@AuManufacturing Conversations

@AuManufacturing Conversations with Brent Balinski is a regular interview program, bringing you discussions with the men and women who are contributing to a critical part of the economy -- one that leads private sector R&D investment, employs well over a million Australians, and is just plain important to have around, as we’ve all been reminded in recent years. We hope to capture something of the variety to manufacturing, its place in the nation, its changing nature, and some of the personalities within it. From the boutique to the billion dollar, if it's manufacturing and it's Australian, then it likely matters to us. This podcast is an extension of the @AuManufacturing news and analysis website and the community around it, and aims to complement what's written online at www.aumanufacturing.com.au.

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@AuManufacturing Conversations

Episode 101 -- Steve Camilleri from SPEE3D

October 17, 2024 • @AuManufacturing • Season 3 • Episode 22

In episode 101 of @AuManufacturing Conversations, SPEE3D's co-founder and CTO Steve Camilleri returns as a guest.

He tells us about the enduring consideration of “how do I make a perfect space printer?”, why companies need a guiding vision, the importance of in-field testing for product development, celebrating the company’s capable Australian suppliers, the complementarity of cold spray AM alongside wire arc AM, and more.

Editor's note: This episode is not "paid media", though in the interests of honesty we do disclose with listeners that SPEE3D is a current advertiser with @AuManufacturing.

This episode is brought to you by APS Industrial. Providing exclusive access to the market-leading Siemens industrial automation and low voltage electrical portfolio, APS Industrial partners with the best, to bring local industry the best.

Episode guide

1:30 – Marking the company’s decade anniversary.

2:18 – About 100 machines in the field. “Feeling a little mature” now.

3:06 – The importance of vision and knowing the problem you’re trying to solve.

4:08 – The influence of the casting industry and its issues on SPEE3D’s approach.

6:08 – Calculating costs versus casting.

8:58 – The EMU machine on display at Land Forces. Two shipping containers full of gear. The origin story of this product and development with the Australian Army, learning about the context of the user.

10:10 – Some of the novel problems for AM presented by expeditionary use. “Insects turned out to be a big problem in the field.”

13:20 – Celebrating the highly-capable local companies in SPEE3D’s supply chain.

14:38 – Building large parts and the place of these. The shortcomings of established methods like pit casting and what SPEE3D wants to improve on.

16:30 – Thermal expansion issues.

17:50 – The TitanSPEE3D machine under development. Driven by market demand, particularly US DoD. “There’s real opportunity here.”

18:55 – The importance of manufacturing large metal objects, such as pressure vessels, off-planet.

Further reading
SPEE3D demonstrates additive manufacturing to US military
SPEE3D’s new machine to make Australian debut this week
SPEE3D enters West African 3D print market
SPEE3D opens US 3D print applications centre
SPEE3D, Micro-X, DroneShield and Minelab headed for Ukraine
A decade in and no sign of slowing for Australian AM company
SPEE3D’s new machine to make Australian debut this week
Land Forces 2022 – The curse and the benefit of being Australian

People on this episode

Brent Balinski

Host