An Australian research collaboration is developing a laser-based repair process for high-value military aircraft components, with the project aiming to support local manufacturing capability and reduce reliance on international supply chains for aircraft sustainment.
Supported by the Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC), the two-year project brings together Rosebank Engineering, RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing and Swinburne University of Technology to develop a certifiable Laser Direct Energy Deposition (L-DED) repair process for aerospace alloys.
The research will focus on materials including Inconel, titanium and 15-5PH stainless steel, with the goal of demonstrating a repair process that meets Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and NASA-STD-6030 requirements.
Rosebank Engineering will lead process development and validation, using its Adaptive Monitoring and Control of Laser Additive Deposition (AMCLAD) system. The project will also investigate a laser rescanning technique intended to control material microstructure during repairs without requiring post-process heat treatment.
Jarrod Watts, Senior Manager Engineering and Projects at Rosebank Engineering, said high-value components used in aircraft sustainment are currently sourced through international supply chains with long lead times.
“We know laser offers the opportunity to repair in-country with significant cost and lead-time reductions. This project tackles that challenge directly,” Watts said.
He said the AMCLAD system and in-process microstructure refinement could help achieve the required material performance while avoiding distortion or damage to original components.
Researchers at RMIT and Swinburne will conduct material characterisation and testing to assess tensile strength, fatigue life, residual stress, corrosion and wear performance. The results will form a Material Property Suite to support the qualification process.
Professor Milan Brandt of RMIT Centre for Additive Manufacturing said laser rescanning could provide greater control over material properties during repair.
“By controlling phase transformations during deposition, we can unlock performance levels that meet aerospace standards,” Brandt said.
Professor Suresh Palanisamy of Swinburne University of Technology said the research would provide evidence to assess the process’s suitability for industry adoption.
“Our role is to produce the data that proves the process is robust, repeatable and capable of meeting aerospace requirements,” Palanisamy said.
The project will also explore potential repair pathways for F/A-18 engine components, which the collaboration identifies as a near-term commercial opportunity.
AMCRC Managing Director Simon Marriott said the initiative aims to translate Australian additive manufacturing research into defence and commercial applications.
“This project exemplifies that mission — industry-led, defence-relevant, and built around certification from day one,” Marriott said.
The project will seek to establish a qualified repair process for aerospace components. Its intended outcomes include reducing component replacement costs and lead times, while supporting domestic repair capability and supply chain resilience.
