Velo3D Empowers Metal 3D Printing Advancement With Flow Developer

Velo3D, Inc. (NYSE: VLD), a player in additive manufacturing technology for critical metal parts, has unveiled Flow Developer, an addition to the company’s Flow print preparation software. This new offering offers users transparency and control over the parameters employed in the 3D printing process, bridging the gap between traditional methods and Velo3D's integrated solution.

Flow Developer, https://velo3d.com/, integrated into Flow 7.0, Velo3D’s latest print preparation software, provides editor-level access to print parameters. This empowers companies with the flexibility and control needed to seamlessly transition additive manufacturing projects to Velo3D’s comprehensive solution. Users can leverage their existing knowledge and experience, fine-tune parameters for specific applications, and develop new material processes with ease. This streamlines the migration process and facilitates the optimization of additive manufacturing operations.

“It can be a challenge to produce repeatable results across different metal 3D printers—even when they’re the same model of printer—however, Velo3D’s solution can consistently produce parts within spec across any of its printers, which provides huge benefits for companies looking to scale production of their parts,” said Additive Manufacturing Manager at Ursa Major, Thomas Pomorski. “When our team first tested Flow Developer, we transferred parameters we developed on a non-Velo system, hoping we could easily produce the same part on Velo3D’s system and then take advantage of the scalability it provides. On our first try, we imported a part with highly complex, sensitive features and achieved incredible results that were within specification. Since then, we’ve accomplished the same process with other parts and in some cases, have been able to reduce print time by nearly 50% without sacrificing accuracy or quality.”

Prior to its official release, Flow Developer underwent testing with select customers, including Ursa Major, a company specializing in rocket propulsion technology. Engineers were able to seamlessly integrate their custom parameters into Velo3D solutions, streamlining production scalability as their applications evolved.

“Velo3D’s mission has always been to provide an additive manufacturing solution that delivers repeatability from machine-to-machine, which is still a big shortcoming with legacy metal 3D printers,” said Brad Kreger, CEO of Velo3D. “Previously, we did this by providing pre-defined parameters within the system, which left customers wanting to know what’s inside our ‘black box’ and looking for more flexibility. When you combine Flow Developer with our ability to produce identical parts using the same print file, we strike the perfect balance between usability, repeatability, and flexibility. This has allowed these early access customers to think outside the box of conventional additive manufacturing to progress beyond their current limitations and realize true production scalability for their parts.”

Flow Developer complements Velo3D's integrated solution, which includes hardware and software designed to ensure machine-to-machine consistency. Alongside Flow, Velo3D's offering includes the Sapphire family of printers and Assure quality assurance software, providing end-to-end support for additive manufacturing operations.