The world’s first 3D printed jet engine – made in Melbourne. See it at Avalon today at 11 am

Bulletins, Media bulletins

Today at Avalon: the world’s first printed jet engine – made at Monash and opening new manufacturing opportunities for Australia in aerospace, medicine and light industry.

Press call at 11am Thursday 26 February at the Victorian Government Stand, Hall 2, Australian International Airshow, Avalon. HD overlay of the multi-million dollar metal printers at work also available.

Monash University researchers along with collaborators from CSIRO and Deakin University have printed a jet engine. In fact Monash and their spin-out company Amaero, have printed two engines. One is on display this week at the International Air Show in Avalon, while the second is displayed in Toulouse at the French aerospace company Microturbo (Safran).

The engines are a proof of concept that’s led to tier one aerospace companies lining up to develop new components at the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing in Melbourne, Australia. And the project has created advanced manufacturing opportunities for Australian businesses large and small.

Details below.

Also coming up: interesting events and people to chat to:

  • ‘Politicians are “cowardly” in their repeated ignorance of scientific evidence that may be unpopular with the public’ says Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate and Royal Society President. He will give the 2015 Graeme Clark Oration, at the Melbourne Convention Centre on 10 March. Contact Luan Ismahil on lismahil@unimelb.edu.au for more details.
  • Designer lasers and wearable tech – Sydney 17 and 18 March – Federico Capasso from Harvard University is talking designer lasers, wearable technology and the Internet of Things and will be available to chat with the media at The University of Sydney. For more details, contact Jacqueline Charlesworth on 0407 603 905 or j.charlesworth@physics.usyd.edu.au
  • A new $250,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for the Commercial Application of Science plus the regular prizes and a prize pool of $700,000.  Please encourage scientists you know to put their hands up for fame and glory, and dinner with our science loving PM – www.industry.gov.au/scienceprizes
  • A new resource for journalists: our friends at the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) are upgrading their services for journalists with the launch of SciMex – the Science Media Exchange. It will let journos know about real Aussie science stories, and ensures the science voice is heard on breaking issues. More below.
  • Briefing on the International Year of Light at Questacon in Canberra on Monday with the Hon Karen Andrews MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science. More at light2015.org.au/event/evening-celebration-at-questacon/.

Kind regards,
Niall

The world’s first 3D printed jet engine

Press call at 11am Thursday 26 February at the Victorian Government Stand, Hall 2, Avalon International Airshow. HD overlay of the printers at work also available.

Made in Melbourne and on display at the Avalon International Airshow

Opening new manufacturing opportunities for Australia in aerospace, medicine and light industry

Monash University researchers along with collaborators from CSIRO and Deakin University have printed a jet engine. In fact Monash and their spin-out company Amaero, have printed two engines. One is on display this week at the International Air Show in Avalon, while the second is displayed in Toulouse at the French aerospace company Microturbo (Safran).

The engines are a proof of concept that’s led to tier one aerospace companies lining up to develop new components at the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing in Melbourne, Australia. And the project has created advanced manufacturing opportunities for Australian businesses large and small.
Microturbo (Safran) provided an older – though still in service – gas turbine engine. It’s an auxiliary power unit used in aircraft such as the Falcon 20 and was chosen because Microturbo (Safran) was willing for the internal workings to be displayed.

“It was our chance to prove what we could do,” says Professor Xinhua Wu, the director of the Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing. “But when we reviewed the plans we realised that the engine had evolved over years of manufacture. So we took the engine to pieces and scanned the components. Then we printed two copies.” It was a complex project that took a year and funding from Monash University, the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF), and others.

“Xinhua and her Monash team have demonstrated their mastery of additive manufacturing in metal. The partnership with Microturbo (Safran) is a success story that was recognised last year when Safran gave the team its Prize ‘Innovation for Product and Technology’ for the excellent work carried out in partnership with Microturbo and the University of Birmingham. Monash and AMAERO are already key partners for our new developments and we are keen to have their help in developing new technologies for our future engines,” says Jean-François Rideau, head of R&T from Microturbo (Safran).

“The project is a spectacular proof of concept that’s leading to significant contracts with aerospace companies. It was a challenge for the team and pushed the technology to new heights of success – no one has printed an entire engine commercially yet, “says Ben Batagol, of Amaero Engineering, the company created by Monash University to make the technology available to Australian industry.

“Australia’s manufacturing industries need access to the latest technologies to stay competitive,” says Professor Ian Smith, Monash University’s Vice Provost for Research and Research Infrastructure. “This Centre allows them to rapidly prototype metal devices across a wide range of industries. It’s part of a large integrated suite of facilities for research and industry at Monash,” he says.

The Centre, AMAERO and the jet engine project have been supported by the Australian government via the Australian Research Council (ARC), the CRC program, Commercialisation Australia, the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF); Monash University and Safran.

Further information
For further information and interviews contact Niall Byrne, niall@scienceinpublic.com.au, 0417 131 977 or visit www.scienceinpublic.com.au for backgrounder, photos and video.

Launching Scimex – a science news resource for journos

The Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) is improving the way they work with journalists and research institutions, launching their new service Scimex – the Science Media Exchange. Launching in Adelaide on March 3, Scimex is free for journos and is designed with the media in mind.

Selected journalists will have access to the latest embargoed research news, multimedia, expert profiles, events, and story ideas from scientists that will be uploaded by research institutions. And journals including Nature and PLOS can upload embargoed research to the site as well. But you have to register as a journalist to access this, so head to www.scimex.org/info/scimex-for-journalists.

There’s more information about Scimex here: www.scimex.org/.

Science in Public

We’re always happy to help put you in contact with scientists. Our work is funded by the science world—from the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes to Nature. We’re keen to suggest interesting people and stories—and not just those of our clients’.

If you’re looking for ideas or people for features we know hundreds of science prize winners past, present, and future and are always happy to chew the fat about the developing themes in Australian science.

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Kind regards,

Niall Byrne

Creative Director

Science in Public

03 9398 1416, 0417 131 977

niall@scienceinpublic.com.au

twitter.com/scienceinpublic 

www.scienceinpublic.com.au