Velo3D has announced the launch of Sapphire XC 1MZ, designed to allow customers to print parts one meter in height with a total build volume twice that of the previous model and 9-times larger than the original Sapphire.
According to the Californian metal additive manufacturing technology company, Sapphire XC1MZ has the largest laser powder bed fusion print volume in its class, 30% larger than printers from other leading manufacturers.
Velo3D said that this new addition was developed based on feedback from customers in the aerospace, energy, and defence industries, with the first systems expected to be delivered to several aerospace companies in late Q3 2022.
“Without advanced metal additive manufacturing it would be difficult to impossible to build many of the technologies that are shaping the future of our world,” said Velo3D CEO 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,” he went on.
“New systems, like the Sapphire XC and Sapphire XC 1MZ, support that transformation by significantly increasing throughput up to 400% and lowering costs by up to 75% compared to the original Sapphire.”
Sapphire XC 1MZ should feature a build volume of 600 mm x 1,000 mm, eight 1-kilowatt lasers, integrated manufacturing solutions like Flow and Assure software, the Intelligent Fusion manufacturing process, faster non-contact recoater to decrease the time required between build layers, and throughput of up to 400% over the original Sapphire and Sapphire 1MZ printers.
The new 3D printer should be available with all the materials currently offered by Velo3D, including Aluminum F357, Amperprint 0233 Haynes 282, GRCop-42, Hastelloy C22, Hastelloy X, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, Scalmalloy, and Titanium 6AI-4V grade 5.
The Sapphire series of printers is comprised of four system variations that should be fully compatible with one another, running the same processes across all printers in a way that delivers consistent results on any machine.
This means that as customers validate one printer for production use, it should be simple to add additional printers to increase productivity.
The Sapphire XC 1MZ was designed to combine the large diameter of the Sapphire XC with the 1-meter build height of the Sapphire 1MZ to achieve what Velo3D said to be the largest print volume of any laser powder bed fusion printer from a leading manufacturer.
