Additive Manufacturing

The Western Australian Government has today announced plans for a proposed large-scale defence manufacturing hub aimed at strengthening sovereign industrial capability and attracting international investment. The announcement was made today at IODS 2026 by Premier Roger Cook with Minister for Defence Industries Paul Papalia and Manufacturing Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, and outlined the Government’s call for industry participation in shaping the proposed precinct. Expressions of interest (EOI) are now open to local, national and international companies to help shape the proposed hub, which would focus on advanced defence manufacturing and supporting technologies. Areas identified as part of the opportunity include aerospace, autonomous systems, advanced materials, precision manufacturing, energetics and space technologies. AMTIL strongly supports this initiative as it aligns with our commitment to championing advanced manufacturing growth, fostering industry collaboration, and ensuring Australian manufacturers remain globally competitive. The Western Australian Government said the initiative was intended to support Australia’s sovereign defence capability while contributing to allied supply chains and growing global demand for advanced defence manufacturing. “This is a call out to our…

**This story originally appeared in the April 2026 edition of AMT Magazine** For Emil Dela Cruz, regional sales manager NSW for Kemppi Australia, digitalisation and automation are reshaping demand for welding across Australia. “We no longer manufacture any analogue models, so 100% of our models are digital,” Emil says, noting that the shift began around 2017–18 as Industry 4.0 began influencing manufacturing workflows. “Knowing that Industry 4.0 is digitalisation, Kemppi has been well ahead in incorporating programs and software that empower welders to weld better and faster. We have also been at the fore in delivering solutions that gather welding data to ensure compliance and quality, while boosting productivity.” This progression has positioned Kemppi as a technology leader, he says. “We deliver premium machines for high quality welding as well as digital solutions, and we continue to develop different types of products to meet various market requirements,” he says. “Given the breadth and depth of our product range, we target the entire welding market from small workshops and single contractors…

**This story originally appeared in the April 2026 edition of AMT Magazine** “Everything on this planet, at one point or another, has been screened… we’ve been doing screen media for well over 50 years as a business,” Multotec Australia VP sales and service Grahame Hopkins says. Whether it’s for the purposes of accurate product sizing or removing impurities or other undesirable materials, the creation of screens to filter food, extracted materials and other material is a well-established component of materials processing. With that broad experience comes a clear view of the persistent risks faced by operators working on screen decks, particularly when it comes to panel change‑outs. “One of the biggest problems with screen media is potential risk or damage to product and people,” Hopkins explains. Most screening decks use screening panels that are traditionally bolted or hammered into place, or installed using either a clip or pin system, and have to be prised out using a screwdriver.“So everything's working on lever and pinch points, fingers, hands, etc, and then obviously the…

Newly announced technology greatly expands capacity of AI Replicates real world physics to truncate lead time and simulate stress testing of products Rolling out to select partners imminently, with plans for broad availability this year At 3DEXPERIENCE World in Houston, a joint announcement from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Dassault Systèmes CEO Pascal Daloz put “physical AI” and production‑grade virtual twins at the centre one of the largest engineering gatherings of the year. The message delivered to nearly ten thousand attendees was bold: a new class of industrial AI, grounded in physics rather than just language, could compress the distance between concept and reality in dramatic fashion. Whether or not this partnership ends up defining the next decade of manufacturing software, the idea of physical AI matters. It signals a shift that could reshape design, simulation, testing and factory optimisation for manufacturers of all sizes, including in Australia’s precision sector. “AI is just an engine — you…

**This story first appeared in the October 2025 edition of AMT Magazine** The CSIRO’s Continuous3D project is giving robots the “brains and eyes” they need to make industrial repairs more efficient – while also addressing the sector’s shortage of skilled labour. Like many advanced economies, Australia faces a looming shortage of skilled tradespeople. CSIRO Robot Manufacturing Team senior research scientist Peter King says he understands Australia needs 70,000 welders by the year 2030. “Whereas in the past, we had these people, now the younger generation is more interested in other professions. That leaves us with the problem of keeping critical infrastructure running and manufacturing things,” he says. Continuous3D was born out of the need to make working with industrial robots easier and more productive, King explains. “The first part of a project typically involves a lot of robot programming, and that can often be quite a headache,” he says. “Often you want to get down to actually doing the task, but the first thing you’ve got to do is…

