ORCA and AFD Form Strategic Partnership to Advance Additive Manufacturing in the Diving Industry

ORCA has entered a strategic partnership with AFD to introduce advanced additive-manufactured components to the global diving sector. This collaboration enhances ORCA’s commitment to improving safety, reliability and technical capability across subsea operations.

The partnership enables the rapid delivery of high-quality polymer parts, fully traceable components, supporting the growing demand for safety-critical parts in diving systems. Stringent material‑processing tests are currently underway to verify polymer performance in hyperbaric environments.

AFD brings extensive expertise from aerospace and defence manufacturing, operating from their advanced manufacturing facility and producing certified, precision-engineered, flight worthy components. Their capabilities align closely with ORCA’s technical standards and operational values.

Together, ORCA and AFD will deliver faster prototyping, improved supply chain resilience and new design opportunities not achievable through traditional manufacturing methods. Over the coming months, ORCA will carry out stringent material‑processing tests to confirm the durability of polymer components for use in hyperbaric environments and release product examples and case studies demonstrating the benefits of additive manufacturing for diving systems.

Craig Livesey, ORCA’s Technical Director, said, “This partnership marks a major step forward for both ORCA and the wider diving community. Further updates will follow as the collaboration progresses.”