Australian metal additive manufacturing company Titomic has partnered with Australian defence company TAUV to produce Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), soldier systems and smart armour for defence, law enforcement and civil industry using digital manufacturing.
These products will be developed with Titomic Kinetic Fusion, a patented process which utilises supersonic deposition of metal powders to create industrial-scale parts and complex surface coatings, allowing creation of bespoke metal structures by fusing materials such as aerospace grade titanium, dissimilar metals, and hybrid materials.
The UAV’s ruggedised titanium structure provides reliability in harsh environments, ballistics protection from small arms fire, and its lightweight design allows for soldier-enabled deployment. Titanium’s strength-to-weight ratio makes the metal well suited for use in widely varied applications, from aerospace to body armour.
“The soldier systems products produced by Titomic’s Kinetic FusionTM process will enhance the offering to defence and law enforcement agencies through improved strength, functionality and capability," TAUV’s founder, Nathan Kalisch, said. "A new ruggedised UAV will be capable of deployment in dangerous, live combat situations to perform some of the direct combat roles we want to remove military personnel from heightening their security.”
Although titanium is widely regarded as cost-prohibitive when manufacturing with traditional methods, Titomic Kinetic Fusion is allowing companies to utilise Australian titanium and resources in next-generation, digital manufacturing for defence, aerospace and many other industries.
“The granting of an exclusive license to TAUV for the production of soldier systems further validates Titomic’s licensed CSIRO patents as a viable additive manufacturing process that enables Australian companies to manufacture cutting-edge products with competitive advantages for the global market," Titomic’s Managing Director, Jeff Lang said.