Australian additive manufacturing firm AML3D has secured a nearly $3 million contract to supply two large-format metal 3D printers to Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), the sole designer and builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of two U.S. yards capable of constructing nuclear submarines. The deal marks a significant milestone in integrating additive manufacturing into the U.S. naval industrial base amid growing demand for scalable production and resilient supply chains.
Contract Details and Strategic Context
Under the agreement announced on April 29, 2024, AML3D will deliver two customized ARCEMY X-Edition 6700 wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) systems to NNS, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). The contract is valued at AUD$4.9 million (~USD$2.97 million), with delivery expected in Q2–Q3 of calendar year 2024.
This follows an earlier lease agreement initiated in February 2024 for an ARCEMY system at NNS’s facilities in Virginia. That initial deployment was part of a broader evaluation process by HII and the U.S. Navy aimed at qualifying WAAM technology for critical naval applications—particularly components used in Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and Virginia-class attack submarines.
The new contract reflects escalating confidence in ARCEMY’s capabilities and aligns with broader Department of Defense (DoD) efforts to modernize defense production through advanced manufacturing technologies.
ARCEMY System Capabilities
ARCEMY systems use wire arc additive manufacturing—a form of directed energy deposition (DED)—to build near-net-shape metal parts layer by layer using welding wire as feedstock. This approach enables high deposition rates (up to several kg/hour), making it ideal for large-scale structural components common in shipbuilding.
The X-Edition 6700 is among AML3D’s largest systems, offering:
- A build volume suitable for multi-meter-scale parts
- Multi-material capability including titanium, stainless steel, Inconel alloys
- Integrated robotic control and real-time monitoring systems
- Qualification pathways aligned with ASME IX and DNV standards
The system’s open architecture also allows integration with existing shipyard digital workflows—critical for adoption within tightly regulated naval programs.
Naval Applications Driving Additive Manufacturing Adoption
The U.S. Navy has been steadily expanding its use of additive manufacturing across platforms as part of its Digital Manufacturing Strategy. Key drivers include:
- Sustainment agility: On-demand replacement parts reduce lead times and inventory costs.
- Design flexibility: Complex geometries can be produced without tooling constraints.
- Resilience: Distributed production reduces dependence on single-source suppliers.
NNS has already used AM techniques for non-critical components aboard Ford-class carriers and is now working toward qualification of structural components for submarines—where material properties must meet stringent fatigue and corrosion resistance thresholds under nuclear safety standards.
The Columbia-class program alone is expected to consume over $100 billion through the mid-2030s; integrating AM could reduce bottlenecks in casting or forging supply chains that have historically constrained submarine construction timelines.
Australia-U.S. Industrial Collaboration Under AUKUS Framework
This contract also highlights emerging industrial collaboration between Australia and the United States under the AUKUS security pact—particularly Pillar II initiatives focused on advanced capabilities like quantum tech, AI/ML integration, cyber resilience, and advanced manufacturing.
AML3D CEO Sean Ebert noted that this deal “significantly strengthens our presence within the U.S. defense sector,” adding that it demonstrates how Australian sovereign technologies can contribute directly to allied defense readiness goals.
The company previously supplied ARCEMY systems under contracts with Boeing and Austal USA; however, this marks its first direct sale into a Tier-1 naval prime contractor supporting nuclear submarine construction—a highly regulated domain requiring rigorous qualification protocols.
Additive Manufacturing’s Role in Reinvigorating the Defense Industrial Base
The DoD has identified revitalization of the defense industrial base as a strategic imperative amid geopolitical competition with China and Russia. Additive manufacturing plays a key role by enabling:
- Rapid prototyping: Accelerates design iteration cycles for new platforms or upgrades
- Spares production: Reduces downtime across aging fleets awaiting legacy parts
- Tactical logistics: Enables forward-deployed units or shipyards to produce parts locally
A recent National Defense Industrial Strategy paper emphasized scaling AM adoption across all services by investing in workforce training, qualification standards (e.g., MIL-STD-3059), digital twins integration, and public-private partnerships like America Makes or DoE labs supporting materials R&D.
Outlook: Qualification Pathways & Program Expansion Potential
If successful at NNS, AML3D’s ARCEMY platform could see expanded deployment across other HII facilities—or even other primes such as General Dynamics Electric Boat or BAE Systems Marine—as they seek scalable AM solutions aligned with MIL-SPEC requirements.
The next steps likely include formal qualification testing under NAVSEA oversight using destructive testing coupons printed from ARCEMY units installed at NNS. If results meet required mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength >500 MPa; elongation >20%; fracture toughness >50 MPa√m), production use cases could expand beyond prototypes into full-rate component manufacture by late 2025–2026 timelines.
This would mark one of the first instances where WAAM-based large-format printers are integrated directly into nuclear submarine production lines—a milestone that could reshape long-term cost structures across naval shipbuilding programs globally.
