Precision machining and metal additive manufacturing company Mears Machine Corporation has ordered a sixth Velo3D Sapphire XC metal 3D printing system.
This new machine will be dedicated to copper-nickel (CuNi). CuNi is a 70-30 copper-nickel alloy that maintains consistent mechanical and thermal properties from cryogenic temperatures to approximately 400°C, while also exhibiting corrosion resistance in seawater.
Thanks to these capabilities, CuNi has become a popular material in shipbuilding, seawater cooling, condensers, and heat exchangers.
The installation of a Sapphire XC dedicated to this alloy will complement Mears' existing fleet of machines, which are already supporting customer programs in Inconel 718, Haynes 282 and CP1 aluminium. Like these machines, the new Sapphire XC will run on Velo3D's Flow print preparation and Assure quality reporting software, with standardised process controls and software-driven calibration designed to keep output consistent from machine to machine.
"Following a period of market, product and technical analysis, our move into copper-nickel additive manufacturing is a strategic decision," said James Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of Mears Machine Corporation. "We are building a vertically integrated Cu-Ni supply chain solution for the industry, with the ability to take a customer from additive design support through additive manufacturing, machining and final inspection – all within one facility. That changes the customer experience significantly by reducing handoffs, shortening the manufacturing chain and giving customers a single accountable partner from concept through finished hardware. For the markets we are targeting, our existing medium-to-large format machining capability is also very well matched to the size and geometry of the components our customers need."
"The test of production additive manufacturing is whether a customer can qualify once and then continue adding capacity and materials as demand grows," added Arun Jeldi, Chief Executive Officer of Velo3D. "Mears' purchase of its sixth Sapphire XC system demonstrates that kind of confidence in the platform. With five systems already producing parts in nickel superalloys and aluminium, Mears is now dedicating a new Sapphire XC to copper-nickel, bringing a material critical to shipyards and offshore industries into production right here in the United States."
