Australian researchers yesterday said they have created two jet engines using 3D printing in what is described as a world first that has attracted the interest of major manufacturers and engineering firms.
The machines — produced using the template of a gas turbine engine from French aircraft engine maker Safran, which supplies Airbus and Boeing — demonstrated the potential 3D printing has to produce high-quality products, researchers from Melbourne’s Monash University said.
“The significance ... is the recognition by major manufacturers and engineering companies like Safran and Airbus that the material you can print using 3D metal printing is of aircraft quality and I think that’s hugely significant,” said Ian Smith, vice-provost of research and research infrastructure at the university.
Photo: AFP
“It’s a disruptive technology. We’ve seen a lot happening in the plastics and polymer space, but this is exciting because it’s now metals and light metals, and things like titanium, nickel and aluminium,” he said.
3D printing was invented in the 1980s and employs lasers to “print” objects from metals or plastics according to a digital design.
There has been a recent upsurge in interest tied to patents on the original technology expiring — opening the way for competition that will drive up quality and push down prices.
Research leader Wu Xinhua said her team created the machines by pulling apart the old engine and scanning its components, with the complex project taking a year to complete.
One of the engines is on display at the Australian International Airshow in Melbourne, with the second in Toulouse at the French aerospace company Microturbo.
“Xinhua and her Monash team have demonstrated their mastery of additive manufacturing in metal,” said Jean-Francois Rideau, head of research and technology at Microturbo.
Smith said the technology could be used to build prototypes and customized components quickly and cheaply.
The 3D metals printers could also be used in the biomedical industry to create body parts or equipment.
“Where we see some of the big opportunities are in the medical space where you can make bespoke parts for the body — replacement joints and hips designed specifically for that individual,” he said.
“A lot of surgeons want to make their own instruments that are customized for them or a particular surgical procedure,” he said.
Market researcher Gartner last year forecast that worldwide spending on 3D printing would rise from US$1.6 billion this year to about US$13.4 billion in 2018.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS