VELO3D AND MEARS EXPAND CAPABILITIES WITH DEDICATED U.S. CU-NI PRODUCTION
The ordered system will add copper-nickel capability to Mears' existing nickel-superalloy and aluminum production fleet.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Summary
Velo3D (VELO) announced that Mears Machine Corporation has ordered its sixth Sapphire XC system, expanding an existing customer relationship.
The new system will be dedicated to copper-nickel, adding in-house printing capability for an alloy family historically produced through casting. It will join five systems already producing parts in nickel superalloys and aluminum. Mears plans to combine copper-nickel additive manufacturing, machining and final inspection within one facility, using its existing operating experience and machine infrastructure.
How this balance works
Rhea-AI gives every point it takes from this document a weight. Minor counts 1, Moderate 3 and Major 9, so one Major point outweighs several Minor ones. The bar adds up the weights on each side, and when neither side holds more than 65% of the total the balance reads Mixed.
It reads the document as published, with the same rules for every company, and it does not look at what the market expected or at how the stock traded, so a point can be objectively good on a day the stock falls.
Rhea-AI Sentiment measures something else, the tone of the wording.
Positive
- Moderate pointMears ordered its sixth Sapphire XC system from Velo3D, dedicated to copper-nickel production.
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
- Sapphire XC system order
- 6th system
- Mears ordered a system dedicated to copper-nickel production
Key Terms
copper-nickel technical
laser powder bed fusion technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
"The test of production additive manufacturing is whether a customer can qualify once and then continue adding capacity and materials as demand grows," said Arun Jeldi, Chief Executive Officer of Velo3D. "Mears' purchase of its sixth Sapphire XC system demonstrates that kind of confidence in the platform. With five systems already producing parts in nickel superalloys and aluminum, Mears is now dedicating a new Sapphire XC to copper-nickel, bringing a material critical to shipyards and offshore industries into production right here in
Copper-nickel resists corrosion in seawater and holds its properties across a wide temperature range, which has made it a mainstay in shipbuilding, seawater cooling, condensers, and heat exchangers. Mears' new system will bring that capability into a commercial contract manufacturer's production fleet.
"Following a period of market, product and technical analysis, our move into copper-nickel additive manufacturing is a strategic decision," said James Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of Mears Machine Corporation. "We are building a vertically integrated Cu-Ni supply chain solution for the industry, with the ability to take a customer from additive design support through additive manufacturing, machining and final inspection—all within one facility. That changes the customer experience significantly by reducing handoffs, shortening the manufacturing chain and giving customers a single accountable partner from concept through finished hardware. For the markets we are targeting, our existing medium-to-large format machining capability is also very well matched to the size and geometry of the components' our customers need."
"Some customers are already treating laser powder bed fusion Cu-Ni components as interchangeable with traditionally cast hardware for selected applications. That creates an important opportunity to provide tooling-free replacements for legacy components, particularly where castings are difficult to source, tooling is no longer available, or volumes do not justify traditional foundry investment. At the same time, additive manufacturing gives engineers far greater freedom to develop next-generation heat-transfer and fluid-management hardware, including more integrated geometries, optimized internal flow paths and designs that would be difficult or impossible to manufacture conventionally"
The Cu-Ni system will join Mears' existing Sapphire XC production fleet, which is already supporting customer programs in Inconel 718, Haynes 282 and CP1 aluminum. Using a common production platform allows Mears to build on existing operating experience, workforce capability, quality systems and machine infrastructure as it introduces the new material. All systems run on Velo3D's Flow™ print preparation software and Assure™ quality reporting. Standardized process controls and software-driven calibration are designed to keep output consistent from machine to machine, so a contract manufacturer serving regulated industries can add capacity behind customer programs it has already qualified, rather than starting over with each new system.
About copper-nickel (CuNi30) additive manufacturing:
- CuNi30 is a 70-30 copper-nickel alloy widely used in marine and naval systems for its corrosion resistance in seawater.
- It maintains consistent mechanical and thermal properties from cryogenic temperatures to approximately 400°C.
About Velo3D
Velo3D is a metal 3D printing technology company that enables customers to build mission-critical metal parts. The fully integrated solution includes the Flow™ print preparation software, the Sapphire® family of printers, and the Assure™ quality control system—all powered by Velo3D's Intelligent Fusion® manufacturing process. Learn more at velo3d.com.
Velo, Velo3D, Sapphire and Intelligent Fusion are registered trademarks of Velo3D, Inc. Flow and Assure are trademarks of Velo3D, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "will", "could", "should", and similar expressions are intended to identify such statements. These include, without limitation, statements regarding the delivery, installation, commissioning and production use of the additional Sapphire XC system at Mears; expected material properties, part density and performance of additively manufactured copper-nickel; and anticipated customer demand for additively manufactured components. These statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks related to the timing of system delivery, installation and customer acceptance; the Company's ability to achieve expected material properties at production scale; changes in customer demand; and the other risks described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and its subsequent filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.
Investor Relations:
Hayden IR
James Carbonara, Managing Director
Media Contact:
Velo3D
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/velo3d-and-mears-expand-capabilities-with-dedicated-us-cu-ni-production-302899739.html
SOURCE Velo3D, Inc.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What system did Mears order from Velo3D, and what will it produce?
Mears ordered its sixth Velo3D Sapphire XC system, which will be dedicated to copper-nickel. The system will add in-house printing capability alongside Mears' existing nickel-superalloy and aluminum production.