Velo3D, a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company for mission-critical parts, today announced the purchase of two Sapphire XC 3D printers by ADDMAN, an additive-focused contract manufacturer and engineering firm. The printers will be installed at ADDMAN’s Castheon facility, adding to the company’s existing fleet of Sapphire printers and assisting it in meeting the demands of its customers in space, aviation, energy, and defence.
The printers will also enable ADDMAN to expand its addressable use-cases by lowering 3D printed part production costs and providing the ability to 3D print parts 500% larger in volume than the original Sapphire printer.
ADDMAN purchases two new Velo3D Sapphire XC 3D Printers
ADDMAN is a seasoned contract manufacturer with a focus on additive manufacturing. The company offers its customers finished, ready-to-use metal and polymer parts. It also provides injection, CMM and laser scanning, as well as metallurgy and print-parameter development.
“Velo3D’s additive manufacturing technology allows our customers to produce their most complex, highest-performing designs in the highest-quality prints. With these new Sapphire XC printers, we’ll be able to provide our customers with scalable, high-volume production capabilities and larger prints. This will help us keep our competitive advantage and ensure our customers have access to the latest additive-manufacturing technology.”
– Mark Saberton, CTO at ADDMAN Engineering
The new Sapphire XC printers from ADDMAN have been calibrated to print in GRCop-42 and Inconel 718 alloys. NASA developed GRCop-42, a copper-based alloy, for use in regeneratively cooled rocket engines and other applications requiring rapid heat transfer. The ADDMAN GRCop-42 Sapphire XC printer is the company’s first in this alloy. The company currently uses Inconel 718, a high-strength nickel-based superalloy that provides oxidation and corrosion resistance at high temperatures, in its original Sapphire printers. The contract manufacturer can easily help its customers scale up production of parts without requalification or updated designs by adding a Sapphire XC in the same alloy.
“ADDMAN is one of our top contract manufacturers for aerospace applications and its purchase of these two Sapphire XC printers will help it service its customers in new ways that empower their businesses. The great thing about the Sapphire XC is it uses the same technology as the original Sapphire so customers can count on the same repeatable, predictable outcomes they’re used to. For the companies that have received our first Sapphire XCs, it has been transformational to their businesses and we expect to hear the same from ADDMAN and its OEM customers.”
– Dr. Zach Murphree, Velo3D VP of Global Sales and Business Development
The Sapphire XC is intended for mass production to assist customers in scaling their businesses. The printer made its public debut in early 2021 and has quickly become as popular as its predecessor, the original Sapphire printer. When compared to the original Sapphire printer, the Sapphire XC can save customers up to 75% on production costs while increasing throughput by up to 500%.
