Aerospace parts maker StarHagen has joined the Velo3D Contract Manufacturer Network with the purchase of an end-to-end solution from the additive manufacturing technology company. Its new Sapphire printer is calibrated to print in Inconel 625, a nickel-based superalloy designed for high-strength, and to resist high temperatures and corrosion.

“Our team has extensive experience manufacturing high-value parts for aerospace applications and to maintain our leadership position in the industry we knew we needed an additive manufacturing solution,” says Scott Anderson, StarHagen managing director. “In our evaluation of offerings on the market we found that none could exceed the capabilities delivered by Velo3D. The company's unique capability of printing parts with minimal supports and its extensive adoption within the aerospace industry, including with some of our existing customers, gives us the confidence that we will be successful with our deployment.”

StarHagen specializes in manufacturing with extreme precision for prototype and production volume manufacturing. In addition to its new Sapphire printer, the company also operates a variety of CNC machines, including those capable of 4- and 5-axis machining, which will enable it to provide complete turn-key parts for its customers. StarHagen has extensive experience working with various exotic alloys, including those commonly used in aerospace applications like Inconel 625. The company is AS9100 certified, giving its customers the confidence in quality they require.

“While Velo3D provides many OEM customers with additive manufacturing technology for their in-house machine shops, many aerospace companies prefer to obtain finished parts from known and trusted contract manufacturers,” adds Benny Buller, Velo3D ceo and founder. “StarHagen's extensive experience in delivering high quality parts for mission-critical aerospace applications makes the company a great candidate for a Sapphire printer.”

Headquartered in Mooresville, N.C. (a suburb of Charlotte), StarHagen will be the first Velo3D Contract Manufacturer Network located on the eastern U.S. coast. Charlotte's manufacturing industry has already experienced broad adoption of additive manufacturing. The city is home to several additive manufacturing service bureaus, which help customers with part design and other services.

StarHagen selected Velo3D in part due to its ease-of-use. Once operational, Velo3D Sapphire printers can easily be monitored by operators like those experienced in traditional CNC machining.