Printed 6,000-lb steel lever arm installed at the Soo Locks after an 18-month casting quote

Lincoln Electric/SculptPrint large-format wire-arc printing

A cracked 12-foot lever arm on the Soo Locks' ship arrestor was replaced with a wire-arc printed part in high-strength low-alloy steel. It was printed in two sections of about 4,000 and 2,000 pounds, welded and machined at Baker Industries, in roughly three months against an 18-month casting quote.

• Billed as the largest US civil-works component made by 3D printing.
• Lincoln says lead times can fall by up to about 80% versus casting.
• Closing the locks for six months was projected to cost about $1B in lost GDP.