufacturing will be a key focus.”
The MoU solidifies the University’s plan to create a new 1,000m2 Additive
affordable, so local companies can try out the equipment, use it to design or test new products or upskill their workforce – providing them with the tools to differentiate themselves, grow and get ahead of global competitors.
Australian 3D printing service companies, Made for Me and Keech3D, were the first companies to sign to use Lab 22’s new space with the aim of growing their metal 3D printing services.
CSIRO has partnered with industry on a range of world-firsts using its Arcam 3D printer, including a titanium heel bone implant to treat a cancer patient, a mouthguard for treating sleep apnoea and a customisable ‘orthotic’ for horses suffering laminitis. Lab 22’s additive manufacturing equipment includes: Arcam A1, Concept Laser M2, Optomec LENS MR-7, Voxelject VX1000 and Cold Spray Plasma Giken.
Image captions:
Top: At Lab 22, companies can explore and apply additive manufacturing technologies for big productivity gains. Image courtesy of CSIRO.
Middle: Industry can 3D print out of sand, titanium and other metals using Lab 22 facilities.
Image courtesy of CSIRO.
Bottom: Lab 22 breaks down barriers to entry in 3D printing for small business. Image courtesy of CSIRO.
Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Processing research facility.
“This addition to the university’s core research facilities will allow our researchers and research partners to conduct trail-blazing fundamental
research, and will directly benefit Australian industry, particularly our aerospace, transport, biomedical and defence sectors,” added Professor Simon Ringer, Director of Core Research Facilities at the University of Sydney.
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Image Caption (L to R): Debbra Rogers (Chief Commercial Officer, GE Additive), Professor Laurent Rivory (Pro-Vice- Chancellor – Research, University of Sydney), Christine Furstoss (Chief Technology Officer, GE Additive), and Dr Michael Spence (Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Sydney). Image Credit: Sharon Hickey.