Can you believe 2023 is just around the corner? As we look the new year, and all the excitement that brings, let’s take a moment to look back at what was a rather eventful year for Velo3D.
From introducing new materials and welcoming new customers to the Velo3D family, to sharing all the benefits of the Velo3D fully integrated metal additive manufacturing solution with innovators around the world, here all the highlights from 2022.
Velo3D Announces Sapphire XC 1MZ Metal AM Printer
One of the biggest events of the year was the introduction of a new printer to join the Velo3D family of metal 3D printers. The Sapphire XC 1MZ continues Velo3D’s legacy of delivering leading-edge performance and has the largest laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) print volume from a leading manufacturer at 600 mm x 1,000 mm—that’s nine times larger than the standard Sapphire!
IMTS Gets a Visit From a Marvelous New Hero
The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) is one of the largest and longest running industry trade shows in the world, and we wanted to make sure we made a big splash this year. Thankfully, we had help from Velo3D’s very own Captain AM, who was on hand to debut a 3D printed part that represents the capabilities of the Sapphire XC 1MZ. The comic book inspired “shield”, printed in Inconel 718 without supports, was a big hit with attendees!
Velo3D Expands Into Europe With New Augsburg Technical Center
This year saw the opening of our new technical center in Augsburg, Germany. The new technology center features a Velo3D Sapphire printer, a showcase of printed parts, and will serve to support our growing presence in Europe, with offices on site for our local customer success, sales, and support teams.
‘Seeing is Believing’ AM Tour Touches Down in 16 Cities, 3 Continents
The 2022 Seeing is Believing AM Tour was truly an international affair! Each show—held across 16 cities and three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia)—was filled with energy and enthusiasm for all things Velo3D! The single-day events featured presentations from Velo3D leadership team members, contract manufacturers, and customers. Guests were treated to a comprehensive overview of the Velo3D AM solution and were able to discuss the capabilities of our additive manufacturing technology with Velo3D technical experts.
3 New Qualified Materials Added to Help Customers Print Without Compromise
2022 was also the year we added three new qualified materials to our growing catalog of metal powders. We kicked things off with nickel-based superalloy powder Amperprint® 0233 Haynes® 282®, followed by NASA-developed copper alloy GRCop-42, and finally M300 Tool Steel. The new materials allow Velo3D to expand into new industries and further enable engineers to build the parts they want without compromising on design or quality.
A Year of Growth, A Year of Welcoming New Customers and Partners to the Family
2022 was also an unprecedented year of growth. Pratt & Whitney acquired a Velo3D fully integrated solution to evaluate for manufacturing production jet engine components. Hermeus, a company developing hypersonic aircraft for defense and commercial applications, acquired an original Sapphire and a large-format Sapphire XC for its Mach 5 Chimera engine and Quarterhorse aircraft.
They were joined by Hartech Group—an advanced technology equipment supplier for the U.S. federal government and North Carolina-based Starhagen—as the newest members of the Velo3D contract manufacturing network.
Longtime AM leader Vertex Manufacturing also ordered two additional Sapphire XC 3D metal printers, including the first large-format GRCop-42 system, demonstrating the resilience and effectiveness of the Velo3D solution.
Velo3D Rolls Out Software Enhancements With Flow 3.0
It’s not just hardware that saw improvements this year. In March, we announced Flow 3.0, which brought with it a host of enhancements, including support for print preparation of larger parts, such as those printed of Sapphire XC and Sapphire XC 1MZ.
Laser Focused Launches, Showcases AM Innovators
Finally, from all of us at Velo3D, thank you once again for joining us for what has been an amazing, innovation-filled year. If you thought 2022 was great, wait until you see what we have in store for 2023…
