Aurora Labs and Fortescue agreement could lead to development of new technologies which reduce production and operation costs for mining and resources sectors.
Australian metal 3D printing company, Aurora Labs has announced the signing of a non-binding term sheet with Fortescue Metals Group, one of the world's largest, global iron ore producers.
The preliminary agreement centres around an Industry Partner Program which will allow Aurora to work with Fortescue to demonstrate the potential of its Rapid Manufacturing Technology (RMT) in the mining industry. Aurora says the news could lead to the development of new technologies or processes which could potentially reduce production and operation costs for the mining and resources sectors.
David Budge, Managing Director of Aurora Labs said the company is excited about the partnership: “Fortescue are an ideal industry partner for us and they are at the forefront of technological advancements in the mining sector."
Budge also commented on the wider significance of the agreement with Fortescue, which has integrated operations across three mining sites in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, as Aurora continues to build out its network of partners across the country.
“We are building our Industry Partner Program with VEEM, DNV-GL, Advisian and Fortescue and it’s great to see some of Australia’s largest companies are keen to explore our technology. We see this as validation of what we are developing and it acknowledges the high potential that 3D printing has in transforming how parts are created an optimised.”
The terms of the non-binding term sheet are for an initial 12 months. Though Aurora says there is currently no assurance that a legally binding contract will be entered into, that initial period may be extended by mutual agreement between the two companies.
Last month Aurora announced its ambitions to scale up as its large format metal printing technology reached a significant milestone of printing titanium at speeds eight times faster than machines of comparable size (15.88kg/day compared to 1.96kg/day). The company now plans to scale the technology to create a full-sized machine with a print speed of a 1000kg/day.