Velo3D sets Q3 ship date for new large-format 3D printer

The Sapphire XC 1MZ 3D printer reportedly has the largest build envelope in its class.

The new Sapphire XC 1MZ metal printer from Velo3D will let users build parts up to 1 m high. The first units are scheduled to ship in Q3 of this year.

The printer’s 600-mm-dia. by 1,000-mm-high build envelope is the largest work area of any LPBF (laser powder bed fusion) printer in its class, says Velo3D, adding that it’s nine times larger than the original Sapphire. And, the company notes, the XC 1MZ increases throughput up to 400% and lowers costs by up to 75% compared to the last-generation machine.

The new printer features eight 1-kW lasers and can build parts from an array of alloys, including F537 aluminum, Haynes 282, GRCop-42, Hastelloy C22, Hastelloy X, Inconel 625, Inconel 718, Scalmalloy, and 6AI-4V Grade 5 titanium.

Comparisons of the work envelopes of the Sapphire, Sapphire XC and XC 1MZ.