BLT has achieved the milestone of enabling the additive manufacturing of 100,000 copper parts with its BLT-S400 powder bed fusion system.
The eight-laser machine printed the 100,000th unit in March 2026, demonstrating, according to BLT, that ‘industrial-grade copper additive manufacturing is achievable.’
While copper is the material of choice for a range of industrial applications, including in optical communications, data centres and electronics thermal management, its physical properties present significant technical challenges. Per BLT, high reflectivity complicates laser energy absorption, and exceptional thermal conductivity can cause rapid heat dissipation and unstable melt pools.
BLT’s multi-laser configuration and red- and green-laser strategies are said to enable high throughput without sacrificing precision, while also accommodating different alloy characteristics. Part density per build has also been increased thanks to an extension in build length to 450 mm, and the company has also placed a great focus on process optimisation.
Other key factors of this success, according to BLT, is the implementation of predictive fault management, continuous operation capability, and robust thermal control work.
Having established copper additive manufacturing as an alternative to conventional manufacturing, BLT says it is accelerating production cycles, enhancing material efficiency, and offering greater design freedom for complex parts, enabling applications that were previously cost-prohibitive.
A company press release reads: “For decision-makers in data centres, telecommunications, and advanced electronics, these developments signal a shift: copper AM is no longer a technical curiosity but a practical solution combining operational efficiency, design flexibility, and high-performance material properties. The coming years will reveal how broadly industrial-grade copper AM can be deployed and which companies will leverage it to gain [a] competitive advantage.”
