The following article appeared on VoxelMatters:
Last year, the Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO) announced its plans to open the Guam Additive Materials & Manufacturing Accelerator (GAMMA), an AM hub based in the Western Pacific to serve the U.S. Navy for ship and submarine repairs. Now, the facility preparation is advancing with an expected opening date of April 2026.
When it opens the 8,000-square-foot GAMMA facility will house a range of industrial additive manufacturing technologies, including polymer 3D printing, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) systems. This varied capability will enable the site to produce a range of components, from plastic prototypes, tooling and assembly aids, to precision metal components, to large-scale metal structures.
The U.S. Navy is one of the key investors behind the upcoming 3D printing facility, having awarded the project $5 million in a 2024 contract. According to National Defense, ASTRO will be receiving $12 million more from the U.S. Navy in upcoming months along with funding from BlueForge Alliance and the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Program Office.
Guam, a U.S. territory in Micronesia, was selected as the site for the 3D printing facility due to its strategic location. The island has been used by the U.S. military for staging and rapid mobilization in the Western Pacific region, however its remote position has made it difficult to maintain efficient naval ship and submarine repairs. Often, naval teams based in Guam would have to wait for parts to be shipped from mainland U.S.
With AM technologies directly on the island, the U.S. Navy will be able to access critical components on demand, whether it’s a replacement plastic radio dial or a large-scale metal repair for a submarine. This will dramatically accelerate downtimes for naval vessels. According to the GAMMA project’s director Alex Benham, lead times can be reduced from up to two years down to mere weeks. Minimizing vessel downtimes by that margin will also have a beneficial impact on cost.
In addition to supporting the U.S. Navy’s repair operations, the GAMMA 3D printing facility will also establish a talent pipeline on Guam through cooperations with local universities, government offices and supply chains. For example, there is a plan to set up a satellite campus from a U.S.-based institution on Guam and the establishment of the island’s first mechanical engineering program with the aim of growing a local talent pool that can help keep the AM hub running smoothly as it expands its production capacity. The Guam Daily Post reported recently that the GAMMA site is expected to employ a modest 10 people when it opens in 2026 but within six years should create 85-100 direct jobs on the island.