Velo3D, Praxair partner to qualify metal powders for use in additive manufacturing

Velo3D (Campbell, CA) has partnered with Praxair Surface Technologies (PST; Indianapolis, IN), which produces premium specialty alloy-based solutions for the aerospace industry and other key markets. Under the partnership, Velo3D will develop process parameters for new alloys with PST's TruForm powders, and will qualify PST as an approved supplier of powder for released parameter sets for Velo3D'sadditive manufacturing solutions. Two of Praxair's TruForm powders—718 and 64—have already been validated with Velo3D's Sapphire.

"Velo3D's technology enables the building of difficult geometries, which opens up new opportunities for additive manufacturing across a broad range of applications," says Andy Shives, business manager for additive manufacturing at PST. "We have a focus on advancing powder and atomization technology, and this goes hand-in-hand with Velo3D's focus on advancing the laser powder bedprocess."

The qualification of powder from powder suppliers ensures that Velo3D's customers can purchase powder directly from the supplier that has demonstrated its powders work in the Velo3D Sapphire metal additive system.

Velo3D enables manufacturers to produce difficult parts previously considered impossible with additive manufacturing. Manufacturers use the Sapphire production system with Velo3D's Flow print preparation software for the printing of complex geometries that otherwise would have been impossible or non-economical to print due to hard-to-remove support structures.

For more information, please visit www.velo3d.com and www.praxairsurfacetechnologies.com.