Metal 3D Printing Technology Company Velo3D Secures Multi-Year, Full Rate Production Contract from Key U.S. Defense Prime Contractor
The contract is reported to deliver essential system components for a sensitive national security program entering full-rate production.
In February, metal 3D printing technology company Velo3D, Inc. was awarded a multi-year, full rate production contract from a key U.S. defense contractor in support of a high-profile national security program.
The contract, valued at $11.5 million, is to deliver essential system components for a sensitive national security program entering full-rate production, according to a release from Velo3D.
“Velo3D is absolutely honored to continue supporting key industry partners delivering critical programs that strengthen our national security,” said Velo3D CEO Arun Jeldi, Ph.D., in a statement. “This multi-year full rate production contract signals the trust and confidence our customers have in Velo3D to scale programs rapidly through faster part delivery, enhanced reliability, and the surge capacity needed to meet evolving demands of their customers.”
The contract is reported to leverage Velo3D’s Rapid Production Solution (RPS) and industrial-scale laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printing capability to “produce high-performance, critical components quickly and at a lower cost than the same components produced using traditional subtractive manufacturing methods,” the company stated in the release.
“All Velo3D Sapphire® printers are assembled in the United States and capable of printing parts up to 600mm in diameter and one meter in height, repeatably across the entire fleet of Velo3D Sapphire® printers,” the release said. “This advancement significantly expands addressable applications, enabling larger part production while offering the many benefits of LPBF technology, such as higher fidelity printing and Velo3D’s best in class layer-by-layer in-situ process monitoring.”
According to Velo3D, additive manufacturing—also known as 3Dprinting—is unique in its ability to improve the way high-value metal parts are built. However, limitations in 3D printing capabilities have prevented the technology from being used to create the most valuable and impactful parts, restricting its use to specific niches where the limitations were acceptable.
Velo3D stated it has overcome these limitations, enabling engineers to design and print the parts they want. By unlocking a wide breadth of design freedom, the company’s technology is said to enable customers in the space exploration, aviation, power generation, energy, and semiconductor industries to “innovate the future in their respective industries.”
“Using Velo3D, these customers can now build mission-critical metal parts that were previously impossible to manufacture,” the release stated. “The fully integrated solution includes the Flow print preparation software, the Sapphire® family of printers, and the Assure quality control system—all of which are powered by Velo3D’s Intelligent Fusion® manufacturing process.”
The company delivered its first Sapphire system in 2018 and has been a strategic partner to innovators such as Honeywell, Honda, Chromalloy, and Lam Research. Velo3D was named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024.
ADDMAN Acquires Polymer Additive Manufacturing Company Forecast 3D
The transaction expands ADDMAN’s polymer 3D-printing production capabilities and digital infrastructure.
ADDMAN, an advanced manufacturing company that leverages 3D printing to improve part performance and reduce clients’ go-to-market timelines, stated in a January release that it acquired Forecast 3D, a polymer additive manufacturing (AM) company based in Carlsbad, California.
Forecast 3D, a 30-year veteran of the additive manufacturing industry and an early industrial adopter of AM technologies, will operate as part of ADDMAN’s Polymer division.
The transaction is reported to expand ADDMAN’s “polymer production capabilities, digital infrastructure, and West Coast operations in support of growing customer demand and the company’s long-term strategy to build the most comprehensive additive manufacturing platform in North America.”
Forecast 3D adds significant capacity in powder-based polymer technologies, including Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF), along with a mature digital quoting and customer support platform. These capabilities are expected to strengthen ADDMAN’s ability to support partners as their programs evolve, from early development prototypes through full-rate production.
According to the release, the addition of Forecast 3D’s Carlsbad operation alongside ADDMAN’s existing Dinsmore facility in Southern California creates a regional hub for polymer additive manufacturing. Customers are expected to benefit from “expanded capacity, faster lead times, and seamless access to ADDMAN’s broader product portfolio, including polymer and metal additive manufacturing, precision machining, and injection molding,” the release stated.
“Our strategy has always been about scale and capability,” said ADDMAN CEO Joe Calmese, in a statement. “We are building the largest additive manufacturing service provider in the market, designed to support any part, any process, at any stage of the customer’s journey. Bringing Forecast 3D into ADDMAN makes that vision real today, and we will continue to raise the bar for what customers should expect from an advanced manufacturing partner.”
With the acquisition, ADDMAN’s industrial additive fleet is now reported to exceed 160 systems, “positioning the company among the largest additive manufacturing providers in North America in just five years,” according to ADDMAN.
“Reaching this scale matters, but it isn’t the finish line,” Calmese added. “Our focus is how we use it; where we invest next, how we partner, and how we continue expanding what AM can do. That’s the journey we’re on at ADDMAN.”
Forecast 3D was previously operated as part of a global industrial manufacturing organization. The transaction was supported by ADDMAN’s leadership team and ownership partners at American Industrial Partners.
