DEEP Manufacturing, a company specializing in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing and hybrid manufacturing, is expanding its U.S. operations with a 50,000 sq ft facility in Houston, Texas. The new site is intended to bring large-scale metal additive manufacturing closer to customers in the energy, defense, and maritime sectors while increasing domestic capacity for high-integrity components used in critical industrial infrastructure. DEEP Manufacturing said Houston was chosen for its role as a major hub for energy, subsea, and industrial engineering.
The facility is scheduled for an official launch on May 6. Visitors will see examples of the company’s printing capability, including a mock-up of a pressure-rated vessel set to be certified to DNV standards, which the company describes as a world first for this manufacturing process. Additional components produced in carbon steel and nickel-based alloys will also be displayed. Houston’s operation is already running, with first prints completed ahead of full operational readiness in May.
The Texas site forms part of a wider $10 million investment in U.S. advanced manufacturing capability planned by the end of 2026. Four robotic systems will be housed at launch, with additional systems planned throughout the year. Post-processing and inspection capabilities are also set to be added as the operation scales. The company currently employs 10 staff in Houston and plans to increase that number to around 30 by the end of the year.
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing uses robotic welding systems to produce large metal components layer by layer. According to the company, the process can produce complex structures faster than traditional forging and casting methods, helping reduce lead times for critical industrial parts. Houston’s team mirrors the structure of the company’s Bristol facility in the UK, bringing together engineers, technicians, and additive manufacturing specialists to support customers across multiple sectors. Development of the site moved quickly, with the opening brought forward by a year into 2026. The first systems were delivered at the end of 2025, two were operational by January 2026, February was used for training and knowledge transfer from the UK team, and March focused on Inconel 625 deposition trials. April is scheduled for manipulator commissioning alongside ISO 9001 and DNV Approval of Manufacture audits.
Peter Richards, CEO of DEEP Manufacturing, said: “Houston represents a major step in scaling industrial additive manufacturing in the United States. By bringing our WAAM capability closer to customers in energy, defence and maritime sectors, we can dramatically reduce lead times for large, high-integrity components while strengthening supply-chain resilience for critical industries.” The manufacturer was originally established by parent company DEEP, an ocean engineering and technology company, to produce subsea pressure vessels for human occupancy. Earlier this year, DEEP announced a $100 million investment in a permanent engineering and development hub in Florida, alongside the launch of the Houston facility.
WAAM moves closer to regulated production
Wire-based metal additive manufacturing is starting to show evidence beyond prototype claims in regulated and operational settings. In one recent defense-sector example, armored vehicle manufacturer Nurol Makina and robotic additive manufacturing company MetalWorm produced an 8.5 kg steel component using WAAM, then machined it to final geometry and subjected it to destructive and non-destructive testing. After that, the part remained installed on an armored vehicle for eight months of field trials without recorded failure or damage. That result does not prove broad substitution across defense manufacturing, but it does show that this process can move into validated use cases where performance, inspection, and qualification matter.
Industry expectations for 2026 point to the same constraint: additive manufacturing is being judged less by machine launches and more by repeatability, utilization, inspection, and cost per part. Across the sector, executives increasingly identify defense, aerospace, energy, and other regulated industries as the environments pushing additive manufacturing toward production-ready workflows. Within that shift, wire-based metal processes are gaining attention for large components, distributed production, and shorter supply chains, but only when paired with credible post-processing, quality systems, and qualification pathways. Against that backdrop, DEEP Manufacturing’s Houston site is less a standalone expansion than a response to a narrower industrial requirement: producing large metal parts closer to U.S. end markets that demand faster delivery, audit readiness, and certified process control.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
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Featured image shows DEEP Manufacturing’s new 50,000 sq ft Houston facility. Photo via DEEP Manufacturing.
