AML3D, an Australian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of metal additive manufacturing (AM) hardware, announced that it has received an order for one of the company’s ARCEMY X-Edition 6700 platforms from the US Department of Defense (DoD). The order was placed through BlueForge Alliance, a DoD-backed, non-profit intermediary that focuses on integrating advanced manufacturing equipment into US military procurement supply chains.
AML3D expects to deliver the machine, a wire arc AM printer, sometime in 2023. BlueForge will install the X-Edition 6700 — valued at around $700,000 — at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), where it will be used as part of the effort to accelerate the US Navy’s use of wire arc AM in submarine production.

In a press release announcing AML3D’s order from the DoD, the company’s CEO, Ryan Millar, commented, “This sale is a significant opportunity for AML3D, as it is part of a long-term strategic partnership with the US Navy…This opportunity with the US Navy and the Submarine Industrial Base aligns with AML3D’s strategy of focusing on ARCEMY product sales, especially in the US maritime and defense sectors. I look forward to providing further updates as we deepen our presence and partnerships in the US.”

In addition to the order already placed, AML3D also expects to receive a contract from the US Navy in Q3 of 2023, for characterization (testing) of metals. An increasingly acute, across-the-board backlog in submarine supply chains is one of the key factors that has been driving the US Navy’s ramped-up AM efforts in recent years. Thus, this is a particularly promising area to target for a company looking to enter the US defense market.
Owing especially to its viability for use in heavy industry, as well as its compatibility with other standard elements in advanced manufacturing production lines, wire arc AM is poised to take off with the US military. In turn, the technique presumably also has a future with all other NATO nations and allied nations, such as Australia.
Australia’s unique geostrategic significance to the US give Australian companies an inherent edge over their direct competitors in the AM market. This is surely one of the primary reasons why the Australian government has made it such a priority to encourage the nation’s shift towards advanced manufacturing. Moreover, their connection to US markets via the DoD should be a catalyst for Australian AM companies to forge footholds into other areas of the US economy.
Image courtesy of AML3D
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.
Print Services
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
You May Also Like
TissueLabs Launches Advanced TissuePro Bioprinter for Labs Ready to Scale Up
Swiss biotech company TissueLabs has launched its most advanced bioprinter yet, the TissuePro. Built for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, the new machine features precise multi-material printing, more automation, and...
3D Printed Microgels from Terasaki Institute Could Help Heal Tissue
In a major step forward for tissue engineering, scientists at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) in Los Angeles have developed a light-based 3D printing technique that guides cells...
Auxilium Starts Human Trial for Nerve Implant First Bioprinted in Space
Auxilium Biotechnologies has officially launched a clinical trial for its proprietary NeuroSpan Bridge, a nerve-regeneration implant first bioprinted in space. The implant, created using the company’s AMP-1 bioprinter aboard the...
Parallax Volumetric Additive Manufacturing Debuts at RAPID via Manifest Technologies
Manifest Technologies is showcasing its take on volumetric additive manufacturing at this year’s RAPID+TCT event, this week in Detroit, Michigan. Manifest, formerly known as Vitro3D, spun out of the University...