The most advanced commercially available metal 3D printing facility in Australia is now open for local companies to manufacture parts for medical devices, dental, defence and other industries.

The Australian Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AAMM) facility in Edinburgh Parks in Adelaide’s North opened on 16 February to print metals including titanium, stainless steel, aluminium and cobalt chrome into complex metal parts. Part of the Additive Manufacturing Applied Research Network (AMARN), the facility is the only metal additive manufacturing centre in Australia available to industry on a commercial basis. It provides access to technology that removes significant costs and barriers for local manufacturers.

One early user of the facility will be local medical device company Austofix, which will be able to produce commercial quantities of its revolutionary wrist fracture device Volar Radius Plate, enabling the company to take advantage of export opportunities.

The University of Adelaide’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and the Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility, together with the Stretton Centre and CSIRO’s Lab 22 additive manufacturing centre, established the AMARN. They received a $1.4m state government grant through the Innovative Manufacturing CRC (IMCRC) to buy a number of UK-made 3D printers.

David Chuter, CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC, said at the opening that the SA State Government’s investment in the network and facility will help further catalyse the transformation of the manufacturing industry in South Australia and ensure businesses can remain relevant in this sector.

“The ability to access world-class facilities, such as the AAMM, will remove a significant barrier for businesses looking to invest in technologies and research and benefit from the opportunities presented by a rapidly evolving manufacturing sector,” said Chuter. “The SA Government should be applauded for the significant investment it continues to make to guarantee the future of manufacturing in SA, and for removing barriers – particularly for small and medium manufacturers – to invest in R&D, particularly with Australian Universities and CSIRO.”

Professor Andre Luiten, Director of IPAS, added: “This network and facility has been borne out of three years’ work by the IPAS and our Optofab Australian National Fabrication Facility. Clients who use our current small 3D metal printing facility have had to go overseas to get access to larger printers for manufacture of products. The new facility will enable many advanced manufacturing projects in defence, medical devices, dental and injection moulding to be undertaken in Adelaide. This will significantly enhance local advanced manufacturing and we are proud to be part of it.”

To contact the AMARN, please email ipasadelaide@adelaide.edu.au or call 08 8313 9254