The partnership between Australian Army and SPEE3D is set to continue in 2021, with plans to trial SPEE3D's metal 3D printing technology for a further 12 months.
SPEE3D has once again been provided the opportunity to collaborate with the 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.
"We’re really excited about this new step in our partnership with the Australian Army," Steven Camilleri, CTO of SPEE3D, said. “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."
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 technology to military forces. The technology has the potential to revolutionise how parts are sourced in remote areas.
The 2020 trials reportedly delivered strong 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 minutes.