Stärke expands capacity with three Renishaw AM400 machines
Stärke Advanced Manufacturing Group, based in Gillman, Australia, announced that it has partnered with Flinders University to expand its Additive Manufacturing capability at its Camden Park facility through the addition of three Renishaw AM400 Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machines.
This investment is reported to strengthen Stärke’s position as a multi-process metal Additive Manufacturing provider and adds the advanced manufacturing capability that South Australia requires to support sectors such as space, defence and medical, which are transitioning from traditional manufacturing.
The machines were initially purchased by Flinders University for research purposes and are now being integrated into Stärke’s production environment to help meet growing demand for advanced additively manufactured components.
One of the three AM machines will support research and development activities under a newly funded Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) project, delivered in collaboration with Stärke-AMG, Flinders University, The University of Adelaide and Metal Powder Works.
The new machines will complement Stärke’s established Arcam Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) Additive Manufacturing machines and broaden Stärke’s material and process offering from titanium to stainless steel, aluminium and superalloy Inconel.
Stärke-Advanced Manufacturing Group CEO and co-founder Al Jawhari said that the Additive Manufacturing capability introduced by these additional machines is unique in South Australia and meets a critical need.
“Manufacturers, including those in the defence sector, want access to world-class, reliable and sustainable digitally enabled production,” he explained. “Relying on overseas manufacturing is risky, whilst traditional manufacturing methods can’t offer cost-effective solutions for complex products or small-batch manufacturing.”
“Defence is a major focus for us, and we hope to become certified by ASC and the US Navy in a matter of months,” Jawhari continued. “Defence needs to be able to innovate and design new ways of doing things, but there is also a need to repair infrastructure, vehicles, equipment and systems, whilst at AUKUS level, Additive Manufacturing will be one of the critical capabilities that will allow Australia and its allies to share digital designs and produce certified components as required.”
Stärke reported that it has already received orders for components, including water pump parts for the local office of a multinational water treatment company. It is intended to target several additional opportunities in the space and energy markets in the coming months as the new machines are brought into production.
