AO Metal A30 — benchtop LPBF metal 3D printer
Real metal printing a lab can simply buy.
The A30 is a compact benchtop LPBF metal 3D printer for research and teaching labs. A fiber laser melts metal powder into fully dense parts in one step, every process parameter is open, and trying a new alloy costs tens of grams of powder. Designed and manufactured in the U.S.A.
3DExplore the A30 in 3D: walk around it and open the print module →
What the A30 is
A way into metal, and an instrument for developing it.
We designed the A30 for the stage that comes before production. A materials group uses it to qualify a new alloy, map where the melt pool stays stable, print tensile and density coupons, and show students how each setting changes the result. For many labs it is the first metal printer they own, instead of sending every trial to an outside bureau.
How it works: a recoater spreads powder a few tens of microns thick, a galvo-steered fiber laser melts the cross-section, and the build cylinder drops for the next layer. Parts come off the plate fully dense, with no binder to remove and no furnace step. The machine runs from a dedicated 120 V single-phase, 50 A circuit and draws less than 2 L/min of argon, so it fits an existing lab without a dedicated machine room.
Inside the A30
See it in 3D
Take the A30 apart in your browser.
Walk around the machine, pull out the print module, change the filter and watch it print in the lab. If a question comes up, ask an engineer from inside the tour.
A30 Explorer, full screenThe whole tour in its own window: seven chapters, two lab films and the question form.Open full screen →
Print module in 3DOpen the lid, run the recoater, move the build platform and show the argon flow over the plate.Open the model →
Service, step by stepRemoving and refitting the print module, changing the filter and adjusting the monitor.See the procedures →Price and what is included
- A30 printer with 1064 nm fiber laser and Ø30 × 60 mm build cylinder
- AO Build Studio and AO Build Slicer — perpetual licence, no yearly fee
- Kit of wear parts, plus the factory warranty
- On-site installation and operator training with your own powder
- Build programs our engineers have validated for the alloys you plan to run
- Powder supply after delivery, and one engineer who knows your machine
Each A30 is assembled for its order. A $4,500 deposit reserves your build slot; it is refundable and counts toward the price. Purchasing departments can order against our formal quotation and invoice; leasing and financing are also offered.
Key features and benefits
What a trial costs in material
Trying a new alloy is a question of grams.
Powder needed for a build of test coupons 10 mm tall:
Filling the whole build cylinder takes roughly 453 g of 316L or 260 g of Ti-6Al-4V. A 10 mm test cube itself contains just 7.9 g of steel.
Fully open
Settings that belong to you
- Laser power, scan velocity and scan pattern
- Hatch distance and layer height
- Separate contour and infill exposure, set zone by zone
- Parameter libraries saved in AO Build Studio
What we deliberately left out
- Proprietary powder cartridges or chipped bottles
- A list of "approved" materials
- Yearly software fees
- Any lock that stops you running your own powder
Alloy not yet in our validated set? Our process engineers develop its parameters and give you the finished program.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | A30 |
|---|---|
| Build envelope | Ø30 × 60 mm · Ø1.18 × 2.36 in |
| Technology | Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) |
| Laser | Fiber laser, 1064 nm · 200 W, 300 W option |
| Laser spot | 75 µm · 55 µm optional |
| Scan system | Galvo scan head + F-theta lens |
| Max scanning speed | Up to 12 m/s |
| Layer thickness | 15–100 µm |
| Accuracy | ±0.1% |
| Build plate heating | Not included |
| Inert gas | Argon, under 2 L/min |
| Parameter | A30 |
|---|---|
| Material change | About 1 hour |
| Power supply | 120 V AC, 1-phase, 60 Hz · max 2.5 kW · dedicated 50 A circuit |
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 1000 × 620 × 1100 mm · 39.4 × 24.4 × 43.3 in |
| Weight | ≈100 kg · 220 lb |
| Software | AO Build Studio + AO Build Slicer · 64-bit Windows 10 |
| File format | STL |
| Operating temperature | 22–28 °C · 71.6–82.4 °F |
| Alloys proven to date | 9 |
| Lead time | 8–14 weeks |
| Price | $59,000 · 200 W · $64,000 · 300 W |
Materials supported
Any qualified powder, with parameters for the standard alloys.
Copper, gold and silver need the 445 nm blue laser, which is offered on the A50 and A100.
Use cases
Parts printed on AO Metal
Where the A30 stops
The A30 has no blue laser and no build-plate heating; the 445 nm blue laser and 900 °C heating are A50 and A100 options. Parts larger than Ø30 × 60 mm also belong on those two machines. They run the same AO Build Studio, so parameters and habits carry over.
| Model | A30 | A50 | A100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build envelope | Ø30 × 60 mm | Ø50 × 100 mm | Ø100 × 100 mm |
| Format | Benchtop · ≈100 kg | Floor-standing · 350 kg | Floor-standing · 350 kg |
| Laser | 200 W · 300 W option | 300 W · 500/1000 W option | 300 W · 500/1000 W option |
| 445 nm blue laser | — | Optional | Optional |
| Build plate heating | Not heated | 250 °C · 900 °C option | 250 °C · 900 °C option |
| Material change | 1 hour | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Price | $59,000 | from $89,000 | from $99,000 |
Make your own powder
With an ATO ultrasonic atomizer and a Microtrac particle analyzer beside the A30, the whole materials cycle stays in one room: turn your alloy into spherical powder, check its size distribution and shape, then print it. If you prefer not to atomize yourself, we can produce a custom batch in three to four weeks. R&D solution, PDF
Questions
What materials does the A30 support?
It is an open system with no approved-material list. It supports stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, cobalt chrome, aluminium, maraging steel and more; nine alloys are proven on the A30 to date, and validated parameters are supplied for the standard ones.
How is it different from other metal 3D printers?
It is a true LPBF printer that fits on a bench and runs on a 120 V single-phase supply, with every parameter open and no software subscription.
How fast does it print?
The galvo scanner moves the laser at up to 12 m/s. Build time depends mostly on part height and layer thickness, from 15 to 100 µm.
How much maintenance does it need?
Routine maintenance is filters, seals and the recoater blade — standard components you can buy locally. Spare parts ship from California.
What is the build volume?
Ø30 × 60 mm (Ø1.18 × 2.36 in), chosen so that a trial build costs grams of powder. For larger parts, the A50 and A100 use the same platform.
Is it easy to set up?
Yes. It fits through standard doors and elevators, needs a dedicated 120 V, 50 A circuit and argon, and installation and training on your own material are included.
We have never run a metal printer. Is that a problem?
Most A30 owners start exactly there. Operator training on your own powder is part of every installation, and the validated build programs mean your first jobs start from settings that already work.
Can you support an alloy that is not on your list?
Yes. Our engineers develop and validate parameters for it and you receive the program. The A30 never blocks a powder you bought or made yourself.
What service and support do we get?
The factory warranty is included, wear and spare parts are stocked in California, and you reach an engineer directly rather than through a ticket system.
Downloads
Ready when you are.
Ask for a formal quotation with configuration, price, payment terms and lead time — or call (747) 800-4854, [email protected].