Italian contract manufacturer Ci-Esse Srl has purchased a Velo3D Sapphire metal 3D printing system, becoming the first member of its contract manufacturer network in Italy.
Ci-Esse Srl will use the Sapphire printer to produce parts in aerospace, defence and motorsports, among other industries, with the company calibrating its machine to process Inconel 718 powder. The Sapphire system will reside in its additive manufacturing facility in Fiorano Modenese, Italy.
Founded in 1978, Ci-Esse has built up an extensive customer base across aviation, space, defence, industrial tooling, motor racing and automotive. The company has been using additive manufacturing technologies since 2007, complementing its conventional manufacturing process with technologies that can tackle complex geometries, reduce weight and consolidate assemblies. In the last 15 years, the company has been using the XLine 2000R, the M2 Laser Cusing, and the M1 Laser Cusing machines from (GE Additive) Concept Laser, but has now sought to add to that repertoire with the Velo3D Sapphire system.
“One of our core values at Ci-Esse is to strive for perfection in every part we deliver to a customer,” commented Giorgio Canali, Ci-Esse CEO. “Velo3D’s solution, with its quality assurance and pre-print software, is an excellent complement to our extensive history of delivering parts produced with the highest quality. The fully integrated solution will help us monitor the quality of the parts we produce for our customers to add an extra level of validation in our quality.”
“With more than 40 years of experience in precision machining, 15 years using metal additive manufacturing technology, and a deep-rooted passion to solve their customers’ most difficult problems, it’s no surprise that Ci-Esse has developed unique processes and capabilities—from printing parameters and quality control to post-processing—that help them stand out among their peers,” added Benny Buller, Velo3D Founder and CEO. “The overlap of industries served by Velo3D and Ci-Esse is quite extensive, and I foresee a long and fruitful partnership where we learn from one another as we serve our joint customers. We look forward to seeing what their customers produce with Ci-Esse’s new 3D printing capabilities.”