AML3D Upgrades Aussie Customer’s Robotic Welding System into ARCEMY Metal 3D Printer

AML3D, the Australian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) systems, has received an order from Australian contract manufacturer Century Engineering to convert the latter’s AML3D robotic welding system into an ARCEMY WAAM system. AML3D’s fulfillment of the A$280,000 (~ $190,000 US) order entails installation of WAAM components into the robotic welding platform, as well as provision of a year of ARCEMY software services.

In addition to the defense sector, Century Engineering also serves many other areas of heavy industry, especially the energy and mining sectors, all of which aligns with AML3D’s own strengths. It is also worth noting that, while AML3D is an Australian company, virtually all of its new business in the last year has come from the US Department of Defense (DoD). Thus, an order from an Australian company could be signaling that AML3D’s expansion strategy is coming full circle.

In a press release about the order from Century Engineering to convert its AML3D robotic welder into an ARCEMY WAAM system, AML3D’s CEO, Sean Ebert, said, “Our ability to retrofit an older AML3D, robotic welding system and bring it up to the specifications of a modern ARCEMY [WAAM] metal 3D printing system is evidence of delivery of our broader strategic objectives. Expanding ARCEMY sales into defense and industrial markets outside the US is part of our broader strategy to deliver high levels of sustainable growth. Providing ARCEMY system capabilities to Century Engineering, a supplier to the Australian defense and industrial sectors, allows AML3D to further penetrate this important additional market.

“It is pleasing to announce a new Australian ARCEMY order while we are continuing to see huge demand for our ARCEMY systems and manufacturing capabilities in the USA, especially within the US Navy submarine industrial base and prime US Navy suppliers. This Century Engineering order is evidence of our ability to stay focused on our US scale up strategy and expand into additional markets such as Australia and, in due course, the UK.”

The reference to the UK clearly evokes the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) trilateral relationship, which has subtly but significantly accelerated Australia’s advanced manufacturing scene over the last few years, while also bringing the US manufacturing landscape and Australia’s closer together. This pattern should only be amplified as the US increasingly turns to Australia to bolster its rare earths supply chain.

This sale also highlights why WAAM is one of my favorite AM processes: it’s only a very short step from robotic welding to WAAM, meaning that the pool of potential early adopters is likely unusually large. Retrofitting robotic welding systems could open up an entirely new business model for companies in the WAAM space.

I don’t know what the feasibility would be for AML3D, for instance, to retrofit a non-AML3D system, but it would seem worth looking into. At the very least, manufacturers with competencies in robotic welding could easily make the transition to WAAM.

Images courtesy of AML3D