Answer extracted from the Inspiring Industry Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What speed advantages does SPEE3D's technology offer compared to other metal 3D printing methods?
SPEE3D's metal 3D printing technology is 100 to 1,000 times faster than conventional metal additive manufacturing methods, enabling it to compete directly with traditional casting—a process that has dominated manufacturing for 5,000 years. This speed advantage eliminates the need for expensive moulds and capital-intensive factories, allowing manufacturers to produce single parts or thousands with identical equipment.
The breakthrough lies in what that velocity enables. As Byron Kennedy explains in the episode, this shift fundamentally changes the economics of manufacturing. Traditional casting has dominated the industry for millennia because of its speed and cost-effectiveness at scale. SPEE3D's technology now delivers comparable speed through a completely different process—one that removes the traditional constraints.
From constraint to flexibility
The speed advantage directly translates into operational flexibility. Manufacturers no longer need to choose between high-volume production and part customization. The same equipment handles one-off repairs, small batches, or full-scale production without retooling or new moulds. This is especially critical in environments where downtime carries enormous costs—such as mining operations, where a single unavailable part can cost over $1 million per day in lost productivity.
Kennedy and his co-founder Steve Committery encountered this problem firsthand during their decade working in manufacturing after selling their first company. When they discovered the military's metal 3D printing technology around 2015-2016, they recognized an opportunity to develop a faster, more accessible version that could serve broader industrial needs beyond defense applications.
"You can eliminate that mould. You don't need that mould. And suddenly you don't need a big factory and you don't need a lot of capital intensive equipment to be able to manufacture parts anymore."
Byron Kennedy — Co-founder, SPEE3D. Kennedy, alongside Steve Committery, developed SPEE3D after discovering rapid metal 3D printing technology used by the US military. The pair brought over a decade of direct manufacturing experience to the problem, having previously built and sold an electric motor company and, during their university years, constructed competitive solar cars. Their intimate knowledge of manufacturing constraints led them to recognize SPEE3D's potential to disrupt the industry.
Beyond speed, this structural advantage reshapes supply chains. Distributed manufacturing becomes viable when you can move production capability closer to where parts are needed—whether that's a mining site, a field operation, or a remote military deployment. The technology has proven attractive enough that the Australian Army was one of the first to approach SPEE3D for field deployment, with systems now deployed across Ukraine and five defense forces globally.
The transition from traditional manufacturing to rapid metal 3D printing represents more than a marginal performance improvement; it's a fundamental shift in how parts can be produced. For manufacturers weighing the switch, the speed advantage isn't merely a technical metric—it's permission to rethink the entire business model. Discover more about how this technology is reshaping defense and industrial operations in the full conversation.
Key takeaways
- SPEE3D delivers 100–1000x speed compared to other metal 3D printing technologies, matching traditional casting speeds without the need for moulds.
- The same equipment produces one part or 10,000 parts, eliminating capital-intensive factories and enabling flexible, on-demand manufacturing.
- Speed advantage is most valuable in high-downtime environments—where unavailable parts can cost $1 million+ per day (mining, defense, remote operations).
- Distributed manufacturing becomes possible, moving production closer to end-users and enabling field-level rapid repairs.
See also
How did SPEE3D develop its metal 3D printing technology and what problem was it designed to solve?
Byron Kennedy and his partner Steve Committery developed SPEE3D around 2015-2016 after discovering a technology used by the US military for rapid field repairs that was significantly faster than existing metal additive manufacturing methods.
What international collaboration does CIPP engage in regarding payroll standards?
CIPP works with the American Payroll Association, the Canadian National Payroll Institute, and organizations in South Africa and Australia to align payroll standards and best practices across multiple countries.
What are the challenges payroll teams face with software compliance and testing?
Employers must ensure their payroll software is properly tested and embedded with all legislation changes, as new tax regimes, national insurance bands, and regulatory updates require constant system updates to remain compliant.