Bringing together 13 Australian universities, CSIRO and over 60 industry and membership organisations, Australia’s new Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre was officially launched yesterday. Established with $57.5 million in Commonwealth Government funding from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the AMCRC aims to help industry unlock the potential of additive manufacturing, helping to fast-track products to commercialisation and building sovereign capability. The AMCRC partner base expects to invest an additional $200 million in the organisation over the next seven years to help develop a world-class additive manufacturing ecosystem that enhances industry capacity across the country. AMCRC chair Susan Jeanes says the AMCRC represents a unique opportunity for Australia to position itself as a global leader in the sector. “By uniting industry, researchers and government behind a shared agenda, we will drive research, fast-track commercialisation, and build sovereign capability - delivering new materials, technologies and production solutions that improve productivity, efficiency and local capacity,” she says. The official launch was held in partnership with Boeing Aerostructures Australia – a major contributor to the CRC…

The use of 3D printers to create living tissues and organs is revolutionising medicine, but University of Queensland research reveals the legal system is struggling to keep up as the technology races ahead. Lead researcher Dr Pratap Devarapalli from UQ’s Law School said about 1,850 Australians are on the organ transplant waiting list. Bioprinting is a promising solution if supported by clear and flexible global patent laws. “Patent law hasn’t kept pace with what’s scientifically possible,” Dr Devarapalli said. “The implications extend beyond medicine to fundamental questions about innovation policy. Ironically, the more realistic and medically useful a bioprinted organ is, the harder it becomes to patent because laws often require it to be clearly different from what exists in nature.” In 2025 the bioprinting market is estimated at $5.5bn and is projected to reach $20bn by 2034. Patents give inventors temporary protection from copying and without them companies may be less willing to invest, slowing down progress in developing lifesaving medical tools and treatments. The research compares how major jurisdictions including the US, Europe and Australia assess…

Studio Kite is at the forefront of 3D printing technology, having built two massive 3D printers, fittingly named CADzilla. As the name suggests, these printers are designed for large-scale fabrication and have been fully operational for the past seven years, producing props, sculptures, public art, and prototypes, all on a grand scale. With 25 years of experience in 3D printing and 35 years in cinematic special effects, sculpture, and model making, Studio Kite now plans to start mass-producing affordable homes from plastics destined for landfill. Introducing Jindi, a building solution that Studio Kite says “doesn’t cost the earth. " “Over the last few years, we have vigorously fine-tuned the shapes to optimise the materials as best we can; these forms have been rigorously tested to enter the housing and construction market. We’re 3D printing using 100% recycled consumer waste, which is challenging and costly to recycle consistently. We 3D print an optimised sacrificial formwork that gets coated with a thin shell of basalt fibre-reinforced cement,” said…

Objective3D, Australia and New Zealand’s leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions, has officially merged with TCL Hofman (Australia) and TCL Hunt (New Zealand), both part of the Ravago Group. This strategic merger creates the region's most comprehensive additive manufacturing solutions provider, operating under the unified Objective3D brand. This merger combines unparalleled expertise and technology offerings, including polymer, metal, and ceramic 3D printing, advanced 3D scanning, and additive manufacturing software. In addition to the extensive range of cutting-edge solutions from Stratasys, Lithoz, Artec3D, and Materialise, Objective3D will expand to incorporate other additive manufacturing technologies including both Formlabs and Nikon SLM solutions. This positions Objective3D as a driving force in the Australian manufacturing landscape, empowering industries to embrace innovation, enhance efficiency, and strengthen local manufacturing capabilities. What sets Objective3D apart is not only the scale of its operations but also the authenticity of its approach. Its Additive Manufacturing Centre in Carrum Downs, Victoria, is one of the largest of its kind in the country. Unlike others who merely sell 3D printers as part of a broader portfolio, Objective3D employs the same technologies…

