At the just-concluded NISEC Expo 2024, held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 28 to 29 October, RusselSmith Nigeria Ltd. displayed its innovative, advanced deployable military-grade additive manufacturing solution that’s designed to enhance the self-reliance of African militaries.
RusselSmith is an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certified company, delivering innovative technology solutions that enhance resilience and sustainable development across critical sectors in Africa. The company delivers specialized services in Additive Manufacturing, Asset Integrity, Energy, Maritime, and Defence; Each designed to address the unique and ever-evolving challenges faced within these sectors.
At the heart of their offering, RusselSmith is transforming defence capabilities across Africa through the provision of innovative additive manufacturing solutions that enable military forces to manufacture critical spare parts on demand, locally, and sustainably. This enhances self-reliance in African defence forces by providing cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions. They aim to improve military supply chain efficiency in Africa, one part at a time, ultimately becoming Africa’s leading provider of Advanced Digital and Deployable Industrial Additive Manufacturing (AM) solutions.
Through their strategic African regional partnership with SPEE3D, a global leader in advanced metal additive manufacturing, they offer the world’s fastest containerized military-grade metal manufacturing technology. This partnership brings battlefield-proven technology that is currently utilized by the American, British, Australian, Japanese, and Ukrainian militaries.
“The recent global supply chain disruptions have highlighted the critical need for countries and their industries to develop adequate levels of self-reliance through domestic manufacturing,” notes Kayode Adeleke, CEO of RusselSmith. “Our defence-focused additive manufacturing solution from SPEE3D addresses this need by enabling on-site, on-demand, and sustainable production of spare parts for military equipment in Africa. This technology aligns with the worldwide trend of nations investing in innovative manufacturing solutions to minimize military supply chain disruptions and enhance self-sufficiency.”
RusselSmith’s solution, deployed in partnership with SPEE3D, features Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM), a patented technology that uses compressed air and heat to accelerate metal powders to supersonic speeds. It enables rapid on-site production of metal parts, functions effectively in desert, jungle, and extreme cold regions, and provides military-grade manufacturing capabilities in a ruggedized, deployable unit.
Their technology solves key military spare part challenges, including:
- Rapid replacement of damaged, worn-out, or obsolete parts
- Minimization of equipment downtime
- Enhancement of operational readiness
- Support for remote operations
- Cost-effective spare parts production
SPEE3D’s innovative additive manufacturing technology has already proven its mettle in supporting a wide range of critical military assets, including tactical military truck components, armoured personnel carrier parts, naval vessel fittings, reconnaissance combat vehicle spare parts, and critical battlefield repair tools. This game-changing solution delivers a pivotal advantage for armed forces, empowering them to manufacture essential spare parts on-demand, right where they are needed most.
As the militaries of Africa continue to modernise their operations, RusselSmith’s solution will be instrumental in bolstering their self-reliance and operational readiness. By reducing military supply chain inefficiencies and enabling rapid, localised part replacement, this technology promises to transform the landscape of military logistics across the continent.