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Australian deployable cold spray metal 3D printer developer SPEE3D has launched a “European tour” for the company’s Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit.
Over the coming months, SPEE3D is collaborating with local partners across several European cities to host live manufacturing demonstrations featuring the Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU).
These events will also include workshops on how advanced manufacturing supports critical metal part supply chains and maintenance, repair and overhaul operations, while attendees witness the XSPEE3D manufacture parts for land and naval platforms in corrosion-resistant materials such as aluminium 6061, which are then post-processed, machined and tested with the SPEE3Dcell – all on-site within hours.
“Typically, people see our technology only if they visit our factory, attend a trade show, or if they’re a defence force taking it out in the field,” SPEE3D chief executive officer Byron Kennedy said.
“This time, we are collaborating with local industry leaders to bring the technology directly to European forces, OEMs, and defence research organisations, allowing them to evaluate firsthand the Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit’s ability to rapidly produce mission-critical parts.”
The EMU has proven its value in field conditions, having been successfully deployed by US and UK militaries during AM Village and RIMPAC field trials.
SPEE3D technology is also actively used by defence forces worldwide, including the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The EMU consists of two 20-foot containers providing an end-to-end manufacturing solution easily transported by civilian trucks.
It includes the XSPEE3D metal 3D printer, capable of producing parts up to 0.9m x 0.7m in diameter and 40 kilograms in weight, and the SPEE3Dcell post-processing facility offering heat treatment, machining, tooling and testing capabilities.
The tour begins in Bourges, France, hosted by digital manufacturing Vistory, helping defence and aerospace customers achieve secure, traceable production with their MainChain system.
Together, SPEE3D and Vistory are showcasing the EMU’s rapid manufacturing capabilities integrated with Vistory’s secure MainChain platform for full part traceability in the field.
“The integration of our MainChain software platform with SPEE3D’s EMU capability creates an unprecedented solution for secure, traceable manufacturing,” Vistory chief executive officer and co-founder Alexandre Pédemonte said.
“Together, we demonstrate how a sovereign digital production ecosystem ensures complete control and transparency throughout the manufacturing process.”
Additional stops include Lasertech in Sweden, Perron038 in the Netherlands, and 3D Phoenix in Poland.
At each event, attendees can explore real-world applications and engage with SPEE3D engineers and local industry experts.
