SPEE3D successfully prints parts at sea for US Navy – report

Australian fast metal additive manufacturing machine manufacturer SPEE3D has successfully printed metal parts at sea during trials aboard a US Navy ship.

While SPEE3D has not revealed details of the tests which took place as a part of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Repair Technology Exercise (REPTX), US 3D print media has already covered the story.

Over the course of 12 days, SPEE3D was one of 60 technology suppliers that demonstrated their products, in SPEE3D’s case its WarpSPEE3D cold spray printer which has also been tested with the Australian army and navy.

During the trials WarpSPEED 3D printers manufactured a bronze anchor five times while on board at sea, with each produced in six minutes, according to reports.

The company collaborated with others to produce pressure fittings for pipes, protective boxes for naval equipment, and manufacturing mechanisms for robotic arms.

3dprint.com quoted SPEE3D’s CTO Steven Camilleri as saying the company’s goal during REPTX was to successfully test WarpSPEE3D’s deployable technology to print maritime military parts on demand and in various sea conditions.

Camilleri said: “We’re thrilled the results are favourable and that SPEE3D is the world’s first to print parts on a ship.

“We understand the operational, economic, and supply chain issues the military faces and look forward to continuing to work with US Defense to help solve some of these challenges.”

3dprint.com later corrected its story to say that Xerox successfully 3D printed metal parts at sea in July 2022.

Announcing the US Navy test Byron Kennedy said: “We understand their operational challenges both on land and sea, and look forward to strengthening our existing relationships with the US Department of Defense as a trusted partner.”

Picture: Royal Australian Navy WarpSPEE3D