The maintenance of military systems is increasingly faced with the problem of spare parts that are no longer available or can only be procured at great expense. Particularly in the case of older systems such as pump systems or ship aggregates, there is often a lack of casting molds or technical drawings, while delivery times for conventional components can be several weeks. To close these supply gaps, defense units are increasingly turning to additive manufacturing processes. One example of this is Meltio‘s metal 3D printing technology, which is particularly suitable for the repair and new production of complex components.
The Meltio systems are based on the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process and can be integrated into both robotic arms and CNC machines. They make it possible to manufacture function-critical metal parts directly on site – for example in naval shipyards, mobile maintenance facilities or military logistics centers. Standard materials such as 316L stainless steel can be used, which offer greater resistance to corrosion and mechanical stress than conventional bronze or copper alloys.
One specific application concerns a stainless steel diffuser that had become unusable due to galvanic corrosion and abrasion. New production using conventional methods was not economical. With Meltio, the diffuser was printed in two construction stages, geometrically adapted and given an optimized wall thickness. An ejector and a closed impeller for a fire extinguishing system were also redesigned and manufactured using additive processes. The printing strategy, such as radial paths or segmented construction methods with intermediate machining, makes a decisive contribution to dimensional accuracy and functional efficiency.
According to statements from the US and South Korean armed forces, the use of this technology enables a significant reduction in repair times and increases the operational availability of critical systems. Additive manufacturing is thus becoming a strategic tool for making maintenance, spare parts supply and modernization more flexible – independent of central supply chains or warehousing.
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