AO Metal — laser powder bed fusion metal 3D printers
The first real metal printer a lab can simply buy.
AO Metal builds compact LPBF printers that melt metal powder into fully dense parts, from a benchtop A30 at $59,000 to the A100 with four times the build area. For many teams it is the first metal printer in the building; for materials scientists it is an instrument for developing alloys, with every parameter open. Designed and built by Additive Plus in Gardena, California.
The line
Three printers, one software, one way of working.
Moving up the line is two different steps. From the A30 to the A50 you gain materials: the blue laser and the hot plate. From the A50 to the A100 you gain space. The software, controls and open parameters are the same on all three, so nothing has to be relearned.
Why AO Metal
See it print
Inside the build chamber.
Recorded through the viewing window of an AO Metal printer: the recoater spreads a fresh layer of powder, then the laser traces the next cross-section of the parts on the plate. Each pass adds a few tens of microns, and the finished parts come out fully dense, with no binder and no sintering step.
Every system ships with AO Build Studio and AO Build Slicer and with proven parameter sets for the alloys you order, so a first build starts from settings that already work.
Materials
Nine alloys proven on the A30, sixteen and more on the A50 and A100.
The list is open: if an alloy is not on it yet, our process engineers develop and validate its parameters. Powders are available from us under the A-Powder line.
Parts printed on AO Metal
Who it is for
With every printer
Included
- AO Build Studio and AO Build Slicer, with proven parameter sets for your alloys
- Build plate, powder dispenser, filters, seals and changeover tools
- Installation and operator training on site
- A named engineer and a 12-month warranty on laser, scanner, blower, motors and electrics
Buying
- Formal quotation and invoice for purchasing departments
- Academic pricing for universities
- Some configurations ship from stock; built to order in 12 to 16 weeks
- Leasing and financing on request
From alloy to part
The R&D bundle puts an ATO Lab atomizer, a Camsizer X2 particle analyzer and an AO Metal A50 in one lab. Melt your alloy into spherical powder, check its size and shape before you print, then build with it, and change one variable at a time. What used to take months of ordering powder becomes a working week. R&D bundle, PDF
Questions
How much does an AO Metal printer cost?
The A30 is $59,000 with a 200 W laser and $64,000 with 300 W. The A50 starts at $89,000 and the A100 at $99,000; the 500 W and 1000 W versions, the blue laser and the 900 °C plate are quoted on request.
Which printer should we choose?
Start from the material and the part size. Steels, titanium, nickel alloys and aluminium in parts up to Ø30 × 60 mm fit the A30. Copper, precious metals or crack-prone alloys need the A50 with the blue laser or hot plate. Larger parts or more parts per build point to the A100.
Is this real metal printing?
Yes. All three machines use laser powder bed fusion: a laser melts metal powder layer by layer into fully dense parts, with no binder to remove and no furnace sintering.
What do we need in the lab to run one?
Argon, a wet vacuum cleaner (explosion-proof for reactive metals) and a powder sieving machine. The A30 and the 300 W A50 and A100 run on 110 V single phase; the 500 W and 1000 W models need 220 V three phase.
How long does delivery take?
Some configurations ship from stock; a printer built to order takes 12 to 16 weeks. Installation and training follow delivery.
Can we use our own powder?
Yes. There are no powder cartridges and no locks. Proven parameter sets come with the printer, and for a new alloy our engineers develop and validate the parameters for you.
Downloads
Tell us the alloy and the part.
We will say which printer fits, and send a formal quotation with configuration, price and lead time. Call (747) 800-4854 or write to [email protected].