SPEE3D
SPEE3D CEO Byron Kennedy (left) and Major General Mr. Shirakawa (right)
SPEE3D has announced that it has agreed a contract with the Japan Ministry of Defense to provide WarpSPEE3D and XSPEE3D printers for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), furthering its 3D printing capabilities in Japan.
According to SPEE3D, its WarpSPEE3D printer is the world’s first large-format metal 3D printer, and enables faster, more cost-effective and more scalable production than traditional manufacturing. The recently launched XSPEE3D is custom-built for defence, and is a containerised, ruggedised, deployable metal 3D printing system.
SPEE3D says the XSPEE3D provides ‘all the necessary functions’ to build metal parts in one place. Both of the systems utilise SPEE3D’s patented cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) technology.
“We are grateful to be expanding our presence into Japan and the APAC region,” said Byron Kennedy, CEO of SPEE3D. “We’re also thrilled to partner with the Japanese military, to train and prepare forces to use the XSPEE3D printer in the field to help solve their most pressing supply chain issues for quickly made on-demand parts.”
SPEE3D says that defence requires additive manufacturing technology that can quickly produce parts from well-known metal alloys to address real-time needs in the field where forces are typically located.
Working with SPEE3D, Japan’s defence forces will now have the capability to produce parts in ‘record time’ and at the point of need in critical situations according to the company. JGSDF will receive training, support, and maintenance for both printers, including in-the-field exercise programs with the XSPEE3D.
Read more:
Need for Speed: SPEE3D on additive manufacturing at the point of need
SPEE3D 3D prints parts on-demand in annual US Marine Corps live-fire training exercise
Naval Postgraduate School to utilise SPEE3D XSPEED metal 3D printer for MRO operations & research
