Velo3D, a U.S.-based metallic additive manufacturing (AM) firm, has signed a four-year Cooperative Analysis and Improvement Settlement (CRADA) with the U.S. Naval Air Techniques Command (NAVAIR). Introduced on June 4, 2025, the collaboration includes two NAVAIR federal labs: the Naval Air Warfare Middle Plane Division (NAWCAD) and Fleet Readiness Middle East (FRC East). The partnership goals to qualify superior metallic AM supplies and processes for flight-critical parts in army plane programs.
Embracing superior additive manufacturing options
“This CRADA with NAWCAD and FRC East represents a major milestone in advancing our means to offer exact, repeatable, and scalable additive manufacturing options for the protection trade,” mentioned Arun Jeldi, CEO of Velo3D.
The settlement will leverage Velo3D’s Sapphire household of metallic 3D printers, together with its built-in Circulation print preparation software program and Guarantee high quality management system. The joint effort will concentrate on materials characterization, course of qualification, and software growth for high-performance parts utilized in demanding army environments.
Paul Charron, Additive Manufacturing Lead at FRC East, described the CRADA as a chance to “enhance mission readiness and enhance system efficiency” via superior AM applied sciences. The initiative is predicted to assist fast iteration, price effectivity, and better flexibility in manufacturing for the U.S. Navy’s aviation platforms.
This partnership marks a strategic transfer to increase AM capabilities deeper into protection functions, the place qualification, repeatability, and efficiency are mission-critical.
Velo3D’s increasing footprint in aerospace & protection
Based in 2014, Velo3D has positioned itself as a specialist in unlocking beforehand unprintable geometries in high-value metals. Its prospects embrace main aerospace and vitality firms comparable to SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, and Aerojet Rocketdyne.
This CRADA accelerates Velo3D’s rising involvement in protection and aerospace sectors. Bechtel Plant Equipment Inc chosen Velo3D’s Sapphire XC system this previous yr to assist the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program by way of ATI’s Florida-based AM hub.
Protection adoption of metallic AM applied sciences
Velo3D’s CRADA with NAVAIR is a part of a transparent shift inside U.S. protection circles towards integrating metallic AM into mission-critical workflows. Simply final yr, AML3D’s large-scale ARCEMY WAAM programs have been absolutely operational on the U.S. Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Middle of Excellence in Virginia. In the meantime, the Navy, alongside ASTM and BlueForge, has been spearheading efforts to certify AM suppliers to bolster its submarine industrial base.
Furthermore, as famous in a current skilled interview on Navy shipbuilding technique, public–personal partnerships are key to scaling superior manufacturing throughout naval upkeep and readiness operations.
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Characteristic picture exhibits the Velo3D sales space at RAPID + TCT 2025. Photograph by 3D Printing Trade.
