RUAG Australia achieves international patents for additive technology

Melbourne-based RUAG Australia has been awarded full patent rights in Australia, Europe, the USA and Canada for its “Methods for Treating Aircraft Structures”. This patent relates to the use of Supersonic Particle Deposition (SPD) as an alternative aircraft component repair technology to save the time and costs associated with traditional repair techniques or part replacement.
RUAG Australia’s patent application identifies the use of SPD as a fully certifiable alternative for safe and reliable repairs to corroded, worn and damaged components as opposed to repair by traditional methods or outright component replacement. Potential cost and time savings make this solution particularly relevant for the repair of expensive components and for components with long repair/replacement lead times and can significantly improve aircraft and component return-to-service times.
“The awarding of this patent underscores our commitment to research and development and the application of emerging additive technologies to offer reliable and accessible service for defence and commercial aviation customers,” says Neil Matthews, Senior Manager Additive Technologies, RUAG Australia.
“Our ability to provide unique repair solutions that enable our customers to be operationally ready, faster, is essential to our in-country mission. Patent approvals ensure these capabilities for all our customers. It is a fantastic achievement for Neil and for RUAG Australia as a whole,” states Terry Miles, General Manager, RUAG Australia. The company has also worked closely with DMTC Limited.
RUAG Australia is a major industry research centre for the development and application of Powder Deposition Technologies focusing on both SPD, sometimes referred to as Cold Spray, and Laser Assisted Deposition (LAD) for defence applications. These technologies enable the restoration of corroded / damaged metallic components / structures to an acceptable level of structural integrity and functionality. RUAG Australia maintains and operates a fixed and mobile SPD capability as well as a fixed LAD capability.