The Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) has announced the opening of the most advanced commercially available metal 3D printing facility in Australia, the Australian Advanced Materials Manufacturing facility (AAMM).
Located in Edinburgh Parks, in Adelaide’s North, the AAMM facility forms part of the Additive Manufacturing Applied Research Network (AMARN) which was established by the University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing and the Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility, together with the Stretton Centre and CSIRO’s Lab 22 additive manufacturing centre.
The AMARN, which has been approved for connection to the GigCity ultra-fast internet network, is the only metal additive manufacturing centre in Australia available to industry on a commercial basis and removes significant costs and barriers for local manufacturers.
It was established with the help of a $1.4m state government grant which was used to buy UK-made 3D printers for the AAMM.
IMCRC CEO David Chuter said the new facility will be able to print titanium, stainless steel, aluminium and cobalt chrome into complex metal parts, enabling local companies to manufacture parts for a variety of industries, including a range of defence, medical and dental devices.
“The South Australian Government’s $1.4 million investment in the Australian Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AAMM) facility will help further catalyse the transformation of the manufacturing industry in South Australian and ensure businesses can remain relevant globally competitive in this sector,” he said.
“The ability to access world class facilities, such as the AAMM, will remove a significant barrier for businesses looking to invest in technologies and research and benefit from the opportunities presented by a rapidly evolving manufacturing sector.”
“The South Australian Government should be applauded for the significant investment it continues to make to guarantee the future of manufacturing in South Australia, and for removing barriers – particularly for small and medium manufacturers – to invest in R&D, particularly with Australian universities and CSIRO.”
Professor Andre Luiten, Director Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) said the facility will significantly enhance local advanced manufacturing.
“This network and facility has been borne out of three years’ work by the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing and our Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility,” he said.
“Clients who use our current small 3D metal printing facility have had to go overseas to get access to larger printers for manufacture of products. The new facility will enable many advanced manufacturing projects in defence, medical devices, dental and injection moulding to be undertaken in Adelaide.”
