Distinguished Professor Milan Brandt

Professor Brandt is the Technical Director of RMIT’s Advanced Manufacturing Precinct and the Director of RMIT's Centre for Additive Manufacturing. He is the leading Australian researcher in the area of macro processing with lasers and has conducted work in laser cladding, cutting, drilling, welding, assisted machining and more recently additive manufacture. This has resulted in technological achievements, patents, research papers and commercial products, which have been recognized internationally and nationally in both scientific and industrial circles. He has commercialized the results of his research and also actively promoted the benefits of laser technology to Australian industry through invited presentations, conference papers and industry seminars. Professor Brandt initiated and chaired several international conferences and workshops and has extensive links with many international researchers and organisations. He is a Board member and fellow of the Laser Institute of America and honorary fellow of the Welding Technology Institute of Australia.

Research

Professor Brandt has been involved with materials and manufacturing technologies in particular lasers for some 30 years and is recognised nationally and internationally as the leading Australian researcher in the field. After graduating from Macquarie University he joined the Department of Defence Materials Research Laboratory at Maribyrnong where he was involved in research on novel visible lasers. This led to the construction of a new laser which attracted considerable attention locally and internationally in both scientific and defence communities.

In 1986 Professor Brandt joined the CSIRO Division of Manufacturing Technology in Sydney to conduct research on the interaction of laser radiation with materials and the application of this research to laser welding, cutting, surfacing and cladding of materials. This led to the development and commercialisation of a number of new, laser-based products and processes. In 1990 he received a grant from the Division to establish the first Industrial Laser Centre in Australia to further promote laser technology to industry and develop new applications of significant commercial benefit. The Centre became the focus for industrial laser activities in Australia and attracted many industry collaborators.

In 1999 Professor Brandt was invited to join Swinburne University and offered a grant to establish high power laser research activities at IRIS. The research emphasis was on the development of new laser-based products and processes of significant commercial benefit. A major outcome of my research at IRIS is the development of laser surfacing technology for the repair of leading edge of low pressure turbine blades in-situ in collaboration with the CRC for Welded Structures and 11 power generating utilities.

The technology was being commercialised through Hardwear, a company he helped established with the CRC for Welded Structures. Hardwear was sold in 2010 to Hardchrome engineering, a Melbourne based company involved in surfacing technology.

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In 2010 he joined RMIT's as the Professor of Advanced Manufacturing. In this role he has built research activities in additive manufacturing and promoted the benefits of this technology to local industry to help improve their global competitiveness
Key Activities.

Research areas

• Additive Manufacturing
• Laser materials processing
• Biomedical Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Materials Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Research grants since 2009

I have throughout my career secured grants from many and different sources including the ARC, CRCs, State Government and Industry. Listed below are grants received in the last five years.

ARC grants

• M. Qian, W. Xu, M. Brandt and Z. Liu, “3D printing of Ti alloys for better than forged properties”. ARC Discovery, 2015.- $310k
• M. Qian, M. Xie, W. Xu, M. Brandt, P. Choong, R. Thompson, H. Tang, “A novel approach to the design and fabrication of biomimetic and biocompatible Ti-Ta implants by additive manufacturing”, ARC Linkage, 2014.- $480k

CRC grants

• Brandt – DMTC projects - $480k – 2009-2014
• Brandt – AMCRC projects - $650k – 2010-2014

Research consultancy

• Companies and organisations such as –Hardwear, CSIRO, DSTO, BAE, Weir Minerals $285k

Patents

• M. Brandt, M. Leary, D. Shidid and P. Choong. Australian provisional patent application no PA 2014900718 titled: A method for producing customised medical implant. Applicant RMIT University.
• J. Harris and M. Brandt. Australian provisional patent application no PA 2005904580 titled: Powder Delivery Nozzle. Applicant CRC for Welded Structures, 2005. Patent granted in the US. Proceeding in Europe and Asia.
• Y. Durandet, M. Brandt et al. Australian provisional patent application no PA 2006902942 titled: A method and Apparatus for Joining. Applicant CRC CAST, 2006
• M. Brandt and K. C. A. Crane, "The manufacture of finely perforated sheet material". Patent granted in Australia and Europe, 1990.

