The Sapphire printer invented by Benny Buller, CEO and founder of Velo3D located in Campbell, California, is the first product in the Sapphire family line of high-performance metal additive manufacturing machines which offer notable print quality and surface finishing. What makes this brand of solution unique is its elimination of the need for Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM). It utilizes Velo3D’s Intelligent Fusion technology and assure quality monitoring and control software, which includes a print preparation software suite and real-time process monitoring, to ensure high accuracy and repeatability. The Sapphire printer has a smaller build chamber than its Sapphire 1MZ counterpart, measuring in at 315mm x 400mm. The Industrial printer it is capable of printing high-performance alloys, such as titanium, steel, and nickel-based superalloys. Both the original Sapphire and Sapphire 1MZ feature dual 1kW lasers for quicker printing and a proprietary non-contact recoater to reduce the risk of part collisions, further enabling support free builds.
Defining Qualities of the Sapphire Printer
The 3D printer prides itself on its unique ability to print at a low angle and overhang down to zero degrees. This design feature is a staple of the Velo3D Sapphire product line and gives designers and engineers the freedom to build improbable complex geometries. Due to it’s smaller size, it’s not as effective in printing larger volume quantities – for higher volume production parts the Sapphire XC and XC 1MZ are more optimal. A unique feature of the product is the high aspect ratio structures of up to 3000:1, its large inner diameters up to 100 mm, and support free free-floating parts previously thought to be unnatainable.
