EWI has made known which additive manufacturing technologies will be added to their new Cold Spray Research Center opening in 2022, and an Australian company, SPEE3D, has made the list. The company’s WarpSPEE3D printer will be installed at EWI’s Buffalo Manufacturing Works facility in New York, where it will be used to support EWI’s cold spray initiative to advance knowledge and capability within the field to facilitate and accelerate the successful application of cold spray technology across various manufacturing industries.
Since 1984, EWI has provided comprehensive engineering services to help companies identify, develop, and implement the best technologies for their specific applications. At the new facility, EWI’s researchers will use the WarpSPEE3D to explore and validate how cold spray can provide new manufacturing solutions for cost-effective replacement parts that can be deployed outside of research.
“EWI looks forward to using the WarpSPEE3D technology to identify and accelerate the successful application of cold spray solutions across various manufacturing industries”, stated Howie Marotto, EWI AM Business Director.
The technology was chosen due to its proven ability to manufacture parts quickly and affordably. The WarpSPEE3D is a prime example of how cold spray can be used in the real world, as demonstrated by the Australian Army which has been using the technology since 2020. In the Australian Army’s latest trial, the WarpSPEE3D has transported 600km out of the bush to produce parts during Exercise Koolendong. Over three weeks, the printer was successfully used to 3D print, validate, and certify over a dozen armored vehicle parts in the field for the Australian Army’s M113 Armored Personnel Carrier vehicle.
“We look forward to seeing how EWI uses our technology to overcome various industry challenges at their new research center”, said Steven Camilleri, CTO of SPEE3D.
WarpSPEE3D is the first large-format metal 3D printer to use patented SPEE3D cold spray technology. The printer is capable of printing low-cost, large metal parts up to 40kg in weight at a record-breaking speed of 100grams per minute. At EWI, the WarpSPEE3D will support EWI to unlock the potential of cold spray and mature it into a more reliable, repeatable, and reasonable capability from a cost perspective.
