Atomic Industries, a manufacturer of AI-powered solutions for manufacturing, has purchased a fully integrated Sapphire metal additive manufacturing solution from Velo3D. This acquisition will enable Atomic Industries to offer its customers production services using metal 3D printing for tool and die manufacturing.
The solution includes a Sapphire metal 3D printer that is calibrated to produce parts in M300 tool steel, which is an ultra-low carbon alloy with high-strength and hardness properties derived from intermetallic compounds. This acquisition highlights Atomic Industries’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of precision engineering and advanced manufacturing in order to provide high-quality tooling parts for efficient, standardized production lines to its customers.
“Our new Sapphire printer will play a key role in helping Atomic Industries enter the tooling market by qualifying M300 tooling steel with our customers and demonstrating the full capabilities of 3D printed tooling,” said Aaron Slodov, CEO and co-founder of Atomic Industries. “We’re excited to demonstrate the robustness of the Sapphire platform with challenging features like conformal-cooling inserts, empowering our customers. This investment perfectly aligns with our commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in manufacturing.”
Atomic Industries is a leader in advanced manufacturing, using AI and metal 3D printing to offer more affordable and repeatable tooling. The company’s Sapphire printer will operate from a newly renovated facility in Detroit, producing tooling for aerospace, automotive, and energy customers. Atomic Industries is the first company to qualify M300 tool steel for injection molding tooling using the Sapphire printer.
M300 tool steel, known for its strength, toughness, and resistance to wear, has long been used in die-casting applications and tooling. With Velo3D’s fully integrated solution, customers can now 3D print tooling inserts in this alloy, extending the lifespan of tooling inserts and minimizing downtime on production lines. The alloy is primarily used in high-pressure die-cast inserts for injection molding, where efficient cooling is crucial.
“Atomic Industries’ innovative approach to advanced manufacturing allows them to adopt cutting-edge technologies without the limitations of outdated solutions. We are thrilled to collaborate with them in their mission to redefine the possibilities of manufacturing,” concluded Benny Buller, Founder and CEO of Velo3D. “It is rare for us to collaborate with a customer who is essentially starting from scratch, and we are confident that their new Sapphire metal 3D printer, along with its accompanying software, will enable them to exceed customer expectations and set a new standard 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 underlying manufacturing processes into a fully integrated solution that could achieve repeatable, consistent results across any Sapphire printer calibrated for the same metal alloy.
