Velo3D
Velo3D
Manufacturing service provider Knust-Godwin is to install a VELO3D Sapphire metal 3D printing system in the first quarter of 2020.
The Texas-based company has been manufacturing parts with subtractive methods for decades and has recently began to incorporate metal additive manufacturing technology into its service offering. Having previously utilised 3D printing technology to validate designs, Knust-Godwin integrated four Renishaw RenAM 500Q platforms to produce tooling components for the oil and gas sector and has now purchased a Sapphire machine.
It will become Knust-Godwin’s eighth metal additive manufacturing system operating in its Katy, TX facility and, once up and running, will immediately be deployed to produce end-use parts for a customer in the oil service industry. VELO3D’s flagship product can build parts in Inconel 718 and Titanium 6AI-4V, boasts a build volume of 315 x 400 mm and is supported by VELO3D’s Flow pre-print software and Assure quality management software. The print platform also promises the support-free building of parts with low angles, allowing users to tackle more complex designs. That, for Knust-Godwin, is a key capability.
“We see so many parts that have been manufactured with traditional methods that could take advantage of the benefits from AM. Our new Sapphire system provides the accuracy and low-print-angle capabilities that enabled recreation of those parts via AM without having to go through a complicated redesign process,” commented Michael Corliss, VP of Technology for Knust-Godwin. “We can finally print parts as-is, offering valuable cost-savings to our customers and improved turnaround time for delivery.”
“The oil and gas industry is one of the largest emerging market segments to adopt metal AM and I’m thrilled to partner with oil field leaders like Knust-Godwin for direct part production,” added Benny Buller, VELO 3D founder and CEO. “Their extensive background of over fifty years in precision machining, combined with their additive production experience, means that they understand what it takes to close the gap between prototyping and serial manufacturing.”
While the bulk of Knust-Godwin’s expertise and experience comes in the oil and gas industry, the company has recently been granted AS9100 certification and is set to expand into the aerospace sector. The company believes this latest addition to its additive manufacturing capacity will of great help as they begin to enter new vertical markets.
