Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Technology Acquires Sapphire XC Large-format Printer from Velo3D
Velo3D, a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company for mission-critical parts, announced that Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Technology (SBOT), a leading provider of high-precision components for the oil and gas industry, has purchased a Sapphire XC large-format printer to expand its additive manufacturing capabilities. The new Sapphire XC printer is calibrated to print metal parts in Inconel® 718 and will support the growing demand for 3D-printed parts from SBOT customers. The company’s latest printer enhances production capabilities, delivering high-volume parts at a reduced cost. Furthermore, it supports the printing of large-scale components up to 600 mm in diameter and 550 mm in height.
SBOT has extensive expertise in manufacturing high-quality components for the oil and gas industry, including more than a decade of experience offering its customers additive manufacturing capabilities. In addition to its operations in Europe, the company’s subsidiary, Knust-Godwin, operates a fleet of printers from Velo3D in its Katy, Texas, facility. After seeing the print capabilities and adoption of Velo3D’s technology in the U.S., SBOT became the first Velo3D contract manufacturer in Europe in November 2021 with the purchase of a Sapphire printer calibrated to print in Inconel® 718. By adding a Sapphire XC printer, SBOT can easily scale the production of parts previously printed and qualified on the Sapphire printer.
“Additive manufacturing continues to see growing adoption and through Velo3D’s Sapphire XC 3D printer, our team can scale up the production of parts for customers with the Sapphire XC’s 400% throughput increase over the original Sapphire,” said Campbell MacPherson, SBO EVP of Advanced Manufacturing. “It will also increase the addressable use-cases for metal additive manufacturing by unlocking the capability of producing larger parts, allowing us to maintain our position as a leader in the industry.”
The Sapphire XC 3D printer offers SBOT unparalleled geometric design freedom, enabling the production of highly complex, mission-critical parts with uncompromising precision and efficiency with one of the largest print volumes available today. The contract manufacturer also offers conventional manufacturing capabilities like CNC milling and turning, heat treatment, material testing, and polishing. This allows SBOT to deliver finished, ready-to-use parts to its customers.
“We are thrilled to partner with SBOT and expand our presence in Europe with our first Sapphire XC installation at a contract manufacturer,” said Benny Buller, Founder and CEO of Velo3D. “SBOT’s commitment to delivering high-quality components aligns perfectly with our mission to enable manufacturers to unlock the full potential of their products through additive manufacturing. We are confident the Sapphire XC’s advanced capabilities will empower SBOT to achieve new heights of innovation and excellence in their manufacturing processes.”
Velo3D’s expanding presence in Europe marks an exciting development for the additive manufacturing industry. The partnership with SBOT serves as a testament to Velo3D’s impact on the manufacturing industry in Europe and further strengthens its position as a global leader in advanced metal 3D printing.
With a deep-rooted background in the oil and gas industry, Velo3D is well-versed in the unique challenges faced by this sector. The company’s expertise in additive manufacturing technology enables the production of complex geometries, improving the efficiency and reliability of critical components in the oil and gas field. By embracing Velo3D’s innovative solutions, SBOT can elevate its manufacturing processes, resulting in enhanced performance, reduced lead times, and increased operational agility.
About Velo3D
Velo3D is a metal 3D printing technology company. 3D printing—also known as additive manufacturing (AM)—has a unique ability to improve the way high-value metal parts are built. However, legacy metal AM has been greatly limited in its capabilities since its invention almost 30 years ago. This has 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 has overcome these limitations so engineers can design and print the parts they want. The company’s solution unlocks a wide breadth of design freedom and enables customers in space exploration, aviation, power generation, energy, and semiconductor 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 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 SpaceX, Honeywell, Honda, Chromalloy, and Lam Research. Velo3D has been named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023.
