SPEE3D joins EOS on the Ukraine battlefield

SPEE3D’s fast metal additive manufacturing printers have become the latest Australian defence equipment to be introduced to Ukraine to help it resist its invasion by Russia.

According to a report in Forbes magazine, co-founder Steven Camilleri and staff just visited Jasionka, Poland, to train the Ukrainian military on 3D printing metal parts on demand and in the field.

Seven WarpSpee3D printers valued at around $7 million were supplied to Ukraine by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative to be deployed close to the frontlines.

So far only remote weapon stations from Canberra manufacturer Electro Optic Systems have been known to be deployed on the battlefields of Ukraine.

But while EOS’s products are directly offensive in nature, SPEE3D’s play a more benign, maintenance role.

Ukraine fields an array of donated western and former Soviet equipment and keeping spare parts for so many different types is a nightmare for logistics staff.

Much better to print critical repair parts on demand and where they are needed.

According to SPEE3D the WarpSPEE3D is the world’s first large format metal 3D printer to enable significantly faster, more cost-effective and more scalable production than traditional manufacturing.

The WarpSPEE3D builds parts up to 40kg or 88lbs and up with a diameter up to 1m by 700mm high.

Further reading:
Electro Optic Systems $120 million in supply agreement with Ukraine

Picture: SPEE3D/containerised 3D printer believed to have been supplied to Ukraine