From Aerospace to Heat Exchange: Meet Amit Tamber

From studying aerospace at Monash to diving deep into the world of additive manufacturing, Amit’s journey has taken him from production floors to the frontiers of R&D. We spoke with Amit to learn more about his path, his current focus, and why backing yourself is key at Conflux.

Tell us about your journey. How did your path bring you to Conflux?

I finished my degree at Monash in 2016 – Aerospace Engineering and Finance. During my final year, 3D printing was gaining momentum. I did my thesis in additive manufacturing (AM) and knew I wanted to stay in that world.

I spent four years at Amaero, a metal AM service bureau in Melbourne, working across production and R&D with materials like stainless steels, Inconels, titanium, aluminium and other novel alloys. It gave me a solid grounding in both running machines and developing parameters.

After that, I was looking for a change and saw Conflux had an opening for a Production Technician. It was a great fit; I had the manufacturing experience, and I wanted to get back into a more hands-on role.

What did your role in AM Production involve?

Production was all about preparing files for print, running the machines, keeping powders managed, helping with depowdering, de-supporting and testing. I also worked closely with design engineers to review parts before print to refine anything that could be built more commercially or successfully.

It gave me a strong sense of the entire production loop, and that experience has been really valuable in R&D.

And now you’re part of the R&D team. What does your role focus on?

I moved into R&D at the start of this year. The big difference is that in R&D every project is unique. Each material and geometry brings its own challenges that demand a tailored process and roadmap.

Day to day I come in and look at the results from the prints I ran previously. From there it is about figuring out whether we are closer to a solution or if we need to try a different approach. A lot of the work is about pushing the limits like making walls and fins thinner. We’re working with materials in ways that have not really been done before.

What makes it exciting is that the issues we face are often unique to Conflux. Other companies might be using the same materials, but because we are pushing them to extremes in heat exchanger applications we are uncovering problems and solutions no one else has had to tackle. There’s no playbook, no standards to lean on, which makes it challenging but rewarding.

You’re also starting a PhD focusing on Monel K-500 heat exchanger development. What’s that about?

I’m about to begin a PhD with RMIT University through the National Industry PhD Program, which is designed to link industries with academia.  My project will contribute towards the development of standardised parameter sets to print Monel K-500 heat exchangers, as well as how thin-walled geometries are tested and validated. Monel is a nickel–copper alloy known for corrosion resistance, traditionally used in marine and mining. But Monel K-500 also has good high-temperature properties, which makes it really interesting for aerospace and rocket applications. This kind of standard does not really exist yet in the Global ASTM standards or within International Organization for Standardization (ISO) frameworks, which means every lab or company is forced to develop its own methods from scratch.

Establishing robust standards is critical because it allows different organisations to work from the same baseline, compare results with confidence, and accelerate material qualification for demanding industries like aerospace. In practical terms, it means the pathway from promising alloy to flight-ready component can be shortened, reducing risk and enabling faster adoption of new materials.

I’ll continue working with Conflux throughout the program, which is rare in Australia. It’s a four-year program so I’m looking forward to getting properly stuck in.

How would you describe the culture at Conflux, especially in the context of research & development?

It’s very collaborative. Everyone brings their own expertise, and we tackle challenges as a team. What’s rare – and what I really value – is that even as a junior you’re asked for your input, and sometimes your ideas are the ones that get taken forward. That’s not something you find in every workplace.

What advice would you give to someone joining Conflux?

Back yourself. The problems we’re solving don’t have easy answers. You need to be confident in your ideas and willing to push them forward, while also being a team player. There’s always support around you, but a self-starter mindset is essential.

What excites you most about working on next-generation heat exchangers?

For me, it’s the challenge. Every project pushes materials and geometries to new limits. Knowing that the work we’re doing could influence the future of aerospace cooling systems, rocket engines and thermal management in extreme environments is incredibly motivating.