Framatome Opens Nuclear WAAM Facility with MX3D Systems

French nuclear energy company Framatome has officially opened a 6,000 m2 additive manufacturing center in Romans-sur-Isère, France. The facility, which began operations on July 2, is dedicated to producing metal components for the primary circuits of French nuclear reactors. It employs Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) systems supplied by MX3D, an Amsterdam-based company.

The Amiral Bernard-Antoine Morio de l’Isle Additive Manufacturing Center represents a €25 million (US$28.6 million) investment and was completed in less than a year. This facility is noted as the first industrial-scale additive manufacturing center of its kind within Europe's nuclear sector.

The center is capable of producing components ranging in weight from one ton to as much as 25 tons, including complex geometries that would traditionally require forging. Framatome states that WAAM technology reduces raw material waste and energy consumption while shortening lead times compared to conventional manufacturing methods.

MX3D's WAAM systems have previously been utilized for significant projects, such as a stainless steel bridge installed in Amsterdam in 2021. The Framatome installation represents a substantially larger and more demanding operational commitment. The facility also aims to serve the French defense energy industry, contributing to France's industrial sovereignty goals by securing the nuclear supply chain and reducing reliance on external production.

Framatome and MX3D collaborated for three years to validate WAAM for nuclear applications before the facility's announcement. Framatome's head of advanced and additive manufacturing confirmed that the process demonstrated the necessary reliability and repeatability for the company's stringent standards, making the €25 million facility the production outcome of this extensive qualification process.