KAM acquires Velo3D Sapphire XC printer

Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM) has acquired a Velo3D Sapphire XC printer – expanding its additive manufacturing capabilities and joining the Velo3D Contract Manufacturer Network. The purchase is Keselowski’s first from Velo3D, and the purchase continues the company’s legacy of utilizing the most advanced manufacturing capabilities on the market to deliver finished, high-quality parts to its customers.

KAM’s Sapphire XC printer is calibrated to print in a nickel-based superalloy that delivers oxidation and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. The alloy is commonly used in aviation, space, defense, and energy applications – all of which are key industries for KAM. The company purchased the Sapphire XC to enable the printing of significantly larger parts.

“Our customers are some of the most innovative companies in their industries, and, as a result, they present some of the most complex manufacturing problems to solve – this is where KAM thrives,” said Brad Keselowski, Owner, and Founder of Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing. “We are continually investing in new technologies to provide the highest quality finished parts, which starts with additive manufacturing technology but also includes quality precision machining to a finished part. With our established processes and team, we feel confident that our Sapphire XC will allow us to serve new industries by increasing the physical size of the parts we can deliver. This will be our first Sapphire XC but as demand for these parts increases, we can easily add more printers to our fleet due to Velo3D’s machine-to-machine repeatability.”

The Sapphire XC has quickly become one of Velo3D’s most popular products since its first shipment in Q4 2021. It can print parts up to 600mm in diameter, and 550mm in height. It is also available in a 1m option called the Sapphire XC 1MZ. The regular Sapphire XC can easily be upgraded to a Sapphire XC 1MZ by swapping out its build module.

“With such extensive experience in engineering, simulation, and manufacturing mission-critical metal parts, the KAM team is well equipped to put the full printing capabilities of the Sapphire XC to work,” said Dr. Zach Murphree, Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development at Velo3D. “With an extensive client base of innovative companies operating in many of the same industries we work with, Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing will see extensive utilization of their new metal additive manufacturing solution.”