Sydney Manufacturing Hub exhibits at Australian Manufacturing Week 2024
The Sydney Manufacturing Hub, a Core Research facility of the University of Sydney will demonstrate several examples of design optimisation for Additive Manufacturing at our – these are several functionally identical components manufactured in different materials by different processes. This graphically shows the differences between different materials for the same load carrying capacity.
We also intend to showcase a Reverse Engineering project we are currently supporting in the UK for the manufacture of a set of exhaust stacks for a WWII Spitfire Mk 1A PR IV serial number AA810 that was shot down on a Photo Reconnaissance mission seeking the Germany Battleship Turpitz over Trondheim in Norway in April of 1942. The Pilot at the time was Flight Lieutenant Alastair “Sandy” Gunn who was to become famous for his part in the “Great Escape” of 76 men from Stalagluft III Prisoner of War Camp. He was recaptured and subsequently executed.
The replica parts will be built in Inconel 718 on our Spectra H Electron Beam melting machinery. The parts were originally hand made and we will have one of the badly damaged original AA810 exhaust stacks recovered from the wreckage on display at the event. The replica parts will be based on structured light scans of original items loaned from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Spitfire Mk 1.A which has the same stacks as AA810. These scans will be cleaned up to remove dents, dings, patches and weld repair artifacts and “new” digital twin exhaust stacks will be built substantially in one piece. Some prototypes of the “new” part details will be on display at AMW.
It is envisaged that these parts will be certified for flight use again by the UK CAA when AA810 is eventually declared airworthy again and issued with a certificate of airworthiness following a complete restoration spanning several years.
The project well illustrates the utility of structured light scanning technology and how a physical item may be reverse engineered to generate a digital twin for subsequent [re]manufacture.
Stand AM896