AML3D Wins Northrop Grumman Order for Metal 3D Printing System for U.S. Submarine Manufacturing

Nanjixiong learned on October 26, 2026, that Australian metal additive manufacturing company AML3D has received an order from Northrop Grumman Maritime Systems for a large ARCEMY X metal additive manufacturing system. The contract is worth approximately AUD 2.2 million (about USD 1.54 million) and includes two years of maintenance.

The system will ship from AML3D's U.S. Technology Center in Stow, Ohio, and be installed at Northrop Grumman's submarine manufacturing facility in Sunnyvale, California. Installation is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027. This is AML3D's first order from a U.S. Navy prime contractor. ARCEMY uses AML3D's patented wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process, combining welding, robotics, and proprietary software.

Public information indicates that AML3D currently has contracts for 17 ARCEMY systems in the United States, with customers including Newport News Shipbuilding and Austal USA. Northrop Grumman says AML3D is the first Australian supplier it has brought into its submarine industrial-base manufacturing network.

Nanjixiong's observations

Metal additive manufacturing is being adopted more rapidly in defense and submarine production. Nikon recently received a U.S. Department of Defense contract for metal 3D printing systems with 2 meters of travel. AML3D's entry into Northrop Grumman's supply chain suggests WAAM is moving from validation toward production-scale purchasing for large ship structures.

Source: VoxelMatters

AI-translated from an article by Kuaixiong on Nanjixiong, originally published on 2026-10-27. Text and images retain the original source attribution.
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