Research grants since 2009

I have throughout my career secured grants from many and different sources including the ARC, CRCs, State Government and Industry. Listed below are grants received in the last five years.

ARC grants

• M. Qian, W. Xu, M. Brandt and Z. Liu, “3D printing of Ti alloys for better than forged properties”. ARC Discovery, 2015.- $310k
• M. Qian, M. Xie, W. Xu, M. Brandt, P. Choong, R. Thompson, H. Tang, “A novel approach to the design and fabrication of biomimetic and biocompatible Ti-Ta implants by additive manufacturing”, ARC Linkage, 2014.- $480k

CRC grants

• Brandt – DMTC projects - $480k – 2009-2014
• Brandt – AMCRC projects - $650k – 2010-2014

Research consultancy

• Companies and organisations such as –Hardwear, CSIRO, DSTO, BAE, Weir Minerals $285k

Patents

• M. Brandt, M. Leary, D. Shidid and P. Choong. Australian provisional patent application no PA 2014900718 titled: A method for producing customised medical implant. Applicant RMIT University.
• J. Harris and M. Brandt. Australian provisional patent application no PA 2005904580 titled: Powder Delivery Nozzle. Applicant CRC for Welded Structures, 2005. Patent granted in the US. Proceeding in Europe and Asia.
• Y. Durandet, M. Brandt et al. Australian provisional patent application no PA 2006902942 titled: A method and Apparatus for Joining. Applicant CRC CAST, 2006
• M. Brandt and K. C. A. Crane, "The manufacture of finely perforated sheet material". Patent granted in Australia and Europe, 1990.

• BA (Hons), PhD Macquarie University, FLIA, FWTIA, MAIP, MMA

Employment history

• 2014 – Director Centre for Additive Manufacturing
• 2012 – Technical Director Advanced Manufacturing Precinct
• 2010 – Present: Professor of Advanced Manufacturing, SAMME, RMIT University, Melbourne
• 2007 (June) – 2010: Professor and Research Leader, Laser Engineering, IRIS, Swinburne University, Melbourne
• 2005- 2007 (June): Professor and Director of IRIS
• 1999 – 2004: A/Prof, Research Leader, Laser Engineering, IRIS, Swinburne University, Melbourne
• 1986 – 1999: Manager CSIRO Industrial Laser Centre, Sydney, Principal Research Scientist and Group Leader, CSIRO Manufacturing Science and Technology, Sydney
• 1981 – 1986: Research Scientist, Department of Defence, Materials Research Laboratories, Melbourne

Professional interests and links to industry

• Board member of Laser Institute of America 2003-05, 2006-08, 2009 - 2011, 2011-2013 and 2013-2015.
• Board member and Technical Director of Hardwear, 2005 – 2010.
• Board member and Director of Laser Surfacing Solutions 2004-2006.
• Program manager and Member Research Committee CRC IMST 2001 – 2006.
• Member Research Committee CRC WS, 2001 – 2006.
• CAST CRC board member and university representative 2001 – 2009.
• Swinburne Member Steering Committee Innovative Food Centre – 2005 – 2009.
• Alternate Board Member, VCAMM – 2005 – 2010.

Accomplishments and achievements

• CAST commercialisation award for LMCut , 2011.
• CAST commercialisation award for Laser assisted joining, 2011.
• WTIA - Sir William Hudson Memorial Award - Best published (Australian) research paper in 2011 by N. Alam, A. Bishop and M. Brandt.
• Certificate of Merit Award in World Congress on Engineering (WCE-09), London, UK for the paper on the “Microstructural Investigation of Direct Metal Deposition of H13 Steel on High Strength Copper Substrate (Imran, Masood and Brandt).
• WTIA - Sir William Hudson Memorial Award - Best published (Australian) research paper in 2002. R.T. Deam, M. Brandt and J. Harris, "The measurement of capillary waves on a weldpool formed by a Nd:YAG laser". Australasian Welding Journal Vol 47, 2002, p39-47. Prize $200.
• TMS magnesium technology best student paper award – M. Mandagie, M. Brandt, Y. Durandet, and M. Jahedi, "Laser cladding AS21 magnesium alloy with AlSi and WC powders". Prize US $500.
• First Prize TRU energy Bright Ideas - Laser Repair of Low Pressure Turbine Rotor Blades (In-situ Repair) – 2005.