3D PRINTING
Both CEAD and Comau maintain a strong presence in the United States, actively supporting the industrial deployment and scaling of LFAM solutions across key sectors. CEAD has delivered over 250 machines worldwide with strong traction in the United States specifically delivering several dozens of machines annually in the United States which exemplifies the shift toward distributed, flexible manufacturing enabled by LFAM. Large-format thermoplastic composite printing introduces specific technical challenges: maintaining consistent material flow over long durations, ensuring precise thermal management for interlayer adhesion, and preserving structural stability as geometries grow. The integrated CEAD-Comau- Siemens architecture manages both robotic motion and extrusion parameters, ensuring synchronised multi-axis movement and consistent material deposition while maintaining tight tolerances. This synchronisation is essential for achieving high-quality output and guaranteeing repeatability across both short and long production cycles.
Another key aspect of the Flexbot solution is the flexibility of Comau’s high-payload robotic arm compared to traditional gantry-based systems. Its extended reach and multi-axis articulation enable the production of complex geometries, including curved and non-planar surfaces. The same robotic platform can also perform subtractive finishing using integrated milling tools, ensuring that critical surfaces meet dimensional and quality requirements without transferring the part. The result is a closed- loop manufacturing system that combines additive and subtractive processes within one architecture. The strong collaboration between CEAD and Comau leaders in their respective fields is helping end users adopt LFAM as a practical alternative to conventional processes. This shift is significant: it reduces manual labor, increases repeatability and precision, and enables on-demand production worldwide. Because microfactories decentralise production while maintaining consistency and quality, LFAM also addresses structural and supply-chain challenges. Digital design files can be shared across multiple microfactories, ensuring that the same component can be produced when and where it is needed.
Ultimately, the industrial relevance of large- format additive manufacturing lies in the ability to deliver complete, application-driven solutions. By developing configurable platforms aligned with real production needs, CEAD and Comau are translating advanced robotics and LFAM technology into scalable manufacturing models that bridge the gap between innovation and industrialisation. The result is a more flexible production paradigm that increases efficiency, supports localised manufacturing, and expands design freedom across multiple sectors.
Comau
www.comau.com
UKManufacturing Summer 2026 © UK MOD Crown Copyright 2026
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECH SPEEDS UP SUBMARINE MAINTENANCE Q
inetiQ’s additive manufacturing expertise will support the rapid maintenance of the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet through a new onsite facility at HM Naval Base Clyde.
Delivered through two contracts with the Submarine Delivery Group (SDG)’s Additive Manufacturing team, the Additive Manufacturing All In One (AIO) solution – a UK sovereign point-of-need capability - and its Market Access Cell (MAC) will together enable submarine components to be manufactured to order onsite by QinetiQ and Royal Navy submariners and delivered dockside to the boats at pace. More complex parts will be reverse engineered by QinetiQ and manufactured through an accredited network of UK-based additive and advanced manufacturing SMEs, drawing on expertise from some of the nation’s most demanding engineering sectors, including Formula 1. QinetiQ will operate the containers in Faslane, supported by submariners of the Royal Navy. In March this year, QinetiQ’s expertise in additive manufacturing supported a routine maintenance period for HMS Anson as it visited Perth, Australia. This saw QinetiQ rapidly design the required critical components, delivering replacements in just four weeks - much quicker than normal supply chain lead times.
© UK MOD Crown Copyright 2026
Will Blamey, chief executive, UK Defence, QinetiQ, says: “Our proven expertise in additive manufacturing combined with the latest technology being installed at HM Naval Base Clyde will see us print, scan and reverse engineer submarine parts on demand, at pace and at dockside, helping to get submarines back on operations more quickly.”
First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, who launched the Submarine Maintenance Recovery Plan (SMRP) in January, says: “The arrival of these deployable workshops marks a step forward in delivering the Submarine Maintenance Recovery Plan. This new technology has the potential to change how we maintain our submarines – cutting time alongside and increasing availability. It represents the real, tangible, progress the Royal Navy is making to strengthen the underwater fleet.”
QinetiQ
www.QinetiQ.com
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