This article is an excerpt from the Boston Engineering 2025 Technology Overview. For a copy of this article and the complete publication, visit the 2025 Technology Overview digital download page.
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Shipboard Advanced Metal Manufacturing
Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) technology enhances naval capabilities by replacing unwieldy metal bars of various sizes with a single spool of material that can be shaped into
different metal parts. This innovation enables greater system uptime, fewer parts in shipboard inventory, and on-demand repair. Warfighter readiness is enhanced through decreased downtime and shipboard space to store the parts which allows warfighters additional space for operational systems.
Boston Engineering is leading a project that will deliver to the U.S. Navy a shipboard additive and subtractive metal manufacturing (ASMM) system for further testing. This system incorporates recent advances in size, simplicity, sensing, and ruggedization. The backbone of this system will be a deposition head and engine that incorporates a multiple wire-based additive functionality and is fully controllable with construction parameters monitored throughout the process. 
This robotic deposition system will be coupled with subtractive capability of the size and locality needed to operate with the same robotic arm used in the additive process. This provides capability for subtractive removal during the build process and separate processing within the same space without part movement.
A gantry system will facilitate the transfer of the part for deposition and subtractive operations. Given the challenging shipboard environment, the design will prioritize stability and robustness against shock and vibration and will be isolated as required. Sensing technology will allow for operation only during appropriate levels of shock and vibration, with override to operate on command at critical times.
Inert Gas Reclamation for Metal Additive Manufacturing
Atmospheric control enhancements minimize the use of Argon (Ar) to save space, simplify logistics and extend the operational utility of the system.Boston Engineering is leveraging knowledge of Naval shipboard implementation as the basis for developing shipboard Ar gas reclamation technology. The reclamation of Ar requires gas to be collected at the build point, water & oxygen removed, and the recycling of remaining Ar, minus losses. Desiccants will be used for water removal, and oxygen getters—devices used to absorb oxygen and other impurities— further improve the efficiency of gas reclamation.
This highly equipment-intensive effort is slated to last three years and will culminate in the delivery of the ASMM system in 2028.
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