BPMI Picks Velo3D’s Sapphire XC Printer to Support Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

Velo3D, a California-based additive manufacturing company, has secured a contract from Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. to support the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.

ATI, another BPMI subcontractor for the Navy program, will operate Velo3D’s Sapphire XC large format printer to speed up parts production for the program. Sapphire XC features an integrated hardware and software solution that allows users to print parts with complex designs at scale without requiring extensive support structures.

The 3D printer has been recognized as an effective solution for producing defense-related parts, 3D Printing Industry reported Monday.

BPMI’s selection came months after the Department of Defense granted Velo3D’s Sapphire printers Green-Level Security Technical Implementation Guide compliance. The approval allows DOD users to use Sapphire printers connected to the agency’s secret and non-classified networks.

In other developments for the Navy, HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division worked with General Dynamics Electric Boat and AMMCON to develop a nuclear submarine component using additive manufacturing. The development is part of the companies’ efforts to identify 3D printing alternatives for copper-nickel castings used in shipbuilding applications.