Velo3D
Velo3D has announced the launch of its Sapphire XC 1MZ metal 3D printing system – its largest additive manufacturing platform in build volume yet.
The new machine has a total build volume twice the size of the Sapphire XC system Velo launched in October 2020 and nine times that of the standard Sapphire platform it initially came to market with. It has been developed based on feedback from customers in aerospace, energy, and defence, with several aerospace companies expecting to receive shipment of the first Sapphire XC 1MZ machines in late Q3 2022.
Combining the large diameter of the Sapphire XC with the one-metre build height of the Sapphire 1MZ, the Sapphire XC 1MZ boasts a 600 x 1,000 mm build volume. It is also equipped with eight 1KW lasers and a faster non-contact recoater, while enabling an ‘increased throughput of up to 400% compared to the original Sapphire and Sapphire 1MZ printers.’ The XC 1MZ is also compatible with the Flow print preparation and Assure quality assurance software platforms, as well as all the materials currently offered by Velo. These include Aluminium F357, Amperprint 0233 Haynes 282, GRCop-42, Hastelloy C22, Hastelloy X, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, Scalmalloy and Titanium 6AI-4V Grade 5.
“Without advanced metal additive manufacturing, it would be difficult to impossible to build many of the technologies that are shaping the future of the world,” commented Velo3D CEO and founder Benny Buller. “Our innovative customers have a clear understanding of how the technology can unlock new capabilities for their businesses and transform their product offerings. New systems, like the Sapphire XC and Sapphire XC 1MZ, support that transformation by significantly increasing throughput up to 75% compared to the original Sapphire.”
Velo3D came to market with its first Sapphire system in 2018, and has now released three variations of the platform - each time increasing the size of the build volume in height or diameter. In that time, the company has also build out its software and materials options, secured the likes of Knust-Godwin, Launcher and Boom Supersonic as customers and last year went public. Going public, Buller told TCT last year, would allow Velo to 'serve its customers better.' Just months later, the company has responded to customer demand with an even larger metal 3D printing system.
