VELO3D Launches Large-Format 1 Meter Tall Industrial 3D Metal Printer

VELO3D has plans to launch a next-generation Sapphire industrial 3D metal printer with a vertical axis of 1 meter. The system will ship in Q4 2020, with precision-tool and component manufacturer Knust-Godwin securing the first order to produce parts for an oil and gas application. 

“Our vision at VELO3D is to enable end users to build whatever they want without the constraints of yesterday’s standards,” says Benny Buller, founder and CEO of VELO3D. “One of those constraints is the build envelope. A meter-tall system enables industrial applications that couldn’t be built before, especially for oilfield service tools and flight hardware. Best of all, it will still utilize our highly patented SupportFree process, in-situ calibration, and process control for quality assurance.” 

The immediate part opportunity that Knust-Godwin will address with the meter-tall Sapphire printer is a part for oilfield drilling that is currently manufactured by more than five subtractive processes. Additive manufacturing enables consolidation of such traditional processes, improving part quality and part performance.  

“There tends to be a trade-off between large-format additive machines and part quality; VELO3D is attractive to us because of their semiconductor heritage and engineering disciplines around process control and metrology,” says Mike Corliss, VP of Technology at Knust-Godwin. “We have confidence that we’ll be able to build mission-critical industrial parts without compromises made to part quality.” 

The technical features of the meter-tall Sapphire printer include a 315 mm-diameter build plate, dual 1kW lasers, in-situ optical calibration and many of the characteristics of the existing Sapphire machine.

The system will be commercially available starting late 2020 and compatible with nickel-based alloys.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.