CHromalloy VELO3D MRO
Zack Hopkins, Engineer II, Chromalloy Gas Turbine, with the company’s newly delivered Sapphire metal additive manufacturing system.
MRO supplier Chromalloy has selected VELO3D’s Sapphire metal 3D printing system to support its maintenance and repair efforts within the aviation and energy sectors.
The Sapphire platform will be installed in Chromalloy’s manufacturing and repair services environment and will be qualified by VELO3D for nickel-based superalloys.
Among the materials to be qualified for Chromalloy’s platform is the Hastelloy X, which is renowned for its strength and durability characteristics in high temperature environments. The Sapphire system promises the printing of parts with materials like this can be done with geometric freedom that leans on its patented SupportFree technology. Capabilities like this, VELO3D believes, will make the transitioning of legacy designs to 3D printable designs much easier for Chromalloy.
Chromalloy will deploy the Sapphire system within its LifeX custom aftermarket solutions offering.
“For Chromalloy, 3D printed parts must provide inherent value because they are 3D printed,” commented Jim Whitton, Chromalloy’s Director of Innovation Strategy. “Otherwise, the printing itself is just a novelty. VELO3D’s unique build capability and material density create high value by reducing post-processing requirements. For complex gas turbine combustor components that have limited aftermarket availability or high replacement cost, the Sapphire system will allow Chromalloy to produce hardware on-demand, negating high new product introduction tooling costs and lead-times of other methods.”
“As an industry leader in the aviation MRO space, Chromalloy is an excellent partner for us,” added Benny Buller, VELO3D founder and CEO. “They have the expertise to open up a whole market category of parts. With the flexibility to produce high value, high mix, low-volume parts, AM allows the supply chain to be scaled to market- and customer-specific requirements.”
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