VELO3D 3D printer now supports aluminum F357
By DE Staff
Additive ManufacturingAircraft-grade alloy suited for additive manufacturing of aerospace, military and defense components.
Digital manufacturing company VELO3D announced the availability of a manufacturing process to 3D print parts in Aluminum F357 on the company’s Sapphire metal 3D printing machines. The foundry-grade aluminum alloy, suitable for the laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) process, enables 3D printing of parts that have traditionally been manufactured using casting practices.
“Aluminum F357 has already been certified for mission-critical applications—unlike some exotic alloys—so it was a logical addition to our materials portfolio,” states Benny Buller, founder and CEO of VELO3D. “We will continue to add more compatible materials that enable customers to print parts they couldn’t before, yet with even better material properties than traditional manufacturing.”
The aluminum F357 AM process was developed jointly with PWR, a global supplier of advanced cooling solutions to Formula 1, NASCAR, and other racing series, along with automotive, military, and aerospace industries.
“We chose Aluminum F357 due to its ideal material properties to suit thermal performance, machining and weldability,” said PWR GM Matthew Bryson. “Our ability to print free-form and lightweight structures for heat transfer applications with our Sapphire system from VELO3D will further enhance performance and packaging optimization opportunities for our product range and provide significant value to our customers.”
www.velo3d.com
