Velo3D Launches Large Format, 1 Meter Tall Industrial 3D Metal Printer, with Knust-Godwin as First Customer

April 14, 2020

The next-generation Sapphire® machine will print up to 1 meter in height, making it the world’s tallest laser-powder additive manufacturing system  

CAMPBELL, Calif., April 14, 2020 – Digital manufacturing innovator Velo3D announced today its 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,” states 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,” states 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 315mm-diameter build plate, dual 1kW lasers, in-situ optical calibration, and many of the same characteristics of the existing Sapphire® machine. It will be the world’s tallest production metal-powder laser additive manufacturing system, exceeding the build height of both the SLM 800 and the GE Additive X Line 2000R.

The system will be commercially available starting late 2020 and compatible with nickel-based alloys. For more information: info@velo3d.com

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About Knust-Godwin

Knust-Godwin has been providing high-quality, precision production machining services for over a combined 100 years to companies throughout the world. It specializes in CNC turning and CNC milling with significant experience in the oil and gas, geophysical/seismic, semiconductor, and medical industries. Knust-Godwin is more than just a machine shop; it is part of the manufacturing solution. From a concept, to engineering, to prototype, to production runs, it provides a place to go for all machining needs. Its commitment to quality produces high-precision part components as well as complicated turn-key assemblies. www.kgsbo.com

About Velo3D

Velo3D empowers companies to manufacture anything. Bringing together an integrated solution of software, hardware, and process-control innovation, Velo3D introduced the first SupportFree capability for 3D metal printing. This enables unlimited design innovation by reducing the need for support structures in metal additive manufacturing. The company’s Sapphire® system is built with a semiconductor mindset on quality assurance, ensuring repeatability and dependability throughout serial manufacturing. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Velo3D helps companies deliver immediate business impact by making the impossible, possible. To learn more, please visit www.velo3d.com

Media Contact for Velo3D

press@velo3d.com

About the Author

Renette Youssef

Chief Marketing Officer

Renette Youssef is the Chief Marketing Officer at Velo3D and joined in October 2020. She is responsible for all aspects of Velo3D's marketing efforts including strategy, customer communication, demand generation, product marketing and corporate communication. Renette has managed marketing organizations in Australia, Europe, and Silicon Valley.