The Australian company AML3D has secured a strategic order of approximately 9.9 million Australian dollars from the US defense contractor HII. The order comprises four large-scale metal 3D printing systems ARCEMY X, which will be deployed at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of HII. This deployment will bring the total number of ARCEMY systems at that facility to six, dedicated to supporting the construction and maintenance of ships for the United States Navy, marking a milestone in the adoption of industrial additive manufacturing.
WAM Technology: Efficiency and Waste Reduction in Heavy Manufacturing 🏗️
The core of these systems is the patented wire additive manufacturing process, known as WAM. This technology is based on a metal deposition technique using electric arc, similar to robotic welding, which builds components layer by layer using wire as the material. Compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods in heavy metalworking, WAM offers key advantages: it drastically reduces material waste, shortens delivery times by eliminating stages such as acquiring forgings or castings, and enables the production of large-size parts and complex geometries more efficiently and locally.
Trend: Additive Manufacturing Scales in Strategic Supply Chains 📈
This order is not an isolated case, but a reflection of a clear trend. Strategic and high-demand sectors, such as defense and shipbuilding, are integrating large-scale additive manufacturing to modernize and optimize their production chains. The ability to manufacture critical components on demand, with less inventory and greater speed, strengthens supply chain resilience. AML3D's expansion, supplying from its center in Ohio, underscores the shift toward more agile and distributed production models, where metal 3D printing is consolidating as a tool for industrial logistics and production.
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