Meltio’s technology was recently utilized by the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to manufacture and repair stainless steel metal parts to continue the experimental phase of the Meltio M450 metal 3D printer.
Thus, French Navy engineers from the logistics base and arsenal of Toulon (southern France) received the required specifications for a metal part from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. Using tele-assistance, the land-based Meltio M450 processed the information and successfully manufactured the part with Meltio additive technology. The goal was to leverage this unique additive manufacturing technology to quickly repair and fabricate stainless steel parts as needed on board.
The marine and naval defense industry has seen significant advancements in additive manufacturing beyond prototyping in recent years. From ship propellers, river shuttles and cable glands to submarine valves, 3D printing applications for end-use and production parts are gaining ground. In addition, having a Meltio 3D printer offers the unique advantage of being able to manufacture parts on-site on demand or repair them, depending on requirements.
In France, the French Navy reported how Meltio’s metal 3D printing enabled them to resolve a breakdown on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. This ship was conducting an operational maintenance exercise in a high-intensity environment, organized by the Fleet Support Service (SSF), which was taking place in the workshops of the Navy’s logistics department in Toulon.
The main objective of the exercise was to ensure that the procedures and solutions used to repair damage to the ships were robust and effective enough to function in real combat or operational conditions. They therefore wanted to test and ensure that their repair methods were effective and reliable even in high-pressure and emergency situations.
Jean-Marc Quenez, director of innovation at the French Ministry of Defense’s Fleet Support Service (SSF), commented, “We are at an initial point of use of the Meltio M450 for the Marine Nationale. Its state of use is experimental. The French Navy uses the Meltio M450 on land. The machine is installed at our naval base, located in the city of Toulon. After months of previous testing at our technology center in Toulouse (DGA/Techniques Aéronautiques), South of France, to test Meltio’s DED wire-laser technology, the printer was approved for transfer to Toulon.
“The main objective of this transfer is to test this machine for the needs of the Marine ships that are sailing with their repair and manufacturing needs in different metallic materials, mainly stainless steels and inconel, for which the Meltio M450 seems efficient in the result of the parts obtained.
”In this case, Meltio’s solution enabled a 3D metal replacement spray plate for a ballast air compressor (DBAC) to be fabricated in just 5 days, instead of potentially taking weeks to source through conventional Navy supply channels. This part is used to force pressurized air through saltwater tanks and discharge accumulated saltwater. The tanks are filled to reduce the ship’s draft in amphibious operations.
“Fabricating the metal sprayer plate offshore allowed the ship to reduce the time required to obtain a replacement assembly.In addition, its manufacture posed a technological challenge for the French engineering team since the part to be manufactured had to be made of metal, a first for the department, which had never used this manufacturing process before.”
