The Future of Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing

Curiosity, confidence and capability

Large-scale metal additive manufacturing is entering a new phase of industrial adoption. No longer limited to prototypes or niche applications, it is now being used across heavy industry alongside traditional manufacturing methods to address challenges around scale, speed and supply chain resilience.

At the centre of this shift is Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). At DEEP Manufacturing, our focus has been on applying WAAM to the production of large, high-integrity metal structures - developing products and processes that can be relied upon in service while delivering meaningful advantages for manufacturers.

Our journey into WAAM began with the need to produce underwater pressure vessels for human occupancy, where failure is not an option. Qualifying the technology for subsea pressure vessels demanded rigorous assurance, repeatability and certification from the outset. These same principles now underpin how we are applying the technology across a growing range of industrial sectors, from energy to defence.

As confidence in WAAM increases, its value is becoming clearer. The ability to manufacture complex components without tooling, reduce material waste and accelerate production timelines is enabling a shift in how manufacturers approach delivery, particularly where speed, scale and reliability are critical.

This article explores the following factors shaping the next stage of industrial adoption:

• The benefits of WAAM in an uncertain world
• Designing for WAAM, not adapting afterwards
• Standards, certification and enabling adoption
• Scaling capability for global delivery

The benefits of WAAM in an uncertain world

Geopolitical instability and shifting industrial priorities are placing new demands on manufacturing, particularly within the energy and defence sectors. Increased production requirements, combined with disruption across global supply chains and logistics networks, are exposing the limitations of traditional sourcing models.

WAAM offers a practical response to these pressures. Through significant waste reduction, faster production cycles and tool-less manufacturing, additive processes enable components to be produced closer to point of use, reducing reliance on extended supply networks without compromising quality or certification.

As our CEO, Peter Richards, notes:

“Traditional manufacturing will always have a place, but where WAAM adds real value is when complex designs need to be manufactured at speed and at scale.”

Additive manufacturing, therefore, is becoming increasingly valued not only for its innovation, but for its ability to strengthen supply-chain resilience and delivery certainty in critical industries.

Designing for WAAM, not adapting afterwards

Shifting from well-established manufacturing techniques requires a change in mindset. The question is no longer “How do we make this design with WAAM?” but “How should this component be designed to fully leverage WAAM?”

At DEEP Manufacturing, we’ve found that where customers once approached us with existing designs and questions around manufacture, many are now engaging earlier, asking how metal components should be designed for WAAM.

Part of the reason for this earlier engagement is due to our ability to work with exotic materials, such as Inconel clad onto steel. This potential is unlocking solutions that were previously impractical, costly or time consuming using conventional manufacturing methods. Designs are becoming more advanced, reflective of innovation within industrial sectors.

When designing for WAAM, traditional assumptions about component design are challenged. No longer constrained by factors such as mould creation or the need to assemble multiple parts, components can adopt new and enhanced designs with benefits such as fewer structural welds, reduced material usage and more complex geometries.

This shift in mindset is already underway. As familiarity with additive manufacturing increases, engineers are recognising that the greatest value comes not from adapting existing designs, but from rethinking how components are conceived from the outset. Designing with WAAM in mind allows manufacturers to reduce complexity, improve performance and unlock efficiencies that traditional processes cannot easily achieve.

Standards, certification and enabling adoption

While the number of global standards bodies can appear complex, they play an essential role in accelerating industry confidence. Many frameworks overlap in their technical requirements, meaning progress within one certification pathway often supports alignment with others. In practice, organisations typically advance through increasingly rigorous stages of qualification, building from foundational standards such as ISO 9001 towards sector-specific certifications.

At DEEP Manufacturing, this progression has been central to our development. We have been granted full Approval of Manufacture (AoM) from classification society DNV, demonstrating that our processes, quality systems and facilities meet the requirements for producing safety-critical WAAM components. This places us among a small number of manufacturers globally to achieve this standard, and currently the only one in Europe. Building on this foundation, we are progressing toward further sector-specific certifications, including API, to support adoption across additional industries.

The development of additive manufacturing standards is still evolving, requiring both technical rigour and industry collaboration. Peter Richards notes:

“No one has done this before, you have to be comfortable pushing boundaries.”

Scaling capability for global delivery

Demand for WAAM capability is increasing as manufacturers look for ways to reduce dependence on constrained supply chains and accelerate delivery of complex components. At the same time, the technology is maturing - supported by clearer certification pathways, improved materials knowledge and growing industrial confidence.

The expansion of DEEP Manufacturing’s operations into Houston reflects this shift. With facilities in both the UK and the United States, we are building the capacity to support customers globally where projects require speed, certification and secure supply chains.

As large-scale additive manufacturing moves further into mainstream industrial use, its future will be defined less by novelty and more by reliability . Organisations that combine advanced manufacturing capability with rigorous qualification and engineering expertise will play an important role in how complex metal components are produced in the decades ahead.