Meltio, together with the American Philips Corporation, has placed a 3D metal printer on the board of an American naval ship. WAAM technology is integrated into a Haas vertical machining center. With this, the navy will produce spare parts on board.
The project should demonstrate that 3D metal printing makes sense in the marine industry, partly thanks to wire-arc printing technology. The Spanish manufacturer is working with machine builder Haas on other hybrid systems for other sectors in other countries. The US Navy is using the hybrid technology for a specific project on the USS Bataan. This naval ship, multifunctional, dates from 1997 and can accommodate 2,500 sailors and officers.
Proven reliability of WAAM technology aboard aircraft carriers
Integrated into HAAS TM-1
The American company Philips has integrated the Meltio Engine CNC technology into the Haas TM-1 vertical machining center and markets it under the name Philips Additive Hybrid System. This Meltio print head can be integrated into both new and used CNC machines. The platform has proven to operate reliably in a maritime environment aboard several aircraft carriers. The integration of the Meltio deposition head with the Haas TM-1 provides both additive and subtractive production capabilities within the same system – increasing efficiency and reducing waste compared to conventional machining.
Self-sufficient and short lead times
For the US Navy, it is especially important that ships are self-sufficient during an operational deployment. The lead time for the production of parts must also be shorter. The aim is to achieve this by permanently installing the hybrid machine on board the naval vessel. For the time being, printing is done with 316L, a commonly used material in the navy. “Introducing additive manufacturing (AM) to naval operations supports preparedness and self-reliance,” said Vice Admiral Brendan McLane, commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic. This helps extend service life with better operational deployment. In addition, the navy has to rely less on the traditional supply chain when it comes to replacement parts.
The US Navy has already developed a technical AM package for more than 300 components
The NAVSEA engineers, responsible for the construction of the American fleet, have also installed another 3D printer on board USS Bataan. They use it to print plastic parts. NAVSEA developed technical requirements packages for AM for more than 300 different components. Here the engineers on board find the required design configuration and procedures for 3D printing a part and its proper functioning.
Make parts where and when they are needed
Ángel Llavero, CEO of Meltio, sees the US Navy project as a confirmation that Meltio’s AM technology is suitable for industrial applications in the maritime sector, in defense and in all those industrial sectors where it is necessary to be able to produce the part where and when it is needed. “We are confident that this is the first step in a long journey we will take in this marine industry sector with these and other applications.”
K3D is Meltio’s 3D service bureau and 3D Printer Solutions is the official Benelux dealer