Velo3D expands European presence with new technical centre and the region’s first delivery
November 10, 2021
Velo3D, Inc, headquartered in Campbell, California, USA, has expanded its European presence with the opening of a new technical centre in Augsburg, Germany, to showcase its Sapphire® Additive Manufacturing machines. The company has also delivered its first Sapphire system in the region, installing the new AM machine at Schoeller Bleckmann Oilfield (SBO) Technology.
“Europe is a key market for Velo3D’s growth in the coming years and we’re thrilled to deliver our first end-to-end Additive Manufacturing solution and open our new technical centre to accelerate this expansion,” stated Benny Buller, CEO and founder of Velo3D. “With Velo3D’s end-to-end solutions, seeing is believing, and at our Augsburg facility, we’ll be able to demonstrate our impressive Additive Manufacturing technology in person to customer prospects. We’re also pleased to be launching in Europe with our first customer, SBO, supporting its effort to expand its capabilities and service new industries using our Sapphire system.”
SBO is a multinational corporation specialising in the production of high-value metal parts for the oil & gas industry. The company’s US-based subsidiary, Knust-Godwin LLC, has validated Velo3D’s AM technology in its Houston, Texas, facility and is using its solutions to build production parts for customers in the aerospace and oil & gas industries. SBO’s new Sapphire system will be located in the company’s Austrian headquarters and will enable the ability to additively manufacture complex metal parts in Inconel 718. SBO has EN 9100, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 certifications, which allow it to develop and produce parts for aerospace customers, as well as other industries, while also meeting certain standards for quality and environmental management.
“By adding Velo3D’s innovative Additive Manufacturing solution to our capabilities, we will be able to expand into new markets and service new customers, helping them build metal parts that were previously thought impossible to create,” stated Campbell Macpherson, EVP of Advanced Manufacturing, SBO. “Over the past few years, many of our customers have inquired about 3D printing. Velo3D’s ability to create parts without having to design them for Additive Manufacturing makes it stand out compared to other solutions. Its end-to-end solution is very complimentary to our existing offerings and will allow us to greatly improve the supply chain for our customers.”
The new Augsburg centre is hoped to allow Velo3D to provide better service to customers like SBO by enabling the demonstration of its AM capabilities. The facility will be located at the Augsburg Innovations Park, and will include more than 110 m2 (1,200 ft2) of space across a main hall (which will house Sapphire systems), a lab area, and offices. It also includes conference rooms for presentations, events, and other meetings.
“The feedback we’ve received from engineers and Additive Manufacturing experts across Europe is that Velo3D’s technology delivers novel capabilities in geometry, quality, and scalability,” added Zach Murphree, Velo3D VP of Global Sales and Business Development. “By taking delivery of our first machine in Europe, SBO stands to differentiate itself in the European contract manufacturer market, which is one of the largest markets for high-value metal parts. We look forward to growing our customer base in the region.”
