Austal targets additive manufacturing capability in Australia

Australian shipbuilder Austal is seeking to support the country's naval industrial base through additive manufacturing.

According to an Austal spokesperson, the company's recently announced collaborative research project with Perth-based Curtin University and the Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) will support broader naval shipbuilding and sustainment programmes in Australia.

The spokesperson told Janes on 24 July that the initiative, worth about AUD600,000 (USD422,000), is not limited to Austal-designed ships. “The framework will initially assess components onboard vessels designed by Austal but will be applicable and available for use across all defence programmes,” the spokesperson said.

The project aims to develop an industry-ready framework for assessing components suitable for additive manufacturing and send a demand signal to Australia's maritime industrial base for additive manufacturing parts and services, the spokesperson added.

Austal said in a statement that the framework represents a shift from individual additive manufacturing use cases to a scalable, systematic approach. It is intended to support more informed decisions on where the technology can strengthen supply chains and enhance domestic manufacturing capability.

The spokesperson said additive manufacturing can improve the availability of deployed naval ships and submarines by reducing scheduled maintenance periods and unplanned sustainment activities. It can also reduce reliance on overseas suppliers for newbuild vessels, particularly for low-volume, customised parts.

Demand signals

Private-sector investment in additive manufacturing capacity and capability remains slow because demand is “sporadic and uncertain”, the spokesperson said.

“Despite growing investment in additive manufacturing globally, one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption remains identifying where the technology delivers clear commercial and supply chain advantage in the manufacturing, in-service support, and operations of naval vessels,” Austal said in the statement.