Waam3d

WAAM3D specializes in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), a form of directed energy deposition (DED) 3D printing for metal materials.

WAAM3D's key offerings include hardware, software, materials, and services related to large-scale metal 3D printing.

1). Hardware: RoboWAAM, a large-format metal 3D printer, offers processing capabilities for any wire material. It features an interferometric sensor called ShapeTech that reconstructs the 3D profile of the deposited structure in real-time, allowing users to have immediate confidence in the consistency of their deposition, as well as a Fume Management System (FMS) for fume confinement, filtration, and treatment.

2). Software: WAAMPlanner for toolpath planning; WAAMKeys for eliminating defects and controlling layer height; WAAMSim for simulation and collision detection; and WAAMCtrl, an operating system that provides process monitoring, control, and auditable data storage.

3). Materials: Wires for the WAAM process.

In June 2024, the company launched MiniWAAM, a compact wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) metal 3D printer with dimensions of 2,400 mm x 2,100 mm x 2,300 mm and a working envelope of 800 mm x 800 mm x 600 mm.  In November 2024, it went on to launch RoboWAAM XP, a large-format metal 3D printing system that incorporates Cranfield University's Cold-Wire Gas Metal Arc process. The system features a 2 x 2 x 2 m-build envelope, a 2.1-ton payload capacity, and achieves deposition rates up to 15 kg per hour. It includes an eight-axis motion system, a vision-based monitoring setup, integrations with WAAMPlanner and WAAMCtrl, and compatibility with iron, aluminum, nickel, and copper alloys.

Key customers and partnerships

In August 2023, WAAM3D joined the I-Break (Landing Gear Industrial Breakthroughs) project, a GBP 22.5 million initiative led by Airbus to develop and manufacture landing gear structural components using additive manufacturing and other novel techniques.

In January 2024, Accuron Technologies, a global precision engineering and technology group, announced an additional investment and the acquisition of a majority interest in WAAM3D. WAAM3D also collaborated with Accuron Technologies to establish Addept3D, a joint venture company that provides WAAM solutions, technical services, and end-use parts production services in Southeast Asia. In January 2024, Accuron Technologies, a global precision engineering and technology group, announced an additional investment and the acquisition of a majority interest in WAAM3D. WAAM3D also collaborated with Accuron Technologies to establish Addept3D, a joint venture company that provides WAAM solutions, technical services, and end-use parts production services in Southeast Asia. In August 2024, the company went on to partner with Innovative Space Carrier (ISC) in collaboration with Cranfield University, and Aichi Sangyo, to develop reusable space transport vehicles through 3D printing.