US Navy Rolls Out Additive Manufacturing Training at Virginia Schoolhouse

What Just Happened

The U.S. Navy has installed 24 advanced manufacturing systems at its training Schoolhouse in Danville, Virginia. Twelve are Phillips Hybrid Manufacturing Systems that combine CNC machining with directed energy deposition, and twelve are Markforged X7 composite 3D printers. The goal: teach sailors to manufacture and repair parts while deployed.

The systems support the Navy's Afloat Training Program, which means the skills are meant to transfer directly to life at sea.

The Hardware

The Phillips Hybrid systems use Meltio directed energy deposition on a CNC platform. That setup lets an operator print metal near-net-shape and then machine it to final tolerance in the same setup. The Markforged X7 produces carbon-fiber-reinforced nylon parts: tooling, fixtures, and replacement components that hold up to operational conditions better than standard FDM prints.

Phillips Federal described the deployment as a fleet sustainment play. If a destroyer needs a replacement part mid-deployment, a sailor trained on these systems could potentially produce it on board rather than waiting for a supply chain run.

Why It Matters

The Navy is spending on training infrastructure, not just hardware. That is a different approach from buying equipment and hoping the crew figures it out. Mirroring fleet capabilities in the Schoolhouse environment means sailors graduate with hands-on experience on the same machines they will encounter at sea.

The deployment also marks a milestone in the Phillips and Meltio partnership. Military customers represent a growing share of directed energy deposition orders, and this contract puts the technology in front of thousands of sailors over the next several years.

Aboard USS Bataan, sailors have already produced a replacement sprayer plate using hybrid additive methods. That real-world example is the selling point the Navy used to justify the broader rollout.