Velo3D (Campbell, CA) has opened a technical center in Augsburg, Germany, where its Sapphire metal additive manufacturing systems will be assembled and demonstrated. As the company expands in Europe, it delivered the first end-to-end manufacturing solution to Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield (SBO) Technology, a European contract manufacturer specializing in the production of high-value metal parts for the oil and gas industry.
“We’re thrilled to deliver our first end-to-end additive manufacturing solution and open our new technical center to accelerate this expansion,” said Benny Buller, Velo3D CEO and Founder. “At our Augsburg facility, we’ll be able to demonstrate our impressive additive manufacturing technology in person to customer prospects.”
SBO’s U.S.-based subsidiary, Knust-Godwin (Katy, TX), has validated Velo3D’s end-to-end additive manufacturing technology in its Houston facility and is using its solutions to build production parts for its customers in the aerospace and oil and gas industries. The new system will be located in the company’s Austrian headquarters and will be able to print 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.
Velo3D’s new European Technology Center will allow the additive manufacturing technology company to better service customers like SBO by enabling company leaders to demonstrate its advanced 3D printing capabilities. The facility will be located at the Augsburg Innovations Park in Augsburg, Germany, and will include more than 110 square meters (1200 square feet) of space across a main hall (which will house Sapphire systems), a lab area, and offices. It also includes conference rooms for hosting customers for presentations, events, and other meetings.
Velo3D’s metal 3D printing technology solutions unlock a wide breadth of design freedom and enables customers in space exploration, aviation, power generation, energy, and semiconductor to innovate the future in their respective industries. The company delivered its first Sapphire system in 2018 and has been a strategic partner to innovators such as SpaceX, Honeywell, Honda, Chromalloy, and Lam Research.
David Belforte | Contributing Editor
David Belforte (1932-2023) was an internationally recognized authority on industrial laser materials processing and had been actively involved in this technology for more than 50 years. His consulting business, Belforte Associates, served clients interested in advanced manufacturing applications. David held degrees in Chemistry and Production Technology from Northeastern University (Boston, MA). As a researcher, he conducted basic studies in material synthesis for high-temperature applications and held increasingly important positions with companies involved with high-technology materials processing. He co-founded a company that introduced several firsts in advanced welding technology and equipment. David's career in lasers started with the commercialization of the first industrial solid-state laser and a compact CO2 laser for sheet-metal cutting. For several years, he led the development of very high power CO2 lasers for welding and surface treating applications. In addition to consulting, David was the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Industrial Laser Solutions magazine (1986-2022) and contributed to other laser publications, including Laser Focus World. He retired from Laser Focus World in late June 2022.