Beehive Industries Orders 30 EOS M4 ONYX Printers in $50M Deal
Propulsion manufacturer Beehive Industries is acquiring 30 EOS M4 ONYX metal 3D printers for $50 million, significantly expanding its additive manufacturing capacity.
Beehive Industries, a US-based propulsion manufacturer, has entered into a significant agreement to purchase 30 EOS M4 ONYX metal 3D printers valued at $50 million. These new systems are slated for installation at Beehive's facilities in Colorado and Tennessee over the next 12 months. This acquisition will bring Beehive's total fleet of EOS metal 3D printers to 50 units.
The expanded printing capacity is intended to support the production of Beehive's Frenzy 8 engine line, designed for swarm-class drones and other uncrewed aerial systems. The order follows a recent $29.7 million contract awarded to Beehive by the US Air Force for the integration, flight testing, and qualification of the Frenzy 8 platform, which has reportedly undergone successful high-altitude testing and flight readiness validation.
The EOS M4 ONYX printers represent EOS's latest industrial metal printing platform, featuring a six-laser setup, an enlarged build chamber, and an integrated powder filtration system known as RFS Pro. Beehive also plans to utilize EOS software for process monitoring and production tracking across its additive manufacturing operations. The company states this expansion positions it as having one of the larger metal additive manufacturing footprints among US aerospace and defense suppliers.
Beehive Industries' substantial investment in additive manufacturing capacity ahead of full engine qualification aligns with a broader shift in defense procurement. This trend favors uncrewed systems designed for high-volume, low-cost production over traditional, low-batch, long-lifecycle hardware. Additive manufacturing is a key enabler of this shift, allowing for the production of complex engine components without the tooling and lead times associated with conventional manufacturing methods.
This large-scale acquisition of advanced metal AM systems underscores the increasing demand for scalable production in the defense sector, particularly for uncrewed aerial systems. Beehive's investment in EOS M4 ONYX printers, known for their speed and build volume, signals a move beyond prototyping to serial production of critical engine components, aligning with Pentagon efforts to fund manufacturing capacity for next-generation defense platforms.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.