Atomic Industries Purchases Velo3D’s Metal 3D Printing Solution 

Velo3D, Inc. reports that Atomic Industries, a creator of artificial intelligence-powered manufacturing solutions, has purchased a fully integrated metal additive manufacturing solution to provide 3D printed tooling and dies. 

The solution includes a Sapphire printer that is calibrated to produce parts in M300 tool steel, a low carbon alloy with high-strength and hardness properties derived from intermetallic compounds rather than carbon content. 

Atomic Industries employs technologies like artificial intelligence and metal 3D printing, the company reshapes industries by offering affordable, repeatable tooling. 

The company’s Sapphire printer will operate from a newly renovated facility in Detroit, helping produce tooling for aerospace, automotive and energy customers. Atomic Industries has qualified M300 tool steel for injection molding tooling with the Sapphire printer. 

“Our new Sapphire printer will be instrumental in helping Atomic Industries tackle the tooling market by qualifying M300 tooling steel with our customers and showing the full capabilities of 3D printed tooling,” says Aaron Slodov, Atomic Industries CEO and co-founder. “We're excited to go hands-on and prove the robustness of the Sapphire platform with conformal-cooling inserts and other challenging features that will empower our customers. This strategic investment aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in manufacturing.”

M300 tool steel, with its combination of strength, toughness and resistance to wear, has been a staple in diecasting applications and tooling. Velo3D enables customers to manufacture better performing tooling inserts that minimize downtime on production lines by extending the lifecycle of tooling inserts. The alloy is primarily used in high-pressure diecast inserts for injection molding, where molten metal must be cooled at precise times and temperatures. 

“Atomic Industries’ ground-up approach to advanced manufacturing allows them to implement revolutionary technologies without the baggage of legacy solutions, and we’re thrilled to partner with them on their journey to redefine manufacturing possibilities,” says Benny Buller, Velo3D founder and CEO. “It’s not often that we get to work with a customer who is essentially starting from a blank slate, and we feel confident that with their new Sapphire metal 3D printer, and its accompanying software, they will be able to exceed the demands of their customers and create a new framework for contract manufacturing.”

Since its debut in 2018, Velo3D's Sapphire metal 3D printer has revolutionized the metal additive manufacturing landscape. It introduced printing capabilities that could not be achieved with conventional metal 3D printers, like minimizing or even eliminating the need for supports. Velo3D achieved this by combining hardware, software and manufacturing processes into a fully integrated solution that could achieve repeatable, consistent results across any Sapphire printer calibrated for the same metal alloy. 

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.