Snowbird Technologies 3D-Printed Metal Parts Aboard USS Essex at RIMPAC 2026

A factory in a container at sea

Snowbird Technologies, a Florida-based manufacturer of ruggedized digital fabrication systems, ran its SAMM Tech platform aboard the USS Essex during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2026. The setup produced 316L stainless steel components using a Meltio laser-wire directed energy deposition head paired with CNC machining, all inside a single deployable unit. The point was not just to print parts, but to machine them to final tolerances without moving the piece to a separate shop.

Wire-laser DED builds near-net-shape parts quickly, then the integrated CNC removes material to hit precise dimensions and surface finishes. That matters when you are operating aboard a ship and cannot wait for a supply chain. Snowbird's system let the crew manufacture replacement components on demand, keeping the Essex mission-ready without a shore resupply.

From ship to shore

After the shipboard phase, SAMM Tech transitioned to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii on July 15. There, it continued supporting CAMRE's distributed manufacturing activities across joint and multinational participants. The exercise put the platform through two distinct environments: 12-foot seas aboard an amphibious assault ship, then a fixed land base. Both tested the same goal: can a containerized hybrid manufacturing unit keep up with real operational demand?

The Navy has already been moving in this direction. A Phillips Additive Hybrid system combining Meltio DED with Haas CNC has operated aboard USS Bataan since 2022. Sailors used it to make a stainless steel sprayer plate for a de-ballasting air compressor in 2023. More recently, the Navy placed 24 additive and hybrid systems at its Danville training facility to prepare sailors for equipment they will eventually see at sea. Snowbird's RIMPAC deployment is the next step: proving that portable hybrid manufacturing can sustain operations at the tactical edge.

Why this matters

The story is not that a company printed a few parts on a boat. It is that the military is treating distributed additive manufacturing as a logistics requirement, not a novelty. RIMPAC 2026 included forces from 31 nations, more than 40 surface ships, and over 25,000 personnel. Having an on-board capability to produce, finish, and deliver critical components changes the readiness equation. If SAMM Tech proves reliable across this exercise, similar containerized factories could follow to other fleets.