Meltio’s hybrid metal 3D printing has demonstrated its transformative power in the marine defense sector. During RIMPAC 2024, the USS Somerset amphibious transport dock relied on Meltio’s innovation to tackle a critical engineering challenge.
Shortly into the 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest maritime exercise involving 29 nations and over 25,000 personnel, the USS Somerset faced a breakdown of its reverse osmosis pump, essential for clean water production. Conventionally, replacing this part would have taken weeks or months, potentially compromising the entire mission. Instead, the crew leveraged the Snowbird Additive Mobile Manufacturing Technology (SAMM Tech), featuring Meltio’s wire-laser metal 3D printing system, to produce a replacement in hours. The cutting-edge technology played a central role to ensure the ship remained operational.
“We didn’t expect to help ship readiness so soon, especially for something as mission-essential as a water pump,” said Charles Wallace, mechanical engineer at Naval Postgraduate School.
The Meltio system’s hybrid approach is a unique combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing in one single system that digitizes components, enabling rapid, on-demand production. Beyond emergency repairs, the innovation reduces costs, cuts downtime, and boosts self-sufficiency. “With this technology, we’ll have parts ready before traditional supply chains even respond,” concluded Staff Sgt. Jordan Blake, Marine Innovation Unit.
With Meltio’s innovation proving to be a game-changer by bringing resilience, sustainability, and efficiency to naval missions, we can be assured the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies will set new standards for naval engineering.
