Austal and AML3D team up for additive maritime components

Shipbuilder Austal and additive manufacturing technology company AML3D have teamed up to develop additive manufacturing components for naval vessels.

Signalling a move to additive components, Austal has signed a $20,000 contract for AML3D to optimise the design of an existing naval personnel lifting device.

The project, likely to lead to other design and production contracts, will use AML3D’s in house design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) platform to produce a lighter, more environmentally friendly solution with greater load-bearing capacity.

The technology is trademarked as WAM and WAMsoft.

Austal’s chief digital officer Andrew Malcolm said: “This is an initial step towards a much bigger goal to incorporate additive manufacturing methods within our business and we are proud to be able to pursue this exciting path with a fellow Australian technology leader.”

Specifically the company is interested in exploring WAM’s robotic capabilities in large scale ship construction projects.

Austal has built 100 naval vessels in Henderson, Western Australia and in Mobile, Alabama for the US Navy, and builds ferries at yards in the Philippines and Vietnam.

Its vessels contain significant Australian content in intellectual property and components.

Picture: Austal/Royal Navy of Oman 72 metre high speed support vessel

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