AML3D LTD (AL3) - Additive Manufacturing Is Moving From Prototype To Submarines

A defence supply chain crunch is forcing a rethink: what if you could manufacture certified metal parts closer to the shipyard, the depot, or even the operational edge, instead of waiting on long, fragile supplier queues? We sit down with Sean Ebert, CEO of AML3D Limited, to unpack how large-scale additive manufacturing and 3D metal printing are being put to work right now, not as a prototype, but as an operational capability.

We explore what AML3D actually does, from combining arc welding, metallurgical science, and software to produce industrial grade parts using wire feedstock, through to why open-air, large-format printing can matter for defence, aerospace, and oil and gas. Sean explains the significance of  ARCEMY® systems becoming operational at Newport News Shipbuilding, one of the biggest players in US naval construction, and what it means to be embedded in a vessel’s supply chain over its life. We also talk about the promise of faster delivery, including the claim of parts produced up to 75% faster than traditional manufacturing, and where that speed genuinely changes outcomes.

From there we get practical about scaling: doubling the Ohio facility, expanding production capacity, and balancing system builds with parts manufacturing. We also dig into one of the most compelling “point of need” stories, a fully containerised  ARCEMY® system built into a 20-foot shipping container at the US Navy Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Danville with Austal USA, plus the real-world constraints like post-print machining and non-destructive testing.

If AUKUS and advanced manufacturing are on your radar, you’ll hear why AML3D sees itself positioned across Australia, the UK, and the US for both new build and sustainment work. Subscribe for more ASX-focused interviews, share this with a mate who follows defence tech, and leave a review with your biggest question about additive manufacturing.

Transcript

Andrew Musgrave

Welcome back to ASX Briefs. The global defence sector is experiencing a massive technology shift, particularly when it comes to solving critical supply chain bottlenecks. Advanced manufacturing is no longer a concept for the future. It is being deployed at the point of need right now, and my guest today is leading a company at the absolute forefront of this space. And joining me is Sean Ebert, the Chief Executive Officer of AML3D Limited. 
 
 Sean, thanks for joining me today and welcome to the ASX Briefs Podcast. 

Sean Ebert

Thanks for having me.

Andrew Musgrave

 Sean, for investors that may be unfamiliar with the company, can you provide a brief overview?

Sean Ebert

Right, thanks, Andrew. Yeah, so we're a large-scale industrial 3D metal printing company. What we do is we combine arc welding, metallurgical science and software to deliver one of the world's largest open-air 3D metal printing systems. We basically utilize wire feedstock to produce industrial grade parts for defence, aerospace, and oil and gas. And we've got operations here in Adelaide in South Australia and also in Ohio in the US.

Andrew Musgrave

And you put out a recent announcement regarding your ARCEMY® systems being operational at Newport News Shipbuilding. So, for investors who might not know the scale of that name, who is Newport News and what does this milestone mean for AML3D?

Sean Ebert

Right. Well, Newport News is one of the largest shipbuilders in the US. They actually build nuclear attack submarines and aircraft carriers. So, they're at that end of the industry, at the big end of the naval industry. What this means for our technology is that it'll be utilized for the manufacturer of strategic parts for both submarines and aircraft carriers. We'll be a part of the conversion from traditional manufacturing to additive manufacturing and will actually be embedded in the supply chain process for the life of the vessel, which is a pretty impressive place to be. What this means for our customers, though, is that they can deliver parts, or we can deliver parts to them up to 75% faster than normal traditional manufacturing.

Andrew Musgrave

And you're seeing strong demand coming from the U.S. maritime industrial base. Can your current infrastructure handle the load? I recall you had expansion plans in Ohio.

Sean Ebert

Yeah, that's right. So, we're actually doubling the size of the facility in Ohio to meet the demand that we are forecasting from the US. What that means is we're adding another two production systems or production cells for the manufacturer of parts in the Ohio facility, and we're also increasing the system build floor space so we can build more systems for the US market. To put it in context, we have 56 million in revenue capacity built and available between the Australian and the US locations and that's split between 40 million in system built and 16 million in parts. So that just gives you sort of a feel for the capacity that we have available to manufacture.

Andrew Musgrave

Now, shifting gears slightly, you also announced that you've gone online with a portable ARCEMY® system at the U.S. Navy Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Danville, Virginia. This one is in partnership with another company familiar to ASX investors, Austal USA. Can you tell us about the portable aspect of this system?

Sean Ebert

Yeah, well, Austal is actually one of our key customers. They've already purchased three systems from us over the past two years. All three systems are located in Danville in Virginia in the US. The latest system for them to purchase is actually a complete industrial metal 3D printing system built inside a 20-foot shipping container. So, all you need is power, and you can deploy it anywhere to the point of need that you need it to be located in. So, it's actually quite unique. It gives you full flexibility to be able to locate it wherever you want.

Andrew Musgrave

And touching on that shipping container theme, the military application seems obvious. Is the goal eventually to have these deployed forward, perhaps even on support ships or at overseas bases?

Sean Ebert

Well, the goal is actually to get it as close as you can to the action. But one of the things to keep in mind is that you actually need some post-manufacturing machining and NDT testing capabilities. So, we can get it as far as we can into the field as necessary, but we actually need post-manufacturing support to then machine the part and put it into use. So that probably gets you a fair way into the battlefield process.

Andrew Musgrave

Now, looking at the financials, your March quarter activities report showed total orders in hand of $29 million. So where does the cash balance sit to support all of this growth? And are you looking beyond the US?

Sean Ebert

Yeah, so we currently have about $26 million in cash to support the growth of the company, of which we've allocated $12 million for the expansion in the US, and we part way through that, and we've also allocated $5 million to the expansion in UK Europe, which we're about to start. We're not looking to raise any capital in the near term, and we'll operate using our operating cash flows generated by sales. What I'm pleased to say is that we're expecting probably the strongest revenue growth the company has experienced for the FY26 year. We'll post those results out in August and we're rolling over into FY27 with about 13 million works in hand. So, it's a good strong balance to start the year with.

Andrew Musgrave

Now, finally, Sean, with the AUKUS pact continuing to formalize manufacturing across Australia, the UK, and the US, it sounds like the company is perfectly positioned in all three corners of that triangle. Is that how you're seeing it?

Sean Ebert

Yeah, I do. I mean, one of the interesting things is out of Austrade, Austrade actually said that we're one of the larger exporters under AUKUS, which is really quite a privilege to be. And we're very well positioned under the trilateral agreement between Australia, UK, and the US. We've currently delivered systems into the US Navy supply chain, and we're actually manufacturing parts both here in Australia and in the US for the new builds of the submarines. In addition, we're engaged with BA UK in delivering alloy qualification work and parts for them out of the Australian business. So, we're in an excellent position to support both the new build and sustainment works for the AUKUS program.

Andrew Musgrave

Okay, Sean. Well, it's a phenomenal growth story, and the traction with Tier 1 Defence Prime speaks for itself. So, thanks for joining me today, and we look forward to further updates in the upcoming months. 

Sean Ebert

Great, thanks, Andrew. 

Andrew Musgrave

That concludes this episode of ASX Briefs. Don't forget to subscribe, and we look forward to catching you on our next episode.