SPEE3D 3D prints in extreme cold – video

3D printer manufacturer SPEE3D’s XSPEE3D system has shown it can successfully operate in a sub-zero environment and produce parts with comparable material properties to those produced in a laboratory environment.

The Melbourne company participated in developing, demonstrating, and testing their Cold Spray Metal Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) equipment, along with partners from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) COMET Project and Philips Federal.

The tests were part of the Office of The Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology’s Point of Need Challenge (PON).

They concluded that the XPEE3D system was well-suited to expanding expeditionary manufacturing capabilities in extreme cold weather environments for battle damage repair and large metal component production, according to SPEE3D.

The CEO of SPEE3D Byron Kennedy said: “The positive results of the Point of Need Challenge demonstrate that the XSPEE3D can print metal parts from anywhere – and in any weather conditions – with the same successful outcomes.

“Previously, we partnered with the Australian Army and showed that our technology can print parts in the extremely hot, rugged Australian bush.

“Now, we’re proving that we can also successfully print parts in the coldest of environments, helping to support the DOD’s goal of expanding manufacturing capabilities in austere environments.”

The US Army’s Cold Region’s Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) hosted the PON challenge in Hanover, New Hampshire in late 2023.

Media: SPEE3D