Australian engineers at Monash University in Melbourne revealed the world's first 3D-printed jet engine today, a manufacturing breakthrough that could give birth to more fuel-efficient and cheaper jet engines.

They were aided by staff from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the federal government agency for scientific research in Australia, and Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.

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The Australian team printed two engines and put one of them on display at the International Air Show in Avalon, Victoria.

Engineers were given an old gas turbine engine by French firm Safran to copy. The Australians printed two versions in a process that took about a year.

Monash created the parts of the engine using printers that spread a very thin layer of metal powder across a base plate. A laser formed the required shape using a computer-generated outline. This process was repeated over and over again until the part was completed.

The world aerospace industry is interested in the process of printing parts because of the lower lead time, the lighter weight of parts and lower production costs.

"The project is a spectacular proof of concept that's leading to significant contracts with aerospace companies," said Ben Batagol of Amaero Engineering, the private company set up by Monash to commercialize the jet engine.

"This will allow aerospace companies to compress their development cycles because we are making these prototype engines three or four times faster than normal," said Simon Marriott, chief executive of Amaero Engineering.

Marriott said Amaero plans to have printed engine components in flight tests within the next 12 months and certified for commercial use within the next two to three years.