Korean Register certifies AM Solutions' LW-DED process for marine metal repair and new-part production

AM Solutions has received a manufacturing process certificate from Korean Register (KR) for its laser wire directed energy deposition (LW-DED) additive manufacturing process, covering both new-part production and the repair of damaged metal structures. The award is the first time KR has verified an AM process for restoring damaged sections of metal structures in Korea. Certificate presentation took place on July 28 at AM Solutions' additive manufacturing centre in Daejeon, with representatives from the Republic of Korea Navy, KR, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), and local public agencies present.

The certification follows a maritime standards push: the International Association of Classification Societies issued Recommendation No. 186 on additively manufactured metallic parts for marine and offshore use, after which KR revised its AM guidelines into a framework spanning materials, processes, products, and manufacturing methods. Wire-fed laser DED deposits metal only on the damaged zone rather than replacing or remanufacturing an entire component, cutting repair time and cost and extending service life for discontinued or hard-to-source parts. That dual coverage of new builds and structural repair is the step class societies needed if AM is to move beyond one-off new components into shipyard and fleet maintenance.

For AM Solutions, KR process approval puts LW-DED on a path from capable process cell to navy- and shipyard-usable repair qualification, where class acceptance and process repeatability set the adoption bar more firmly than machine demonstration alone.