Lockheed Martin and Guaranteed partner to explore large-format metal 3D printing

Lockheed Martin has signed a memorandum of understanding with Guaranteed, a Belgian large-format metal additive manufacturing specialist, to evaluate the defense prime's use of Guaranteed's technology for tooling and near-net-shape structural components. The partnership is structured under Belgium's Essential Security Interest program, linked to Lockheed Martin's industrial cooperation commitments tied to the Belgian F-35 program. Guaranteed, founded in 2019 as a spin-off backed by ArcelorMittal, Finindus, and OCAS, offers a build envelope of up to 10 x 6 x 5 meters using its patented directed energy deposition (DED) process, with materials including 17-4 PH stainless steel and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy. The companies will assess applications where large-volume metal deposition can reduce buy-to-fly ratios and material waste, though actual part programs depend on qualification, certification, and industrial scaling.

This partnership fits the recurring pattern of defense primes using offset obligations to build local AM capability while de-risking their own supply chains. For Guaranteed, the deal provides a direct channel into Lockheed Martin's aerospace and defense qualification pipeline, which is the highest-barrier segment in metal AM. The move also reflects the broader defense-driven acceleration of large-format DED adoption, where scale advantages in tooling and structural components are finding clearer homes than in commercial aerospace. Guaranteed's position as a service bureau with in-house engineering, process qualification, and metallurgical analysis aligns with the industry's shift toward service-based adoption, where value is captured through repeatable production capability rather than machine sales alone.

From a practical standpoint, Guaranteed must now navigate Lockheed Martin's qualification grind, which typically spans years and requires extensive process documentation, material certification, and part-level testing. The memorandum is a door-opener, not a production commitment. For the AM industry, this is a measured step: large-format DED for defense tooling and structural parts is a credible near-term use case, but the real test will be whether Guaranteed can convert this exploration into qualified part programs that survive the cost and quality scrutiny of F-35 sustainment logistics.