- NSWC Crane’s MADMAN Repair Center is designed for advanced metal repairs
- The facility uses cold spray additive manufacturing to restore damaged metal parts without heat-related structural damage
- The center enables the Navy to perform non-structural cold spray repairs in-house instead of relying on outside providers
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, opened its Metal Additive Manufacturing, or MADMAN, Repair Center on June 23, a facility designed to repair advanced metals and support fleet readiness through cold spray additive manufacturing technology.
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How Does Cold Spray Technology Work?
Naval Sea Systems Command said Thursday that cold spray is a solid-state additive manufacturing technique used for restoration and repair. The technology uses compressed gas to propel metal powder at high velocity to address damages such as corrosion. Because the process does not rely on thermal melting, it avoids the heat damage associated with traditional fusion welding and helps preserve the original structural integrity of repaired parts.
Capt. Rex Boonyobhas, commanding officer at NSWC Crane, said the center is the U.S. Navy’s first organic industrial base facility for non-structural cold spray, allowing repairs previously outsourced to be performed in-house.
“This new capability enhances fleet readiness, drives innovation, and solidifies NSWC Crane’s role as a leader in material science and repair technology,” Boonyobhas said.
What Capabilities Does the Facility Provide?
The MADMAN Repair Center combines low- and high-pressure cold spray systems to address different maintenance requirements. NSWC Crane said the portable low-pressure systems can be deployed to expeditionary environments and aboard ships to conduct repairs, while the high-pressure systems are designed to restore structural integrity and provide depot-level restoration.
According to the command, the facility is intended to accelerate repairs of critical assets that are difficult to fix, hard to source or subject to long procurement lead times.
