Australian researchers 3-D print two jet engines

MELBOURNE, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Researchers have 3-D printed everything from animal prosthetics and human teeth to whole cars, but now a university in Australia has tackled printing two jet engines.

A group of researchers at Melbourne's Monash University, in conjunction with Deakin University and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), used a large 3-D printer to manufacture the two engines.

One was on display this week at the International Air Show in Avalon, Australia. The second is in Toulouse at the French aerospace company, Microturbo, which provided the original of the gas turbine engine the researchers used as a basis for the project.

"It was our chance to prove what we could do," said Professor Xinhua Wu, the director of the Monash Center for Additive Manufacturing. "But when we reviewed the plans we realized that the engine had evolved over years of manufacture. So we took the engine to pieces and scanned the components. Then we printed two copies."

It took one year to complete the project.

"The project is a spectacular proof of concept that's leading to significant contracts with aerospace companies. It was a challenge for the team and pushed the technology to new heights of success -- no one has printed an entire engine commercially yet," said Ben Batagol, of Amaero Engineering, a company created by Monash University.

"Australia's manufacturing industries need access to the latest technologies to stay competitive," said Professor Ian Smith, Monash University's vice provost for Research and Research Infrastructure. "This Center allows them to rapidly prototype metal devices across a wide range of industries. It's part of a large integrated suite of facilities for research and industry at Monash."