Velo3D is working with Amaero to qualify Amaero Ltd's C103 Niobium and Ti-6Al-4V Titanium powders on its Sapphire metal additive manufacturing systems.
It follows a 'successful testing milestone' completed by Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME).
In support of Velo3D's strategic partnership with Amaero, NCAME independently printed and tested Amaero's powders to validate their conformance to additive manufacturing standards, satisfying the initial qualification condition required by Velo3D to begin machine-specific testing on its Sapphire printer platform.
According to the partner organisations, Amaero's C103 powder demonstrated conformance with ASTM F3635 Class B following a 2200°F niobium heat treat cycle, while the Ti-6Al-4V powder met AMS7015 and ASTM F3001 standards.
Following these validations, Amaero has received initial purchase orders from Velo3D, including 500 kg of C103 powder and 500 kg of Ti64 powder. The next steps of the strategic partnership will see Velo3D conduct material validation and printing trials to complete full integration into its production workflows as it seeks to support the building of a secure US-based additive manufacturing supply chain capable of supporting the most demanding aerospace and defence programs.
"Velo3D lauds the recent milestone achievement between Amaero Ltd and Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME)," said Dr. Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D. "The close collaboration between Amaero and NCAME has demonstrated Amaero's powder conformance with additive manufacturing industry standards. As a result of Amaero's accelerated achievement, we are excited to announce that under the Velo3D/Amaero strategic partnership, over 1,000 kg of Niobium and Titanium powder will arrive on the Velo3D production floor late in Q3CY2025 to support critical projects in the aerospace and defence industries."
Hank J. Holland, Amaero Chairman and CEO, added: "To achieve the full potential of metal additive manufacturing, it's essential to build a resilient domestic ecosystem—from scalable powder production to machine platforms and high-performance parts. Amaero has commissioned the most advanced atomisation technology for refractory and titanium alloys and is proud to support the U.S. industrial base. This milestone with Auburn and our broader partnership with Velo3D are critical steps toward scaling affordable, high-quality, traceable powders for national security applications."
Amaero has also confirmed the partners are already collaborating on a 'separate commercial opportunity; with another refractory alloy.
