Australian Army tests Spee3D WarpSPEE3D metal AM printer in the field

Spee3D, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, reports that its WarpSPEE3D metal Additive Manufacturing machine was deployed by the Australian Army and trialled during a field exercise in the Northern Territory last week. The trial was used to demonstrate the potential for the company’s metal AM technology when deployed in a military scenario, as reported by Metal AM.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Australian 1st Combat Service Support Battalion soldiers involved in the trial with additively manufactured parts produced by the WarpSPEE3D (Picture source: SPEE3D)

WarpSPEE3D offers large-format metal Additive Manufacturing, using the company’s patented cold spray technology. According to SPEE3D, this enables significantly faster and more cost effective metal part production than traditional manufacturing. It is capable of building metal parts up to 40 kg at a speed of 100 grams per minute.

During the three-day trial, the WarpSPEE3D was manoeuvred to various locations and unloaded on different terrains. The AM machine was unloaded and operational within thirty minutes, producing a variety of additively manufactured parts.

The Australian Army announced a $1.5 million investment in a pilot of SPEE3D technology in February 2020, with a twelve-month trial designed to test the feasibility of deploying metal AM machines both on-base and in the field. SPEE3D states that it partnered with the Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (AMA) and Charles Darwin University (CDU) to deliver the programme with soldiers from the Australian Army 1st Brigade training in Additive Manufacturing at CDU since February. The programme aims to significantly increase the availability of unique parts to the army compared to what the regular supply chain can provide.