ISRO gets Russian 3-D printer to make aerospace components

Indian Space agency ISRO has procured and operationalised a Russian-origin ‘RusBeam 2800’ industrial 3D printer that is capable of producing large-scale parts up to 2.8 metres in height and weighing up to four tonnes (4,000kg), including components with complex geometries. This 3-D printer, based on Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing technology (EBAM), will be used to manufacture metal parts for India’s aerospace industry. This machine uses high-energy electron beams to completely melt metal powder layer-by-layer to produce fully dense, high-strength metal parts. The advanced 3-D printer was supplied by the Fuel Division of the Russian Nuclear Power agency Rosatom, following an international tender process.

Typical manufacturing is subtractive in nature, which means that the end product is obtained by using sophisticated cutting tools to chisel out a large block of metal into the desired shape and size. This method is best suited for high-volume mass production, high precision, and large parts. However, this process generates a lot of waste, as excess material is cut away.

As the name suggests, Additive Manufacturing (3-D printing) is a process where objects are built layer-by-layer to minimize waste. This ensures that only the necessary amount of material is consumed for putting together the end product. Additive manufacturing is suitable for prototyping, creating objects with complex geometries, and low-volume production.

“Rosatom is making a pivotal contribution to the strategic technological partnership between Russia and India. Following the December 2025 summit of our leaders, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi, their joint statement highlighted the prospects of cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy and space, including plans to deepen cooperation on non-energy nuclear applications and new non-nuclear products. We won this tender offering not only cutting-edge Russian hardware but also our technological expertise, materials, and service, all tailored to the customer’s requirements. We are already in discussions with our Indian partners regarding further supplies, joint R&D in additive technologies, as well as potential localisation of equipment manufacturing in India,” said Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom.

The Russian Government firm touted that the ‘RusBeam 2800’ is now India’s largest electron-beam wire deposition 3-D printer operating under vacuum. It added that the 3-D printer was custom built for the Indian space agency. The system’s productivity is a key advantage: with a print speed of up to 50 mm/s, it can fabricate a 50 kg part within just five hours. The printer is compatible with a wide range of refractory and reactive materials, including titanium-, nickel-, and cobalt-chrome-based alloys, Rosatom said about the capabilities of its industrial 3-D printer.

“The high deposition rate and vacuum-controlled environment of the EBAM machine from Rosatom, Russia represents a significant leap in ISRO’s capability to fabricate large-scale, near-net-shape components from advanced titanium alloys, superalloys and refractory alloys. By integrating this critical technology, we can drastically reduce lead times for aerospace structures while ensuring the material integrity required for the extreme conditions of space. This strategic addition to our additive manufacturing portfolio will be a cornerstone in achieving the rapid prototyping and production goals essential for our future orbital infrastructure and deep-space missions like Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Space Station and Chandrayaan missions,” said an official from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

ISRO’s Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is the agency’s lead facility. VSSC pioneers in rocket research and launch vehicle projects of ISRO. The Centre also pursues research and development activities in associated areas like propellants, solid propulsion technology, aerodynamics, aero structural and aero thermal fields, avionics, polymers and composites, guidance, control & simulation, computers and information, mechanical engineering, aerospace mechanisms, vehicle integration and testing, stage separation systems, and chemicals and materials.