A significant advancement has been made in Large Area Additive Manufacturing (LAAM) at the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT Hyderabad. This collaborative effort between IIT Hyderabad, the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) of DRDO, and various industry partners has significantly contributed to the growth of additive manufacturing capabilities in India.

The LAAM system utilises Powder-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology for the production of rocket components. According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, the system features an indigenously designed machine with an impressive build volume of 1m x 1m x 3m, positioning it as one of the largest metal additive manufacturing machines in India. The system is equipped with Laser and Blown-Powder Direct Energy Deposition technology, along with dual heads designed for thermal balancing and enhanced speed.

A major milestone was recently achieved with the successful fabrication of a component measuring one meter in height, marking a significant advancement in the creation of large-sized components using additive manufacturing.

Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, extended his congratulations to the team at DIA-CoE, IIT Hyderabad, for their outstanding work on the LAAM system. He highlighted that this achievement paves the way for large-scale production of metal parts, offering new opportunities for growth and innovation in India’s additive manufacturing sector.