Meld Manufacturing Hits Milestone with 3D Printed Metal Parts

A milestone for large part manufacturing was reached at Meld Manufacturing Corporation. The company fabricated components in excess of 55 inches in diameter using off the shelf Aluminum 6061. Components have solid walls, some over 4 inches (102 millimeters) thick. The size of the components is a milestone for the company and represents the advantages the open-air printer offers in scalability. The material, despite its widespread utilization in industry, is not compatible with other metal additive technologies. With the Meld technology, metal additive manufacturing of large structures typically produced using a forging can now be printed on demand.

A reduction in domestic mills and forges has created more demand than foreign capacity can supply. COVID-19 has exacerbated delays globally. “Prior to the pandemic our customer told us that these parts, printed in a few days at Meld, would have taken them up to two years to get from their supply chain. This global economic shutdown likely added 6 months or more to that 2-year lead time estimate,” states Director of Technology Dr. Chase Cox. “Meld represents an opportunity to re-establish domestic manufacturing capability at a critical time.”