SPEE3D has received $1.5 million in funding to use its cold-spray metal 3D printing technology to enable the low-cost mass production of rocket engines in Australia.

The company is to benefit from $1.25m in funding from the Federal Government’s MMI ‘Space’ Translation Stream grant, with an additional £312,000 coming from the Northern Territory Government.

SPEE3D’s SPAC3D project has been set up to ‘pioneer the manufacturing of high-quality, inexpensive metal 3D printed rocket engines for space.’ Previously, the company has demonstrated its WarpSPEE3D machine’s capacity to produce a 17.9kg copper rocket nozzle liner in three hours at a cost of under $1,000.

With such capabilities, the Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) and government agencies are backing SPEE3D and its metal 3D printing technology to turn Australia into the ‘world’s leading manufacturer and exporter of rocket engines.’ As SPEE3D receives more than $1.5m in funding, the company is now set to validate the usefulness of additively manufactured rocket engines for commercial space vehicles and carry out hot fire testing.

“SPEE3D has developed a new way to manufacture rocket engines quickly with our advanced manufacturing process,” commented Steven Camilleri, SPEE3D CTO. “The MMI grant will allow us to work with other partners in Australia to manufacture and test flight ready engines for the emerging industrial space market.”

“The Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative is all about backing our manufacturers to be more competitive, resilient and able to take on new domestic and global markets,” added Christian Porter, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. “This matched government funding will help Effusiontech (SPEE3D) to grow its business and create jobs, while also spurring further investment in the manufacturing sector and cementing Australia’s reputation as a nation that creates high-value products.”

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