All-In-One Package for Laser Bed Metal AM Printing

Velo3D has released what it describes as an end-to-end additive manufacturing (AM) solution for metal, comprised of the Sapphire system, Flow print-preparation software and Intelligent Fusion technology. Together, it solves AM challenges including product design limitations, part-to-part consistency, process control and cost-effective manufacturing, according to company officials.

Sapphire is a laser-powder-bed metal AM system designed for high-volume manufacturing, reportedly capable of building complex geometries, including designs with overhangs less than 5 deg. and large inner diameters, without supports. To deliver part-to-part consistency, Sapphire’s integrated in-situ process metrology enables closed-loop melt-pool control. To maximize productivity, the system contains a module that enables automated changeover with offline unpacking.

Flow print-preparation software includes support generation, process selection, slicing and simulation of complex part designs to validate execution feasibility before the build. Geometrical feature-driven processing enables low angles, below 5 deg. In addition, deformation-correction technology enables users to produce parts without the need for iterations, reportedly achieving a first-print success rate of as much as 90 percent. Flow reportedly minimizes the need for supports, reducing typical support volume by three to five times, which removes or reduces post-processing necessary with conventional approaches.

Enabling an end-to-end integrated workflow, Intelligent Fusion powers Flow software and the Sapphire system. Intelligent Fusion optimizes the AM process by combining thermal-process simulation, print prediction and closed-loop control during print execution.