SPEE3D Enables On-Demand Manufacturing in Hard-to-Access Locations With EMU

The Covid pandemic and the blocked cargo ship “Ever Given” in the Suez Canal demonstrated what international companies already know: supply chains are extremely unstable, and dependency causes numerous production processes and project work to falter. The effects of unsustainable supply chains are particularly evident in remote locations. Think of the maritime sector or the military, where there is often an immediate need for spare parts, but no remedy is available due to being in a remote area. We now know from numerous application examples that 3D printing can be used for on-demand production on site, although parameters such as speed and quality are often unsatisfactory. SPEE3D responds to this demand with its Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU), which combines Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing and post-processing, offering a solution to the challenge of production in hard-to-reach locations.

The Australian manufacturer of metal 3D printing solutions has developed a fast, cost-effective and scalable solution for 3D printing of metal parts with its patented Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) technology. SPEE3D’s technology works with a variety of metals – copper, stainless steel, aluminum and various alloys – and these solutions are known for their use in high-performance applications in industry and the defense sector. With the EMU, the company is specifically targeting customers struggling with unstable supply chains by providing a high-performance, high-quality solution for on-site and on-demand manufacturing.

EMU bypasses unstable supply chains with fast on-site production

The EMU consists of two 20-foot containers with twist locks and includes a metal 3D printer, the XSPEE3D, and the SPEE3Dcell post-processing unit. Thus, the unit enables the production of metal parts at remote locations, their post-processing and various quality tests. The XSPEE3D impresses with the rapid production of robust metal parts, while the SPEE3Dcell system provides a furnace for heat treatment, a CNC three-axis milling machine, tools and testing equipment.