Snowbird Technologies Demonstrates On-Demand Hybrid Manufacturing at RIMPAC 2026

Snowbird Technologies, a U.S. manufacturer of mission-critical equipment and deployable manufacturing systems, announced successful operational results from the company's participation in NPS CAMRE's Littoral and Expeditionary Advanced Manufacturing and Repair Experiment at RIMPAC 2026, where its SAMM Tech deployable hybrid manufacturing platform demonstrated on-demand metal additive manufacturing both aboard the USS Essex and ashore at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Operating as part of the Naval Postgraduate School's Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research & Education (CAMRE) and FLEETWERX initiatives, SAMM Tech successfully produced mission-critical components using the wire-laser metal additive manufacturing industrial solution Meltio Engine Blue and nitrogen as the process gas, first aboard the USS Essex and subsequently at Leader's Field at Schofield Barracks using nitrogen supplied by an on-site generator. The deployment demonstrated the ability to manufacture replacement parts closer to the point of need while reducing reliance on traditional procurement and extended supply chains.

During the exercise, SAMM Tech produced seven parts, including oxygen tank brackets, drain caps, load test clamp components, turnbuckles, a 4-inch pipe flange, and an air pressure radio six-pack. According to Snowbird's RIMPAC results analysis, four of the seven parts delivered cost advantages compared with OEM procurement, with reported savings of up to 351%:

• Oxygen Tank Brackets (Qty 12): Printed in an estimated 75 hours for approximately $2,492 in wire and gas, compared with estimated OEM procurement costs of $9,624 from PHNSY and $10,224 to USS Essex.
• Load Test Clamp Outer: Printed in approximately 3 hours for $101, compared with $420 from PHNSY and $455 to USS Essex - representing 351% reported savings.
• Load Test Clamp Inner: Printed in approximately 9 hours for $289, compared with $420 from PHNSY and $455 to USS Essex.
• Air Pressure Radio (6-pack): Printed in approximately 5 hours for $154, compared with $624 from PHNSY and $654 to USS Essex - representing 325% reported savings.

The results also demonstrated the value of manufacturing parts on demand when conventional procurement may require longer lead times. Snowbird's analysis notes that even when additive manufacturing costs exceeded procurement costs for an individual part, on-demand production can avoid weeks of supply delay and support mission readiness. For example, approximately 692 hours of procurement time on one part order were avoided using SAMM Tech on location during the exercise.

For the complete RIMPAC 2026 results, including part-level print times, manufacturing costs and procurement comparisons, see Snowbird Technologies' accompanying sheet, "RIMPAC 2026 Results: Deploy. Print. Sustain."