SPEE3D prints 11 metal parts in major defence exercise

Metal additive manufacturing machinery manufacturer SPEE3D has announced the successful completion of the experimental phase of Trident Warrior, a major US military trial programme.

SPEE3D deployed its Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU, pictured) mobile additive manufacturing solution during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise – at the Marine Corps Air Station in Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii.

The EMU was used to print 11 cast-equivalent metal parts from aluminum and stainless steel to be studied for their material properties and viability for repairing and replacing defence equipment in a contested environment.

The goal of implementing SPEE3D’s proprietary cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) solution was to prove that additive manufacturing can help secure military supply chains.

The CEO of SPEE3D Byron Kennedy said: “SPEE3D is thrilled to be included in RIMPAC, the largest distributed advanced manufacturing demonstration the Department of Defense has ever conducted to date.

“In particular, additive manufacturing has been a major area of interest for the Department of Defense (DoD), and together, we have the same goals to train the military and implement additive manufacturing to print crucial metal parts at the point of need to support modernization and warfighter readiness.”

RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, and within it, Trident Warrior focuses on testing cutting-edge technologies, including additive manufacturing.

A team of engineers from the Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) printed cast-equivalent replacement metal parts from EMU for the Army, Navy and Air Force, Marine, and Coast Guard.

A member of the Marine Innovation Unit and the government lead on the CAMRE team for Trident Warrior 24 Lt. Col. Michael Radigan said: “SPEE3D worked side-by-side with our joint participants to further research on cold spray additive manufacturing and helped us uncover best practices to apply its unique capabilities in expeditionary environments.”

EMU combines SPEE3D’s metal 3D printer, XSPEE3D, with its SPEE3Dcell post-processing and testing unit, which together can produce cast-equivalent metal parts in hours instead of days or weeks.

The system includes two 20-foot containers with twist locks, a ruggedized, mobile metal 3D printer that can produce high-density metal parts in a wide range of materials, and a fully-equipped post-processing shop – including a heat treatment furnace, CNC three-axis mill, tooling, and testing equipment.

Picture: SPEE3D/Mobile Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU)