Rosotics, a large-scale metal additive manufacturing company, announced last week that it has entered the fabrication and testing stage of a federal contract awarded by Fluor Marine Propulsion (FMP), LLC at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, under the U.S. Department of Energy. Founded in 2019 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Rosotics is best known for its induction-based metal AM technologies and its ambition to develop, build and operate the world’s largest metal 3D printers for the aerospace and defense sectors. But what exactly does this new project with Fluor Marine Propulsion entail?
The stated goal of the project is to demonstrate and refine deposition parameters for low-carbon, high-manganese steel alloys, specifically engineered to weld high-strength structural steels such as HY-80 and HSLA-80. These are foundational materials in naval environments. More generally, the project involves atomic energy operations, encompassing maintenance, repair and operating supplies for the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet. Overall, the project will help strengthen U.S. naval manufacturing capabilities.
The Rosotics team
Together, Rosotics and FMP are working to expand metal additive manufacturing to applications previously thought unattainable, setting new standards for the sector. The contract is certified with a high-priority E2 rating for National Defense use under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS).
What Technology Will Be Used?
Under this contract, Rosotics will use its proprietary induction-derived, wire-based print architecture currently deployed on its commercial platforms. According to Rosotics, this technology can reliably address the challenges of additively manufacturing or treating low-carbon, high-manganese steel alloys, such as HY-80 and ER100S-1, with the ability to scale into heavyweight applications if necessary.
Christian LaRosa, Founder and CEO of Rosotics, spoke of the contract: “This effort represents not only a critical advancement for national defense, but also a historic step forward for additive manufacturing in the naval sector.” The partnership between Rosotics and FMP highlights a dedication to innovation, production resilience and redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in manufacturing.
Rosotics’ M1 manufacturing platform
The Navy’s Ongoing Interest in AM
This partnership is just one of many that currently bring together the U.S. Navy and additive manufacturing. A few months ago, Velo3D signed a four-year agreement with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Fleet Readiness Center East (FRC East) to advance additive manufacturing adoption, specifically for aerospace and defense components. At the end of 2024, we wrote about metal 3D printing onboard U.S. Navy ships, and around the same time, the first critical submarine component with a 3D printed impeller was installed in a U.S. Navy vessel. Thanks to additive manufacturing’s efficient and adaptable nature, as well as research that is being done to continuously refine the technology and materials, we will likely see an ongoing effort to integrate AM into naval practices. To read more about Rosotics’ project for the Navy, click here.
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