3D printing is often referred to as rapid prototyping due to its ability to quickly and affordably manufacture small volumes of components, particularly those with complex geometries. With no need to produce expensive tooling or moulds, 3D printing is significantly more economical, especially during the development phase, when compared to processes such as injection moulding. However, making the transition to industrial-scale production has been a challenge… until now. For those needing to fabricate parts with high-resolution (better than ~0.3mm) and a surface finish akin to injection moulded parts, resin-based 3D printing using light-based technologies is the solution. At the top end of the scale is the UpNano NanoOne Green which can achieve feature sizes as fine as 100nm using 2-photon polymerisation (2PP) technology, making it the ultimate tool for rapid prototyping.  Even with it’s industry-leading printing speed, print times can be relatively long and production volumes are limited. UpNano recently unveiled the NanoPro VT, the world’s first 2PP 3D printer built for industrial-scale production, offering high-volume microparts on a scale that has never been possible. The NanoPro…

AXT, a leader in Australia’s X-ray technology landscape, has announced a strategic expansion of its portfolio through a new partnership with German-based X-ray systems manufacturer VisiConsult. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in delivering high-performance, intelligent Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) solutions tailored to Australia’s unique industrial and research environment. VisiConsult brings over 25 years of experience in designing and manufacturing advanced X-ray systems under its VCxray brand. Already relied on across aerospace, defense, energy, and electronics sectors worldwide, their technology integrates automation, robotics, and AI-powered software—such as Automated Defect Recognition (ADR)—to boost efficiency, accuracy, and readiness for the digital future. Through this partnership, AXT and VisiConsult aim to deliver a complete, end-to-end NDT solution portfolio for the Australian market. This ranges from standard catalogue systems to fully customised platforms for sectors like defence and mining, and is rounded out by a robust software ecosystem that supports the full journey from conventional to fully digital inspection processes. At the core of this transformation is VisiConsult’s commitment to enabling the shift from traditional…

3D Systems offers a broad portfolio of hardware, software, and material solutions, ranging from plastic 3D printers capable of producing over one million parts annually to Direct Metal Printing technology extensively utilised for advanced medical, defence, and carbon capture applications, in addition to the large-format TITAN range that can print full-scale parts up to 1829mm using recycled plastics. Their service is supported by industry-specific engineering expertise and an in-house Applications Innovation Group that maintains direct strategic partnerships with companies such as Airbus, Daimler, Lucid, HAAS Nascar, as well as the Alpine and Sauber F1 teams. Locally, 3D Systems has collaborated on mission-critical applications with Fleet Space Technologies and produced 3D printed Titanium gearboxes for Rodin Cars. 3D Systems has an application-focused approach that provides materials to address the most challenging design and production issues. This includes tough, high-temperature, flexible, and biocompatible materials, as well as QuickCast Air casting, transparent plastics, and Nylon PA11, PA12, and PAx, which are widely used for manufacturing orthotics and prosthetics. Direct Metal Printing allows for the creation of intricate and ultra-fine design…

AXT will showcase a full range of products for various stages throughout the additive manufacturing workflow, from metal powder production to 3D printing to final inspection. Whether your preference is metals, polymers, or ceramics, we have solutions for you. The Amazemet rePowder opens up many possibilities for metal AM researchers and producers. With the ability to transform virtually any metal, recycled powder, and failed parts into powders with customised properties, you can take control of your process. Utilising unique ultrasonic atomisation technology, it can also be used to create custom alloy compositions. You can then confirm alloy composition with the Exum Instruments Massbox, which employs pioneering LALI-TOF-MS technology to rapidly measure every element in the periodic table at every location. When it comes time to print metal parts, Aconity3D can provide LPBF systems to meet your requirements. With flexible and modular designs, multi-laser configurations, multi-material capabilities, and inline process monitoring, they can customise a system for you, ranging from academic research to industrial-scale printing. For polymer 3D printers seeking to exceed the capabilities of filament printers, we offer a range…