CSIRO offshoot Lab 22 to assist businesses with additive manufacturing

CSIRO Head Office

Monday, 15 June, 2015

Many nations have recognised the value of additive manufacturing (AM) and have invested in it to remain competitive in the global market. Australia is set to join the other nations with the launch of Lab 22, an offshoot of CSIRO. While CSIRO will continue with AM research, Lab 22 is meant to assist businesses in developing new strategies to incorporate 3D printing into business operations, and also to find new ways to use the nation’s abundance of titanium.

As testing advances, Lab 22 will investigate ways of leveraging Australia’s massive titanium reserves (the second largest in the world) to give its businesses a competitive advantage. The workshop is already known in the news as part of the team that recently designed and built a working 3D printed jet engine.

“We’re providing Australian companies with a unique opportunity to access some of the most advanced additive manufacturing equipment with the help of our experienced technical experts, for a comparatively minimal daily fee,” said Alex Kingsbury, CSIRO additive manufacturing research leader. “It’s critical for companies to be able to take advantage of new technology and development if they are to remain internationally competitive, but investment can be risky and expensive and the technical aspects are complicated.”

Lab 22 has been set up with several industrial-grade AM systems. Through a partnership with the new development workshop, businesses have access to an Arcam A1, Concept Laser M2, Optomec LENS MR-7 and a voxeljet VX1000. The systems involved are capable of using a number of different metallic materials, and one final system, the Cold Spray Plasma Giken, even offers heat-free manufacturing possibilities.

Four businesses have already signed up with Lab 22, including Nezkot Precision Tooling, an aerospace and defence provider; and Bastion Cycles, which is interested in developing titanium AM practices to manufacture super lightweight bicycle frames.

Source: CSIRO, rapidreadytech.com