AML3D to establish R&D facility at Adelaide Factory of the Future
July 12, 2021
AML3D Limited, Edinburgh, Australia, is establishing a research and development facility at the ‘Factory of the Future’, currently under development by Flinders University and BAE Systems Maritime Australia in the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide. The move will see the installation of an AML Arcemy® Additive Manufacturing machine at the site, and will also enable Flinders University students to participate in the design and delivery of metal AM research projects.
Andrew Sales, AML3D Managing Director, stated, “The trials and research projects to be undertaken at the facility, in conjunction with BAE Systems Maritime Australia and Flinders University, will enable AML3D to further develop its large-scale metal Additive Manufacturing capability through added features such as in process measurement, monitoring and adjustment that will improve quality.”
Sharon Wilson, Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Strategy Director at BAE Systems Maritime Australia, said AM would be a core element of the Factory of the Future concept, with testing and trials of metal AM systems scheduled to get underway for the potential application in naval shipbuilding. “The establishment of a permanent Line Zero facility will support the development of new manufacturing techniques and technologies within a factory-like environment that will ultimately be adapted to the state-of-the-art digital shipyard at Osborne, and beyond,” added Wilson.
Flinders University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Research Impact, Professor John Spoehr, welcomed the announcement saying that the AM facility should attract great interest from students and researchers eager to explore applications of Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM®). Flinders will also provide access to relevant testing and validation equipment during the project.
“The AM R&D facility is a shining example of the capacity for collaboration in advanced manufacturing at the Factory of the Future pilot site, which will enable joint research into and enhanced uptake of technologies and processes, so we can leverage the potential benefits for shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing in Australia,” Professor Spoehr commented. “The opportunities for Wire Additive Manufacturing are endless, and our researchers and students look forward to collaborating with AML3D to explore all the potential applications.”
AML3D also entered a joint research programme with Flinders University’s Microscopy & Microanalysis and the Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, to investigate corrosion-resistance properties of WAM produced components for marine environments.
Collaboration is scheduled to commence on a research project and evaluation programme on large metal AM, based on AML3D’s WAM technology, that will involve trials of alternative source materials and the application of WAM in a scale production environment. In addition to products and processes, the project will also involve knowledge building and skills acquisition in WAM and the establishment of relevant training curriculum.
Activities to raise awareness within the potential shipbuilding supply chain on WAM, as a large-scale metal Additive Manufacturing technology, will also be part of the project.
