Imagine you’re the boat captain who suffers mechanical failures at sea. You troubleshoot the problem and find key parts of the engine corroded and no longer functional. If only you could manufacture new replacement parts onboard.
Thanks to the ingenuity of a local manufacturer, that option is now available to vessels no less important than those in use by the U.S. Navy.
Palm City-based ADDiTEC, which specializes in additive manufacturing technologies and advanced solutions for a wide range of industries, deserves credit for this milestone achievement in maritime operations. “We have worked tirelessly to ensure that our 3D printing technologies meet the specific needs of maritime operations,” says Brian Mathews, CEO of ADDiTEC. “We are working to continuously enhance their reliability and efficiency, ensuring they are fully mission-ready for any operational demands.”
The ElemX 3D printer—based on ADDiTEC’s proprietary Liquid Metal Jetting (LMJ) technologies—provides an advanced solution for complex problems, which for the defense industry regularly carry life-or-death consequences. Recently, U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS San Diego employed the ElemX 3D printer—whose capabilities ADDiTEC refined to perform in the demanding dynamics that naval operations often encounter—to print effective and functional parts. “Seeing our efforts come to fruition with the successful printing of functional parts at sea is incredibly rewarding,” says Mathews.
Equipping the U.S. Navy to print-on-demand aluminum alloy parts presents a transformative shift in this vital element of our Armed Forces’ ability to adapt and overcome maintenance challenges in the field of battle. Thanks to original technologies by great manufacturers such as ADDiTEC, our national security is stronger and more resilient.
Read the ADDiTEC blog post here.
