Aurora Labs and CSIRO Partner for Additive Manufacturing Solution Centre

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) is Australia’s national science organization and one of the largest scientific research organizations in the world. Naturally, some of its work involves advanced 3D printing, with research ranging from medical implants to electronics, among other applications. This week, CSIRO signed a research agreement with Aurora Labs, an Australian technology company that specializes in metal 3D printers. Aurora Labs first turned heads when it introduced its S1 metal 3D printer in 2014, and its products have drawn interest from NASA as well as a growing number of partners and a top IPO on the ASX.

Aurora Labs is working towards building an Additive Manufacturing Solution Centre, which will provide additive manufacturing integrative consulting services and will serve as a distributor for the company’s 3D printers. It will also possibly offer 3D prints and powders. The agreement with CSIRO is the first step in fulfilling Aurora Labs’ obligations as a partner in the AM Solution Center. Under its terms, Aurora Labs will provide CSIRO with one small format 3D printer in addition to metal powders used in the production of parts up to $100,000.

For its part, CSIRO will provide technical, research and development services to the Solution Centre worth $100,000, while Aurora’s small format 3D printer will be installed in CSIRO’s Lab22 Innovation Center in Melbourne.

In terms of the agreement, Aurora Labs will stand in place of the Additive Manufacturing Solution Centre until it becomes an actual entity, at which time all rights and obligations pertaining to the agreement will be transferred to the Solution Centre.

“This is an exciting collaboration, and we are incredibly pleased to be working with a tier-one partner such as the preeminent government research organisation CSIRO,” said David Budge, Aurora Labs Managing Director. “The research agreement speeds up the development of our Solution Centre, enhances our credibility, as well as endorses the technical performance of our technology. It also represents a significant advancement of Australia’s additive manufacturing industry and demonstrates the commercial application of 3D metal printers to provide tailored, faster and cheaper components to a number of industries.”

After receiving the 3D printer from Aurora Labs, CSIRO will provide documentation to Aurora Labs on the design, 3D printing and optimization process, as well as the outcomes of its research and testing. It will also offer specialist services to the Additive Manufacturing Solution Centre, including replicative and generative design for multiple metal powders. Finally, it will provide a report at the end of the trial regarding products produced during the trial.

“Our Lab22 Innovation Centre is focused on helping companies harness the benefits of metallic additive manufacturing, which we believe creates enormous opportunities for innovative products to be developed and new businesses and jobs created in Australia,” said Leon Prentice, Research Director, High Performance Metal Industries, CSIRO.

“We are pleased to be working in partnership with Aurora Labs to develop this Solution Centre, and we look forward to its future success and impact on a range of industries. Aurora Labs are an important part of the Australian metal manufacturing metal chain, and CSIRO’s goal is to grow the entire ‘powder to product’ process in Australia.”

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