Velo3D is partnering with Sandia National Laboratories to improve the consistency and reliability of metal 3D-printed parts across different machines and manufacturing sites.
The five-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) provides a framework for joint research into metal additive manufacturing for the defense industrial base and energy infrastructure.
The agreement establishes the terms for individual research projects, which will require separate approval through Project Task Statements.
Planned areas of work include part reliability, manufacturing consistency across machines and facilities, materials development, and workforce training and technology transfer.
A key focus is repeatability. Velo3D’s Golden Print File methodology is designed to reproduce the same manufacturing process across its Sapphire printer systems.
The company and Sandia will examine how consistently a metal part produced on one machine can be replicated on another.
“Metal additive manufacturing research, in combination with Sandia’s other capabilities, offers a tremendous opportunity to advance the state of the technology, and working with its team gives us a rigorous research partner on the questions that matter most to programs moving parts into production at scale,” Velo3D CEO Arun Jeldi said.
Velo3D Expands Defense Collaborations
The Sandia agreement adds to Velo3D’s growing portfolio of partnerships with US defense agencies and industrial companies focused on developing and qualifying metal additive manufacturing for military applications.
In January, the company entered a separate agreement with the US Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center to develop and qualify 3D-printed parts and assemblies for combat vehicles and other military systems.
The effort includes testing Velo3D’s qualified alloys and using its Rapid Production Solution to develop alternatives to traditionally manufactured components.
In December 2025, the company secured a $32.6-million contract with the Defense Innovation Unit for Project FORGE, which seeks to address manufacturing bottlenecks affecting a major weapons program.
Velo3D had also announced a collaboration with RTX in August 2025 to develop a faster, more cost-effective 3D printing process for defense applications under a US Army initiative.
