According to the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute Limited (AMTIL), which is launching the hub, says further investment in 3D printing is urgently needed for the Australian economy.
AMTIL has applied for a funding application of AU$40 million over seven years from the Australian federal government for a cooperative research centre focused on additive manufacturing.
“If we are going to be serious about our manufacturing future there needs to be considerable money put into this area,” AMTIL chief executive Shane Infanti told Inside 3DP. “The Singapore government is putting hundreds of millions of dollars into additive manufacturing, and so are the US and the UK. In the US they are 3D printing an airplane, full size, including the hull.”
Network creation
“We are pretty much at the point now where the technology can be adapted to produce any part that can go into any product, and we’re now looking at when it might be feasible to do so,” he added.
“The idea is to create a network, to get the right people talking to each other and take advantage of some of these opportunities,” said Infanti. “There is an ecosystem of organizations: technology suppliers and users, government agencies that can be supportive and provide funding, and research institutes. We need to develop a strategic plan for the next two to five years on what needs to be done in this space and how we can bring ourselves to be globally competitive.”
