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The US Navy, General Dynamics Electric Boat and Lincoln Electric have announced a joint investment to expand the use of 3D printing for the production of nuclear submarines.
Under the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) program, the Navy plans to build one Columbia-class submarine and two Virginia-class submarines each year through 2028 while maintaining its current fleet. To support this goal, the partners are adopting additive manufacturing to increase production and reduce slowdowns due to limited materials and supply chain issues.
Mr. Matt Sermon, Executive Director of the Maritime Industrial Base Program, noted: “The MIB program's mission is to strengthen and expand the shipbuilding and repair capabilities our nation needs for deterrence and warfighting. By investing in additive manufacturing at scale, we are helping ensure our industrial base has the tools, technologies and resiliency necessary to carry out the mission of the Navy.”
Expansion of submarine production capacity
Launched in 2024, the MIB program oversees a series of initiatives to expand and modernize the nation's shipbuilding and repair capabilities supporting the Navy's surface fleet, carriers and submarines.
Through funding for the program, General Dynamics Electric Boat will source components from Lincoln Electric's new large-scale metal AM facility in Cleveland. The facility houses four SculptPrint 1500 Robotic Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) systems, marking Lincoln Electric's largest government-funded investment in this technology to date.
The SculptPrint 1500 systems combine robotic precision with wire arc deposition to produce large, near-net-shape metal components. Each system integrates an ABB 6-axis robot, a two-axis servo positioner and Lincoln Electric's Power Wave welding package, supported by real-time process monitoring and automated layer height control.
With a footprint of approximately 526 × 478 × 440 cm (207 × 188 × 173 inches), the systems are designed for industrial-scale metal production with high accuracy and repeatability. The process is managed via Lincoln Electric's SculptPrint OS software, which converts CAD models into optimized toolpaths for automated deposition.
Compatible with materials such as steel, stainless steel, nickel and Cu-Ni (70/30) alloys, the platform enables efficient manufacturing of large, complex parts with minimal waste and shorter lead times. These capabilities are particularly relevant for shipbuilding and other heavy industrial applications.
Integrating AM for Submarine Fleet Readiness
3D printing now plays a crucial role in submarine manufacturing, enabling the production of parts that are not possible using traditional production techniques.
Therefore, the Submarine Delivery Agency of the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) is integrating the technology into both the new construction and maintenance of the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine fleet. At TCT 3Sixty 2025, officials confirmed that 3D printing will be used to produce components for the next-generation Dreadnought-class submarines, with some parts also being retrofitted into existing Astute-class ships.
According to the Department of Defense's Advanced Manufacturing Strategy, the technology also supports operational submarines (ISS) and future SSN(A) programs. With 3D printing, the UK aims to speed up production, reduce lead times and strengthen supply chain resilience across submarine operations.
Further north, Dalhousie University and Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC) are developing AM methods to produce spare parts for Canada's aging Victoria-class submarines. The project focuses on adapting Directed Energy Deposition (DED) to produce marine alloy components that were not originally designed for AM and require new process parameters and alloy behavior studies.
Dalhousie's team will convert these alloys into powder in controlled environments before printing and testing them for mechanical and metallurgical performance. The $7 million project aims to establish validated, industrial-grade manufacturing standards for defense applications using in-house powder production and laser-based DED systems.
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Pictured is (from left) Mr. Mike Whitehead, President of Americas Welding at Lincoln Electric, Ms. Larissa Smith, Director, Advanced Manufacturing, DRPM, Maritime Industrial Base Program, US Navy, and Mr. Ken Jeanos, VP, Materials and Supply Chain, General Dynamics Electric Boat. Photo via Lincoln Electric.