Australian additive manufacturing firm SPEE3D has sold one of its cutting-edge WarpSPEE3D metal printers to shipbuilder Austal USA.
The sale will support Austal’s efforts to incorporate additive manufacturing technologies for the US Navy.
Austal USA oversees and operates the US Navy’s flagship center for additive manufacturing in Danville, Virginia, which supports the construction and sustainment of the navy’s fleet.
Austal USA Director of Advanced Technologies Scott Kasen said the WarpSPEE3D printer is “an exciting technology for large part creation, and process advancements” that “could provide additional capability for manufacturing traditionally cast parts.”
CEO of SPEE3D Byron Kennedy stated “we have worked successfully with the US Navy in the past and understand the unique challenges they face with the need for manufacturing capabilities that are fast, reliable, and easily deployable.”
WarpSPEE3D
The WarpSPEE3D printer is capable of producing high-density metal parts such as intake manifolds and M113 exhausts in hours or days, considerably speeding up procedures that would otherwise require weeks or months of work, according to the company.
The large-format metal 3D printer uses cold spray technology to manufacture aluminum, copper, bronze, and stainless steel components.
It can build parts weighing up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) with maximum dimensions of 1 meter (3 feet) by 0.7 meters (2.2 feet).
