Velo3D partners with Praxair on qualification of metal powders for its AM systems
January 8, 2019
Velo3D’s Sapphire Additive Manufacturing system, designed for manufacturing components in high volumes (Courtesy Velo3D)
Velo3D, Campbell, California, USA, has partnered with Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. (PST), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, to develop process parameters for Praxair’s TruForm powders and qualify PST as an approved supplier of metal powder for its Additive Manufacturing systems. Two of Praxair’s TruForm powders, 718 and 64, have already been validated with Velo3D’s Sapphire system.
“PST is constantly looking for ways to help expand the number of applications that are addressable by metal Additive Manufacturing, and Velo3D is a great company to partner with in this effort,” commented Andy Shives, Business Manager for Additive Manufacturing at PST. “Velo3D’s technology enables the building of difficult geometries, which opens up new opportunities for Additive Manufacturing across a broad range of applications.”
“We have a focus on advancing powder and atomisation technology, and this goes hand-in-hand with Velo3D’s focus on advancing the laser powder bed process,” he continued. “Both companies are supporting efforts around process and quality control, which are critical for faster adoption of metal AM, and we look forward to pushing the envelope together.”
Velo3D reported that the qualification of powder from leading powder suppliers will ensure that its customers can purchase powder directly from suppliers who have demonstrated that their powders work in the Velo3D Sapphire metal AM system. Stefan Zschiegner, Chief Product and Chief Marketing Officer at Velo3D, stated, “Velo3D was founded to enable customers to manufacture any design they can conceive. Praxair is a trusted alloy solution provider and the right kind of partner for Velo3D’s rigorous standards for metal powder quality. Together, we drive adoption of additive for manufacturing.”
