Titomic and Fincantieri to develop titanium Additive Manufacturing for shipbuilding
May 22, 2018
Fincantieri is a key figure in cruise ship design and construction (Courtesy Fincantieri)
Titomic Ltd, Melbourne, Australia, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fincantieri Australia PTY LTD, Adelaide, the Australian division of Italy’s Fincantieri S.p.A, Europe’s largest shipbuilder. The twelve-month agreement is Titomic’s first for the marine sector, and will enable the company to evaluate the potential for its Titomic Kinetic Fusion AM technology in Fincantieri’s manufacturing activities.
Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) is a proprietary and patented process co-developed with Australia’s CSIRO for the application of cold-gas dynamic spraying of titanium or titanium alloy particles onto a scaffold to produce a load-bearing structure. The process is claimed to allow dissimilar metals, alloys, composites and hybrid materials be fused together, creating new advanced materials and parts with engineered properties not available with any other manufacturing technology.
The shipbuilding sector is said to be a very traditional and cost-oriented industry. By signing with Fincantieri, the fourth largest shipbuilder in the world with twenty shipyards across four continents, Titomic will have the opportunity to use its proprietary processes to complement and improve existing manufacturing process.
“This agreement with Fincantieri marks a significant milestone for future shipbuilding and industrial scale Additive Manufacturing. Titomic’s signing with Fincantieri to evaluate our Titomic Kinetic Fusion process will not only add value to existing manufacturing and repair activities, it will lead to the creation of next generation high tech vessels,” stated Jeff Lang, CEO & CTO of Titomic.
Fincantieri, reported to be the leader in cruise ship design and construction, is involved in many shipbuilding industry sectors including naval and offshore vessels, ferries, mega-yachts, ship repairs and conversions, systems and equipment production, and after-sales services. Fincantieri also carries out maintenance and refurbishment of cruise ships, said to be a major and growing international industry.
Dario Deste, Chairman of Fincantieri Australia, stated, “We are pleased to partner with Titomic, an innovative advanced manufacturing company, to pursue new technological development, continuous improvement and value creation for all our stakeholders.”
The project’s initial R&D phase will be run from Titomic’s Melbourne facility, which was opened officially on May 16, 2018. The site is said to house a TKF system with a 40.5 m3 build area, which the company believes makes it the largest Additive Manufacturing machine in the world.
