DEEP Manufacturing's WAAM Revolution: Building Underwater Habitats and Pressure Vessels with Wire Arc 3D Printing

From Ocean Floor to Industrial Scale

DEEP Manufacturing, a UK-based company spun out of DEEP's need to produce underwater habitat components, is pushing wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) into some of the most demanding applications in engineering. Using commercial robot arms and wire arc technology, the company produces large-scale metal parts — including pressure vessels for human occupancy, hull structures, and the components of its Vanguard subsea habitat.

Vanguard: A Pilot Habitat on the Seafloor

DEEP's Vanguard habitat now rests on the sandy seafloor at Tennessee Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, at a depth of 17 metres (56 ft). The habitat's liveable section measures 10.7 metres (35 ft) long by 2.5 metres (8 ft) wide and can support crews of up to four aquanauts for research missions of five days or longer. Installation involved placing an ocean floor foundation, fixing the habitat to it, and tethering a surface support buoy nearby.

DEEP's partners on the Vanguard project include Unique Group, Bastion Technologies, Triton Submarines, and Resolve Marine. Sea acceptance testing and commissioning are now underway as the final steps toward DNV classification, with crew training to follow ahead of Vanguard's first research missions.

DNV Approval and Houston Expansion

In October 2025, DEEP Manufacturing secured full DNV Approval of Manufacture for WAAM production of pressure vessels, pressure vessels for human occupancy, hull structures, and equipment. CEO Peter Richards called this proof the company was "ready to deliver large, safety-critical WAAM components to the highest standards."

The company followed this with a Houston facility expansion in March 2026, part of a $10 million US investment aimed at bringing large-scale metal AM closer to energy, defense, and maritime customers. DEEP operates one of the world's largest concentrations of WAAM systems and can produce metal parts up to 6.2 metres in diameter.

What This Means for the Industry

DEEP's approach — using commercial robot arms rather than bespoke machinery — represents a shift toward more accessible, scalable metal 3D printing. Their open approach to partnering and collaboration, combined with DNV-certified quality standards, is setting a precedent for how WAAM can move from prototype to production in safety-critical sectors like aerospace, defense, and offshore energy.

Vanguard is the first phase of a longer-term program. As DEEP's pilot habitat, it is intended to provide the real-world experience that informs what comes next: Sentinel, a larger, modular habitat system that could redefine underwater research and habitation.