Knust-Godwin uses VELO3D’s metal AM system to create meter-tall parts

It’s been a busy first half of the year for VELO3D: the company launched a new metal 3D printer, and raised $28 million in a Series D funding round. A few days ago, the company also revealed it had raised an additional $12 million from new strategic investors, bringing total funding to $150M. During the launch, the company revealed that their next-generation metal AM system was developed with a focus on build-chamber size. According to the manufacturer, the 3D printer’s 1-meter vertical axis makes it the world’s tallest metal powder bed fusion system with a closed chamber. VELO3D also announced its first customer will be Knust-Godwin, an established precision-machining shop that is looking to expand into new industries and has recognized the tremendous potential of industrial metal 3D printing. The company should start shipping its new system in Q4 of 2020.

VELO3D’s Sapphire system relies on its proprietary technology to build metal parts without support structures. Support structures add considerable design and manufacturing constraints and are common in many metal AM technologies, including the most widely used technology, Laser Powder Bed Fusion. The ability to create metal parts without these constraints is one of the main benefits of VELO3D’s system. Mike Corliss, Vice President of Technology at Knust-Godwin, and Zach Murphree, Vice President, Technical Partnerships at VELO3D, are working together to bring the Sapphire system into Knust-Godwin’s fold of high-end manufacturing processes in order to leverage the benefits of 3D printing.

Support structures have always been a requirement to prevent warpage. VELO3D’s support-less process enables you to print low angles without part failure | Credits: Protolabs

What are the advantages of investing in metal AM?

Even though subtractive manufacturing will most likely always play an important role in production, AM has a key role to play too. Over the past 8 years, Knust-Godwin has been investing in metal AM, even though it still relies primarily on subtractive methods to manufacture its products. The precision-machining shop realized early on that it could apply additive manufacturing to many of the parts it produces. Mike Corliss explains: “We’re sure it will help reduce machine time, queue time, and even help reduce constraints with geometry—including the weight of the part and the size of the part—in some areas.”