The world’s largest 3D metal printer has been unveiled by Australian company Titomic

AN Australian company behind the world’s largest and fastest 3D metal printer — to be used to make everything from aeroplane wings to submarines — says the technology will help future proof manufacturing.

Titomic’s 3D metal printer. Picture: Mark Stewart

AN Australian company behind the world’s largest and fastest 3D metal printer — to be used to make everything from aeroplane wings to submarines — says the technology will help future proof manufacturing.

Titomic put its nine metre by three metre printer, located in the company’s Mount Waverly facility, through its paces yesterday as it official unveiled it.

The printer was developed by Titomic, which took to the local bourse in September, and the government research body, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

The company is chaired by Adelaide businessman Philip Vafiadis and is one of the companies in the portfolio of Tonsley-based incubator Innovyz, which Mr Vafiadis also chairs.

It is good news for the nation’s manufacturing sector which has been rocked by the closures of the likes of Ford, Holden and Electrolux, creating doubts about its survival.

Titomic says its technology will help “transform the future of advanced manufacturing”, adding product development needed to change in order to “future-proof” local manufacturing.

Chief executive Jeff Lang said the machine, which creates metal parts by fusing rather than melting titanium metal particles, had overcome size and speed limits that have hampered other large scale 3D printing efforts.

Mr Lang said the company’s innovation had global potential and would use local mineral sands to manufacture for the defence, marine, infrastructure, transport and consumer goods sectors.

“We will challenge the traditional methods as to how products are designed and made,” he said.

“The capabilities of Australian ingenuity coupled with Titomic’s unique technology is pioneering the pathways for sustainable global manufacturing that is only limited by imagination.”

3D printing company Titomic has officially launched the world's largest 3D metal printer which is based in Melbourne. Titomic chief executive Jeff Lang is pictured with the machine. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mr Lang said Australia has the largest reserves of mineral sands in the world, which contain titanium.

Titomic chairman Philip Vafiadis said the printer transformed the economics of manufacturing and helped break away from traditional “legacy processes” which have constrained manufacturers in the past.

The company’s this week revealed it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with global ship builder Fincantieri which will look to use of its technology.

Titomic already has customers in the mining and oil and gas industries and high-end sporting goods sectors.

Partners include Callaway, the world’s largest golf club manufacturer.

The company said the printer used a proprietary “kinetic fusion” process which targets zero-waste, using only the required amount of metal powder needed to minimise environment impact and costs.

Titomic took to the stock market in September last year, listing at 20c a share.

It has since surged on the back of a number of key supplier deals to be trading above $2.70.

The company is holding a competition for Australian schoolkids to draw a picture along the theme of “the future of transport” which will then be printed and turned into play equipment for their school.

While traditional manufacturing involves cutting materials and making them into an object, 3D printing involves dispensing a material layer by layer to deliver a product.

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