Spee3D
Spee3D
Minister for Defence Industry Hon Melissa Price MP takes in a demo of Spee3D's metal 3D printing technology.
Spee3D’s metal 3D printing technology is to be harnessed by the Royal Australian Navy through a $1.5m two-year pilot.
The vendor’s WarpSPEE3D platform will be deployed in the programme which, it is hoped, will help to streamline the maintenance of patrol vessels. This programme has seen Spee3D partner with Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (AMA), the latter of which was formed with the help of Spee3D and CDU in 2017. The AMA is now seen as a centre of excellence for real world applications of 3D printing technology.
By leveraging WarpSPEE3D’s ability to produce parts in quick time, the programme is aiming to significantly increase the speed at which parts are available to the Navy compared to what its current supply chain enables. Spee3D’s WarpSPEE3D metal 3D printing platform leverage metal cold spray technology and can facilitate the production of large parts, or a large number of parts, in its 1000mm x 700mm build chamber. It supports copper and aluminium powders and can handle parts weighing up to 40 kg.
Through the next two years, the Royal Australian Navy will put Spee3D’s metal 3D printing technology through its paces, enhance the organisation’s maintenance of its ships, and feedback to its partner organisations.
“This high-tech machinery enables metal components to be produced quickly and efficiently, meaning our ships can get back on the water without delay,” commented Hon Melissa Price MP, Minister for Defence Industry. “Benefitting both the Navy and industry, the knowledge transfer gained using this capability also positions the Advanced Manufacturing Alliance to pursue further opportunities. This capability is a prime example of Australian innovation at its best and supports the Government’s unprecedented shipbuilding and sustainment plans.”
