Velo3D, Inc., a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company for mission-critical parts, announced that Atomic Industries, a provider of artificial intelligence-powered manufacturing solutions, has purchased a fully integrated metal additive manufacturing solution to provide 3D printed tooling and dies to its customers.
A Sapphire printer calibrated to produce parts in M300 tool steel, an ultra-low carbon alloy with high strength and hardness properties derived from intermetallic compounds rather than carbon content, is part of the solution.
3D Printed Tooling and Dies
This acquisition demonstrates Atomic Industries’ dedication to pushing the boundaries of precision engineering and advanced manufacturing in order to provide customers with the highest quality tooling parts for efficient, standardized production lines.
Atomic Industries is at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing. The company reshapes industries by providing more affordable and repeatable tooling by utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and metal 3D printing. This transformation removes barriers for its customers as they transition their products from prototype to production-level manufacturing.
The Sapphire printer will operate out of a newly renovated facility in Detroit, assisting in the production of tooling for aerospace, automotive, and energy customers. Atomic Industries is the first company to use the Sapphire printer to qualify M300 tool steel for injection molding tooling.
“Our new Sapphire printer will be instrumental in helping Atomic Industries tackle the tooling market by qualifying M300 tooling steel with our customers and showing the full capabilities of 3D printed tooling.”
– Aaron Slodov, CEO and Cofounder, Atomic Industries
Slodov continued, “We’re excited to go hands-on and prove the robustness of the Sapphire platform with conformal-cooling inserts and other challenging features that will empower our customers. This strategic investment aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in manufacturing.”
M300 tool steel has long been a staple in die-casting applications and tooling due to its remarkable combination of strength, toughness, and wear resistance. Velo3D enables customers to manufacture better performing tooling inserts that minimize downtime on production lines by extending the lifecycle of tooling inserts by unlocking the ability to 3D print in this alloy with its fully integrated solution. The alloy is primarily used in high-pressure die cast injection molding inserts, where molten metal must be efficiently cooled at precise times and temperatures.
“Atomic Industries’ ground-up approach to advanced manufacturing allows them to implement revolutionary technologies without the baggage of legacy solutions, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on their journey to redefine manufacturing possibilities.”
– Benny Buller, Founder and CEO, Velo3D
Buller concluded by saying, “It’s not often that we get to work with a customer who is essentially starting from a blank slate, and we feel confident that with their new Sapphire metal 3D printer, and its accompanying software, they will be able to exceed the demands of their customers and create a new framework for contract manufacturing.”
Velo3D’s Sapphire metal 3D printer has transformed the metal additive manufacturing landscape since its debut in 2018. It introduced printing capabilities not possible with traditional metal 3D printers, such as minimizing or even eliminating the need for supports. Velo3D accomplished this by integrating hardware, software, and underlying manufacturing processes into a fully integrated solution capable of producing repeatable, consistent results on any Sapphire printer calibrated for the same metal alloy.
