AML3D Limited, an Australian metal additive manufacturing company, has secured a ~AU$9.9 million order from U.S. defense contractor HII for four ARCEMY X large-scale metal 3D printing systems. Announced on March 17, 2026, the systems will be deployed at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of HII, to support shipbuilding and maintenance operations for U.S. Navy programs.
The order will increase the number of ARCEMY X systems installed at NNS to six. According to AML3D, all four systems are expected to be installed and operational by the third quarter of FY2027.
Large-scale wire additive manufacturing for ship components
The ARCEMY X systems are based on AML3D’s proprietary Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM) process, which uses welding-based deposition to produce large metal parts. The machines ordered by NNS are custom variants of the ARCEMY X 6700 platform, configured with an approximately 11,000 kg positioner to enable high-capacity builds.
AML3D states that its WAM-based systems are designed to produce metal components more efficiently than traditional casting and machining processes, while reducing material waste and lead times. At Newport News Shipbuilding, the systems are expected to be used for a range of applications including the fabrication and replacement of ship components.
HII, the parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding, is the largest military shipbuilder in the United States, delivering aircraft carriers, submarines, and other naval vessels. The continued expansion of ARCEMY systems at NNS forms part of a broader effort to integrate additive manufacturing into defense production workflows.
AML3D CEO Sean Ebert said the order reflects increasing demand for large-scale additive manufacturing in the U.S. defense sector and supports the company’s expansion strategy in the region. The systems will be supplied from AML3D’s U.S. Technology Centre in Ohio, which was established as part of its plan to scale local production capacity.
Welding-based additive manufacturing for large metal components
The expansion of ARCEMY systems at NNS reflects growing adoption of welding-based additive manufacturing for large metal components, particularly in defense supply chains where long lead times and part availability remain critical constraints. Naval programs have explored additive manufacturing to reduce production times and improve readiness, while aerospace applications have demonstrated that wire-based directed energy deposition can produce structural titanium components at scale.
Compared to powder-based systems, wire-fed deposition processes offer higher deposition rates and are suited to producing large components with lower material cost and reduced lead times, making them applicable to shipbuilding and heavy industry use cases. At the same time, advances in process monitoring and data-driven control have improved repeatability and enabled integration into Industry 4.0 manufacturing workflows, supporting the transition of wire-based additive manufacturing from experimental use to production-scale deployment.
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Feature image shows ARCEMY X system. Photo via AML3D.
