MX3D

MX3D is an Amsterdam company that makes large industrial metal parts with robotic wire arc additive manufacturing, known as WAAM. Since 2014, its production engineers and in-house qualification experts have printed qualified metal parts on demand, up to 20,000 kg.

MX3D builds turnkey M-Series metal additive systems with robotic WAAM. These give high deposition printing for in-house production of medium to large metal parts. Every system runs on its own MetalXL software, which gives users control of the process, with path planning, real-time monitoring and control. The company says it has benchmarked the WAAM industry for over a decade.

The company has printed many qualified industrial parts for nuclear, maritime, oil and gas, construction, and art and design customers. It says it makes parts to the strictest industry standards, backed by certifying partners and qualification frameworks.

For aerospace, MX3D points to the pressure to speed up R&D, cut payload weight and secure supply chains. WAAM can print large structural parts in one piece, with a low buy-to-fly ratio. It can cut lead times for large metal parts from months to weeks, compared with the 12 to 18 months common for forgings and castings. It also avoids heavy tooling costs. Material is placed only where needed, which can cut waste by up to 80 percent on costly metals such as Inconel.

In aviation, WAAM is used for complex brackets, structural fuselage elements, custom ducting and urgent spare parts, mostly in structural aluminium or stainless steel. It also supports lightweight design with complex shapes. Obsolete parts can be printed from a digital CAD inventory instead of a physical warehouse. Parts can also be printed onto existing cast or forged bases for repairs or to add new features.

In space, WAAM is used for launch vehicle hardware, propulsion systems, thrusters, and large propellant tanks and housings. These parts mainly use heat-resistant superalloys such as Inconel 625 and 718 for hot sections, and advanced aluminium for structural launch parts.

MX3D says its hardware and software have been tested and used in highly regulated, mission-critical settings worldwide. It also notes that cutting waste and shipping reduces the carbon footprint of manufacturing.

Services

• Robotic WAAM metal printing
• Large metal part production
• Turnkey M-Series metal AM systems
• MetalXL software
• Aerospace part printing
• Spare parts on demand
• Hybrid manufacturing and repair
• Qualification of printed parts