KONGSBERG Turns to EOS and AMCM for Multi-Laser Metal 3D Printers

Norwegian defense giant goes multi-laser

KONGSBERG is putting two multi-laser metal 3D printers into its main Norwegian production facility. The systems come from Germany's EOS and its customized machine affiliate AMCM. This is a clear bet that metal additive manufacturing is ready for production defense work, not just prototypes.

The specific machines are the AMCM M 4K and the AMCM M 290-2 1KW. Both use multiple lasers to melt metal powder simultaneously, cutting build times significantly compared to single-laser systems. For KONGSBERG, that speed matters. The company wants to print full-scale sections for technology demonstrators, product qualifications, and flyaway hardware.

Sverre Ulland, SVP Strategic Production at KONGSBERG's Missiles & Aerostructures division, put it plainly: additive manufacturing opens a whole new opportunity to challenge the traditional design and manufacturing process. It represents a new way of thinking.

Why this matters for European defense

European defense manufacturers are under pressure to shorten supply chains and produce components closer to where they are needed. Additive manufacturing fits that need. It lets companies make previously obsolete parts again and respond faster to design changes.

The European Defence Agency has been pushing this direction for years. In March, the agency hosted around 800 specialists from 14 EU member states for demonstrations involving 3D-printed military components and mobile manufacturing systems. The UK Ministry of Defence published its first Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy in March 2025, naming additive manufacturing as a way to improve supply-chain resilience.

KONGSBERG's investment is part of that broader shift. The company expects the technology to shorten development cycles by letting engineers move from digital designs to physical hardware earlier. EOS and AMCM will support the initial rollout through their Additive Minds consulting unit, working with KONGSBERG on embedding 3D printing into engineering and production pipelines.

The partnership reflects how European defense primes are moving from experimental AM to operational use. Multi-laser systems from AMCM are particularly suited for production because they combine the proven EOS process with higher throughput. That combination is exactly what KONGSBERG needs for flight-ready hardware.