To address manufacturing bottlenecks that have limited production throughput for a key U.S. defense weapon system, Velo3D has entered into an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with the U.S. Department of War’s (DoW) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The $32.6 million contract supports a program of record under DIU’s Foundry for Operational Readiness and Global Effects initiative, known as Project FORGE.
Project FORGE is designed to identify and deploy solutions to persistent manufacturing constraints within the U.S. defense industrial base. These constraints, primarily associated with traditionally manufactured components and platforms, have limited production throughput and slowed the ability to scale a critical DoW weapon system. As part of the agreement, Velo3D will collaborate with DIU, the U.S. Navy, and a major defense prime contractor to prototype and qualify additively manufactured components intended to remove these bottlenecks and enable higher production rates.
“We are excited for the collaboration between DIU and industry partners like Velo3D to develop and qualify the AM solution needed to resolve a critical production backlog,” said Mr. Derek McBride, Program Manager, DIU. “The combination of DIU’s expertise in rapidly responding to some of the DoW’s most difficult challenges and Velo3D’s capabilities as an advanced additive manufacture, is the type of close collaboration we need with our Defense Industrial Base to support the warfighter.”
Additive Manufacturing Strategy and Capabilities
The OTA centers on the use of Velo3D’s Rapid Production Solution (RPS), which is intended to accelerate the development of alternatives to conventional subtractive manufacturing approaches. The agreement also includes an option to evaluate the development of the largest-format Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) printing capability in the United States, targeting additive manufacturing requirements that are not currently supported by the domestic industrial base.
“As the only U.S.-based industrial scale OEM with domestically developed Laser Powder-Bed Fusion technology, Velo3D is absolutely honored for the opportunity to collaborate with the DoW, DIU, the Navy to ultimately deliver a solution that supports the warfighter,” said Dr. Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D. “Through our Rapid Production Solution, we are providing faster part delivery, enhanced reliability and the surge capacity needed to meet evolving defense demands.”
Additive Manufacturing Rises as a Cornerstone of Defense Innovation
The U.S. Department of War has shown growing interest in additive manufacturing for security strategies, requesting $3.3 billion in its $1 trillion FY 2026 budget to fund 16 projects. The budget allocates $58.4 million for DARPA’s Additive Manufacturing of MicrosystEms (AMEE) and OSD’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation programs, which explicitly focus on 3D printing technology.
American shipbuilder Austal USA purchased an ARCEMY Small Edition metal 3D printer from Australia’s AML3D in a deal worth approximately AU$1.2 million (USD$0.78 million). AML3D’s proprietary Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM) technology powers the system, which will be installed at the U.S. Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE).
Elsewhere, composite 3D printing company Continuous Composites (CCI) was awarded a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract from the U.S. Air Force. Through the agreement, the Idaho-based company will advance the development of high-performance composite materials using its proprietary Continuous Fiber 3D (CF3D) technology.
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Featured image shows Rendering of a Sapphire 3D printer production facility. Image via VELO3D.
