Australian 3D printing specialist SPEE3D announced a strategic partnership with RusselSmith to bring SPEE3D’s cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) to West Africa. RusselSmith is a leading integrated energy solutions provider focused on sustainable, innovative technology solutions. Under the agreement, RusselSmith will become a regional partner and value-added reseller for SPEE3D products, training, selling and supporting customers in the oil and gas, defense and commercial industries in the region.
As part of the partnership, RusselSmith has purchased a WarpSPEE3D printer to act as a strategic sourcing partner for the production of cold sprayed metal parts in Africa. The WarpSPEE3D printer uses patented technology from SPEE3D that enables significantly faster and more scalable production compared to traditional manufacturing methods. The printer can produce parts weighing up to 40 kg and up to one meter in diameter in just a few hours. This speed transforms metal 3D printing into an on-demand manufacturing solution.
“SPEE3D is committed to the growth and development of additive manufacturing globally, and we’re thrilled to bring our cold spray additive manufacturing solution to West Africa,” said Byron Kennedy, CEO of SPEE3D. “Partnering with RusselSmith is a huge win for us – they are a respected leader bringing the latest additive manufacturing technologies to the region and helping solve major supply chain issues for the oil and gas and defense and other commercial industries. Together, we will not only bring the WarpSPEE3D printer to the region, but their support as a value-added reseller will ensure customers will have the sales, support, and training they need for all of our technology.”
Nigeria’s energy industry, particularly the oil and gas sector, faces challenges in the maintenance and repair of equipment due to supply chain issues and difficulties in sourcing obsolete parts. These problems lead to significant operational delays. SPEE3D and RusselSmith aim to bridge this gap through local manufacturing, helping companies to reduce operating costs and increase efficiency. RusselSmith is the only organization qualified by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to use industrial non-metallic additive manufacturing solutions in the oil and gas sector. RusselSmith is also the only African member of the Additive Manufacturing Green Trade Association (AMTGA).
“In response to prevailing challenges in the supply chain of legacy parts in Nigeria and across the continent, RusselSmith has set out to promote the adoption of additive manufacturing technology in Africa to produce vital spare parts for the energy sector and other industries. We are building our capacity by developing a robust additive manufacturing ecosystem through deliberate investments and strategic partnerships with world-class additive manufacturing companies,” said Kayode Adeleke, CEO of RusselSmith. “Our partnership with SPEE3D is a game changer for us – they are the leader in advanced metal additive manufacturing technology using their patented cold spray technology. This partnership enables us to rapidly manufacture high-quality parts on demand, locally and sustainably, leveraging the innovative cold spray technology to improve our customers’ operational uptime. Our focus at RusselSmith is to be Africa’s leading provider of advanced digital and deployable additive manufacturing solutions for enhancing operational efficiency on the continent, and we aim to achieve that ‘one part at a time.”
The partnership between SPEE3D and RusselSmith represents a significant step forward for additive manufacturing in West Africa and offers promising solutions to the challenges faced by regional industries.
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