Snowbird demonstrates shipboard AM during RIMPAC 2026
Snowbird Technologies, based in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, has announced the successful production and machining of a 316L stainless steel component aboard the USS Essex (LHD-2) during Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2026 (RIMPAC 2026).
The demonstration is said to mark the first phase of the company’s participation in this year’s exercise, following its previously announced deployment of the SAMM Tech mobile manufacturing platform as part of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) distributed Additive Manufacturing initiative.
As reported in May, Snowbird deployed its SAMM Tech (Snowbird Additive Mobile Manufacturing Technology) machine aboard the USS Essex while the vessel transited from San Diego, California, to Hawaii in support of RIMPAC 2026. The ruggedised, containerised machine was integrated into CAMRE’s distributed manufacturing experiment, which is intended to evaluate expeditionary manufacturing technologies in operational environments.
During the transit, the company stated that SAMM Tech additively manufactured 316L stainless steel components using laser-wire Directed Energy Deposition (DED) with nitrogen shielding gas before completing CNC machining to achieve the required geometry and surface finish. The demonstration showcased the platform’s ability to complete the full manufacturing workflow – Additive Manufacturing, machining and finishing – within a single deployable machine.
“SAMM Tech was designed to bring advanced manufacturing capabilities directly to the warfighter, wherever the mission requires,” stated Karl Wojtkun, Vice President of Business Development at Snowbird Technologies. “Successfully producing and machining stainless steel components aboard USS Essex demonstrates the potential of expeditionary manufacturing to reduce logistics burdens, improve readiness, and deliver critical parts closer to the point of need.”
SAMM Tech integrates wire-based metal Additive Manufacturing, polymer Additive Manufacturing, CNC machining and digital engineering tools into a modular platform intended for maintenance, repair and sustainment operations in remote or contested environments. Its metal Additive Manufacturing capability is based on the Meltio Engine Blue, which uses wire feedstock in a laser-wire DED process rather than metal powder. According to Snowbird, this approach is intended to improve safety and simplify deployment in operational environments.
Following the transit aboard USS Essex, the company stated that the machine would be relocated to Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Hawai’i, after being offloaded at Pearl Harbor, where it continued supporting CAMRE’s distributed manufacturing activities throughout the remainder of RIMPAC 2026. Snowbird explained that this phase of the exercise will evaluate expeditionary manufacturing concepts across both shipboard and land-based environments, building on its participation during RIMPAC 2024.
“NPS CAMRE’s RIMPAC experiment provides a unique opportunity to evaluate advanced manufacturing technologies in realistic operational conditions,” Wojtkun added. “As military logistics become increasingly distributed, the ability to print, machine, and deliver critical parts at the tactical edge will play an important role in sustaining readiness and supporting future operations.”
