MELD Manufacturing Corp. of Christiansburg, Va., announced that its MELD technology has been selected for the U.S. Army’s Jointless Hull Program. It will be used on two machines, the larger being able to print components that are 20 feet x 30 feet x 12 feet in size. The printer will be installed at Rock Island Arsenal – Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center in 2022. A second machine will be delivered with a print volume of 5 feet x 4 feet x 3 feet.

MELD machines do not melt the metal being printed. The thermomechanical MELD process creates enough flow in the material to combine it and create parts that otherwise appear to be forged. It is versatile because it uses any metal, and it offers predictable results.