The partnership between Australian Army and SPEE3D is set to continue in 2021, with plans to trial SPEE3D technology for a further 12 months using Metal 3D Printing.
Local company SPEE3D has once again been provided the opportunity to collaborate with Australian Army’s 1st Combat Service Support Battalion. This time, the partnership will focus on the development of new systems that have the potential to significantly increase the readily available inventory of unique metal repair parts.
Steven Camilleri, CTO of SPEE3D states, “we’re really excited about this new step in our partnership with the Australian Army. Last year, in the trials, our technology proved the potential to complement Defence’s existing supply chain with the ability to easily replace damaged parts by manufacturing their own. SPEE3D is pleased to have been selected to partner with the Army again in further developing the future capability of Defence in Australia”.
Manufactured and supplied in Australia, SPEE3D’s metal 3D printers are the world’s fastest and most affordable additive manufacturing technology. In 2020, the Australian Army announced a $1.5 million investment into a 12-month pilot of SPEE3D technology, followed by the training of soldiers in 3D printing and two trials of SPEE3D’s large-format WarpSPEE3D metal 3D printer, both installed on-base and deployed in the field for multiple Army exercises. The aim of the pilot project was to determine the applicability of this leading-edge technology to military forces. The technology has the potential to revolutionise how parts are sourced in remote areas.
SPEE3D is providing a unique and world leading technology that has the potential to transform how we think about supply chains. The technology has the potential to complement established methods of supply and distribution methods within Defence. The partnership exemplifies Defence’s continued investment in developing technologies and demonstrates that technological advancements can impact all areas of Defence.
The 2020 trials delivered ground-breaking results, where Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineering soldiers from the 1st Brigade designed and manufactured over 50 case studies of parts. This success demonstrated the technology’s ability to operate in remote, harsh environments, while offering Defence an option for a deployable reliable manufacturing tool able to print low-cost metal parts on-demand in just minutes.
The Australian Army had completed the first field trial of SPEE3D’s WarpSPEE3D metal 3D printing technology in the Northern Territory last year. Across three days at the Mount Bundey field training area earlier this month, the WarpSPEE3D machine was deployed in various bush locations, unloaded on different terrains and consistently operational and able to print parts within 30 minutes.
