Titomic delivers five titanium AM soldier system prototypes to TAUV
June 25, 2019
A previous prototype manufactured by Titomic using the TKF process; a titanium soldier-enabled UAV (Courtesy Titomic)
Titomic Limited, Melbourne, Australia, has completed prototyping of five metal additively manufactured defence soldier system products for TAUV Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Force Ordnance, North Brighton, Victoria, Australia, concluding the companies’ $300,000 Phase II Project Agreement.
The agreement required Titomic to deliver five prototype defence soldier system products, classified as being any equipment which is intended to be personally carried, worn or deployed, or used by military or civil security personnel and which enhances the individual and unit collective safety, lethality, mobility and connectivity. The prototypes, which were manufactured using the company’s Titomic Kinetic Fusion (TKF) Additive Manufacturing process, have now been delivered to TAUV for further testing and assessment.
TKF, Titomic’s exclusively licensed IP from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) enables complex-shaped titanium products to be additively manufactured with improved performance capabilities in comparison to traditional manufacturing processes. The company’s delivery, in less than six months, of these initial five soldier system prototypes, is substantially faster than the defence industry R&D standard of eighteen to twenty-four months.
Jeff Lang, Titomic Managing Director, stated, “The successful delivery of the TAUV prototypes in just a matter of months further demonstrates the superior economics of TKF metal AM to compete, not only with other Additive Manufacturing companies, but with traditional methods like investment casting, Metal Injection Moulding and CNC. The TAUV project is a world first for additively manufactured titanium defence products and realises Titomic Kinetic Fusion’s viability for commercial mass production and revenue opportunities. This is a significant milestone for Titomic’s commercial revenue opportunities.”
“Initial testing of TAUV’s high-performance soldier system products manufactured by Titomic appear to have superior performance capabilities which we were seeking to achieve during this project utilising Titomic’s TKF Additive Manufacturing process,” commented Nathan Kalisch, TAUV CEO.
“If all of the results continue to progress positively, these TKF produced products will provide TAUV with a significant market advantage over our competitors who are manufacturing using traditional methods. Titomic’s TKF process enhances our offering to defence and law enforcement agencies through improved strength, functionality and capability,” he continued. “We have been impressed by Titomic’s very fast concept R&D feasibility process to bring our concept ideas to a commercial realisation.”