ABCorp 3D Opens New Additive Manufacturing Center in Tennessee
The new facility is reported to strengthen ABCorp 3D’s ability to serve fast‑growing sectors while improving speed, scalability, and distribution.
A new advanced manufacturing center opened by ABCorp in January is reported to expand the company’s U.S.-based capacity for high-volume additive manufacturing. The nearly 60,000-square-foot site in Columbia, Tennessee supports a wide range of 3D printing applications and materials, according to a release from ABCorp.
The company’s 3D printing division, ABCorp 3D, was established in 2020 within ABCorp’s secure manufacturing infrastructure, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. For five years, the division grew and expanded, adding multiple HP production systems to serve rapid demand from customers and markets across the medical, industrial, consumer, government, and defense sectors.
According to ABCorp, the addition of the Columbia, Tennessee facility is designed to meet growing demand for reliable, secure, and scalable production across high-growth sectors with a broad library of materials.
“Drones and robotics may headline the current market expansion, but the new site also strengthens ABCorp 3D’s production capabilities across healthcare and MedTech, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, and large-scale consumer customization,” the release stated. “Its location near Nashville and Memphis provides access to primary medical and technology hubs, as well as one-day domestic ground shipping to 80 percent of the continental United States.”
“The development and applications of 3D printing technology continue to astound us,” said Bill Brown, CEO of ABCorp, in a statement. “In the early days, 3D printing was viewed as limited to prototyping or urgently needed parts for difficult-to-serve use cases. As 3D technology continues to evolve, the application and market has expanded at a progressive rate. We’re at a point where the break-even between 3D printing and injection molding is a significant disruptor in advanced manufacturing, thanks to innovation in technology, equipment, and materials.”
François Minec, vice president and global head of sales and business development at HP Additive Manufacturing Solutions, said in the release, “ABCorp 3D’s continued investment in HP Multi Jet Fusion technology reflects how additive manufacturing is driving production efficiency at scale.”
“As a long-standing HP partner, ABCorp is leveraging the industry’s most productive 3D printing solution to deliver exceptional cost-per-part, speed, and design flexibility, helping customers transform advanced manufacturing, accelerate innovation, and strengthen supply chains,” he said.
ABCorp 3D Vice President of 3D Solutions Neil Glazebrook noted that the expansion reflects both the industry’s momentum and the business’s evolution.
“We started ABCorp 3D with a few machines and the belief that we could deliver something different in the additive market,” Glazebrook stated in the release. “Today, we celebrate two full-scale sites, a broad materials portfolio, and customer partnerships that have been with us since the beginning. Those relationships, combined with the capabilities of this new facility and a highly secure environment, are what set us apart. We are just getting started.”
ABCorp’s Boston Additive Manufacturing Center Receives ISO 13485 Medical Device Certification
Last April, ABCorp’s Additive Manufacturing Center (AMC) in Boston received ISO 13485:2016 medical device certification, the internationally recognized standard for quality management systems (QMS) governing the design and of medical devices. The Additive Manufacturing Center is located within ABCorp’s secure facility, which spans 125,000 square feet and is equipped with multiple HP Jet Fusion 5620 industrial systems, Jet Fusion 580 full-color printers, and Desktop Metal production printers.
At the facility, ABCorp prints a range of materials, including HP 3D High Reusability PA 11, HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 (including PA 12 White), ForwardAM/BASF Ultrasint® TPU01, HP 3D High Reusability PP in collaboration with BASF, and full-color HP 3D High Reusability CB PA 12.
The company also prints stainless steels 174PH and 316L, and provides finishing services using AMT’s PostPro3D smoothing technology, according to ABCorp.
“The advent of additive manufacturing, particularly 3D printing, grants our clients unparalleled design flexibility and is truly revolutionary in the medical device sector,” ABCorp 3D Vice President of 3D Solutions Neil Glazebrook said in a release. “This innovative technology encompasses prototyping, fitting, and even highly customized production—all of which are greatly enhanced by ISO 13485 certification.”
The ISO 13485 standard outlines specific requirements that help organizations ensure medical devices meet consumer and regulatory demands for safety and efficacy. Certification ensures uniformity and quality in medical device manufacturing, enhancing patient outcomes. And by indicating that the manufacturer has implemented a comprehensive quality management system, ISO 13485 certification enhances trust and credibility among consumers. Benefits to patients include superior product quality, enhanced safety, cost and risk reduction, and improved patient satisfaction.
“Procuring ISO 13485 certification has been a top priority for ABCorp, and we are thrilled to announce this achievement,” Glazebrook said.
With a history dating back to 1795, ABCorp began as secure printers of currency for the First Bank of the United States. The company manufactures, personalizes, and fulfills contactless credit and debit payment cards; offers instant issuance programs for payment and ID cards; and provides digital solutions for authentication, payment, and customer engagement.
Today, in addition to 3D printing detailed prototypes and parts in metal and polymers, ABCorp uses omnichannel content to streamline and elevate the customer experience.