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3D Printed Tool Cuts Through Titanium

March 1, 2019

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Ph.D. candidate Jimmy Toton, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, has won the 2019 Young Defence Innovator Award and $15,000 prize at the Avalon International Airshow for research conducted with Australia’s Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC) and industry partner Sutton Tools. The project shows that 3D printed steel tools can cut titanium alloys as well as, or in some cases better than, conventional steel tools. 

"Now that we've shown what's possible, the full potential of 3D printing can start being applied to aerospace and defense, where it could improve productivity and tool life while reducing cost," says Toton. The cutters were made using laser metal deposition technology, allowing the building of objects with complex internal and external structures.

Sutton Tools technology manager, Steve Dowey, says Toton’s work as a Sutton engineering intern while doing his research was crucial in ensuring industry-relevant outcomes. Toton is now working towards establishing a print-to-order capability for Australia's advanced manufacturing supply chains.

Technologies: Materials

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