Sydney's 'factory of the future' ready to drive statewide innovation

The University of Sydney has announced the opening of a $25 million facility intended to drive innovation and foster industrial output in the heart of Sydney’s Tech Central. The facility is a foundational node for complementary facilities that support the NSW Government’s projects at Western Sydney Aerotropolis and Western Sydney parklands.

Located in the Engineering precinct of the University of Sydney’s Darlington campus, the Sydney Manufacturing Hub is a new manufacturing-focused research facility that will work alongside industry to deliver cutting-edge R&D in additive manufacturing and materials processing. It is geared to enable concept-to-production demonstration capabilities, including advanced pre- and post-processing of materials for faculty, students, small and medium-sized companies, and, if needed, larger companies to experience and leverage metal 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) and advanced manufacturing — often for the first time.

The Hub provides capabilities for design; topological optimisation; the 3D printing of metals, ceramics and polymers; as well as post-processing heat treatment, advanced characterisation and more, paving the way for new technology in industries like aerospace, autonomous vehicles, biomedical, defence, maritime and robotics.

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Scott AO said the university has continued to demonstrate its capability as an R&D leader in the region by working closely with both the public and private sector.

“The Sydney Manufacturing Hub, situated in Darlington at the very heart of Tech Central is a key demonstrator for what’s ultimately possible when government, industry and higher education work together on high-impact technologies.

“This is evidenced not only through the establishment of this new research facility, but also via our collaborative projects in Greater Sydney, particularly the Western Sydney Parklands and Aerotropolis.”

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Trade and Industry Stuart Ayres said: “The concept of modern and additive manufacturing, rather than deductive manufacturing, is completely changing the opportunities that are available to Australians.”

Director of the University of Sydney’s Core Research Facilities Professor Simon Ringer said the Sydney Manufacturing Hub would drive the state’s Industry 5.0 revolution.

“Advanced manufacturing is making the previously impossible possible,” he said. “Key industries will benefit from these technologies through the reduction of material waste, simplified supply chains and an independent capacity to create materials, components and even whole machines — all of which weren’t possible using traditional manufacturing.

“Using these technologies we could soon see Australian designed and built space rocket engines, hypersonic vehicles, satellites, eco-active building and construction, and fast tracking of the electrification revolution in propulsion. It will even be transformative for areas like health — our team have recently leveraged additive manufacturing in the production of custom orthopaedic implants to help with patient-specific needs.

“We are witnessing a dramatic disruption in how materials are made that’s driving research breakthroughs. On one hand, we are looking at the periodic table with fresh eyes — additive manufacturing lets us combine elements to make new materials with entirely new combinations of properties at scale. On the other hand, additive and advanced manufacturing has made manufacturing more accessible, with digital workflows making it easier for local companies to enter competitive global markets.”

The facility will provide specialised consulting, fabrication activation and training to its industrial partners, providing both guided and autonomous access to the facilities for the purposes of testing, research and fabrication.

One such partner is General Electric subsidiary GE Additive, which entered into a strategic five-year agreement with the university in 2020 to advance Australia’s manufacturing capability.

The University of Sydney and GE Additive are collaborating on R&D topics around materials, with experimental work performed at the new facility. Accommodating state-of-the-art metal printing technologies from GE Additive, the Hub will serve as a technology demonstration centre for GE Additive across Australia and New Zealand and host workshops, training and collaboration sessions for industry.

GE Australia Country Leader Sam Maresh said small to medium enterprises account for the majority of advanced manufacturing operators in Australia and are a priority for collaboration with the Hub.

“The Sydney Manufacturing Hub is now open for business and ready to engage with industry across NSW, particularly SMEs where there is significant opportunity for new high-skilled jobs,” he said. “This facility will support the collaboration of industry and researchers and is set to become a commercialisation hub for new products and innovations across a range of advanced manufacturing industries. NSW is positioning itself at the centre of additive manufacturing capability and research within the Asia–Pacific region and the Sydney Manufacturing Hub is a significant step towards achieving that ambition.”