Deployable aluminum 3D printing with Molten Metal Deposition

ValCUN makes industrial aluminum 3D printing deployable with Molten Metal Deposition. Our Minerva system melts industry-standard aluminum wire and deposits it directly—without metal powder or lasers—for fast, affordable and sustainable production and research.

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Aluminum Additively manufactured part via Molten Metal Deposition( MMD). Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)

“Metal AM can unlock a new era for industrial manufacturing, but only with a deployable and cost-effective solution. This is what ValCUN does.”

Dr. ir. JONAS GALLE, CEO

Deployable

Fits through a normal doorway, has a regular EU/US plug, uses a single-step process, and runs on industry-standard aluminium alloys.

Minerva Printer fits through regular door Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)

Trusted
materials

We aim for trusted aluminum alloys, with extension possibilities to copper, magnesium and polymers.

Wire-based system including industry-accepted aluminum alloys. Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)

Cost effective

Achieving a 75-90% cost reduction compared to other AM solutions through process-wide cost-effectiveness.

Example of Aluminum manufactured parts printed on Minerva machine. Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)
NO LASERS
NO POWDER FEEDSTOCK
NO SUPPORTS
NO BASEPLATE
NO DEBINDING
NO SINTERING

The benefits of Molten Metal Deposition (MMD) over other technologies

Deployable aluminum additive manufacturing

INDUSTRY

Our Minerva printer delivers best-in-class deployable aluminium additive manufacturing in a compact and sustainable design, making high-quality metal additive manufacturing accessible and efficient for industry applications.

Research & Development
Minerva comes with an open parameter set, open materials, open data acquisition, as well as an open nozzle architecture. You have the freedom to tweak your parameters for your needs, or stick to the defaults.
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Learn about Molten Metal Deposition
Men operating Minerva machine, showcasing that industrial metal AM machines can be deployable.
A series of Minerva AM machines in a production hall.

“Use the aluminum alloys you trust with ValCUN’s deployable aluminum additive manufacturing technology, boosting product capabilities and efficiency while preserving your legacy materials.”

Dr. ir. JAN DE PAUW, CTO
Aesthetic lampshade 3D printed in aluminum.
Custom aluminum jig/fixture manufactured via MMD.

Applications & Collaborations

Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)

Molten Metal Deposition (MMD) offers a range of applications for research institutions and universities. Think material science research, engineering applications, sustainable manufacturing practices, automation, as well as more interdisciplinary applications.

Client Spotlight:

Sirris, a Belgium research collective, is currently using our Minerva printer to develop business cases for its clients.

Other Collaborations:

We’re also involved with several other projects that aim to push the envelope of additive manufacturing. Projects like as 3DoP, DIAMETER, LEVIATAD, and GreenAM, as well as a collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).
Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)

Hear from our partners & clients about deployable aluminum additive manufacturing

Imperial College
“Valcun’s technology is impressive for its speed and cost effectiveness, particularly, considering the light-weight Aluminium alloys being utilised which are extremely attractive for the aerospace sector.
 Dr Jonas Galle (CEO) has been brilliant in communicating all the latest developments of their technology and has taken a (refreshingly) collaborative approach to help the Molten Metal Deposition or MMD community grow!”Dr. Ajit Panesar, Dept. of Aeronautics, Imperial College London
UNIVERSITY OF TWENTE
“The knowledge gained through our partnership with ValCUN and the metallographic results of their Molten Metal Deposition technology will hone our research and education in physical and mechanical metallurgy, paving the way toward additive manufacturing of difficult-to-print alloys.”Dr. Davoud Jafari, University of Twente — Advanced manufacturing, Sustainable Products & Energy Systems
Politecnico di Milano
“I collaborated with the ValCUN team on the upside-down printing of aluminum structures, successfully validating the technology’s viability for in-space manufacturing. I was particularly impressed by the accessibility of ValCUN’s technology, enabling broader applicability, and by its capability to produce microstructural dense components within short timeframes.”Prof. Riccardo Casati — Politecnico di Milano
HVAC Manufacturer
“ValCUN’s technology allows our organization to develop novel and configurable fan geometries not available on the market today due to cost and time .  The technology ValCUN possesses lets us target multiple strategies to ensure our end-use customers are satisfied with the fan’s performance for the entire lifespan of the product at a price point that suits our, and there, needs.”VP Production
Università Politecnica delle Marche
“In a metal AM landscape filled with overlapping technologies, the Molten Metal Deposition (MMD) additive manufacturing system proposed by ValCUN stands out as a 3D freeform evolution of casting, filling the gap of 3D printable aluminum alloys and avoiding drawbacks such as lack of adhesion and hot cracking. We are looking forward to continu the collaboration.”Prof. Eleonora Santecchia, Associate Professor in Metallurgy, Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (DIISM), Università Politecnica delle Marche
Sirris
“What we value … regarding the Valcun solution are its low capital expenditure, rapid production compared to competitors, ease of handling fostering flexibility, and the capability to print Al-alloys tailored for diverse industrial applications spanning sectors like lightning industry, components sector, metal construction or machine building”Walter Auwers (Business Manager Advanced Manufacturing, Sirris)
Warwick
“The Molten Metal Deposition technology is truly a game changer in the additive manufacturing of aluminium alloys. Our collaboration with ValCUN has highlighted significant advantages of MMD in improving weldability of printed parts over other AM technologies. We look forward to continuing our exciting partnership and exploring new opportunities together.”Dr. Tianzhu Sun, Laser beam welding group at WMG, University of Warwick, UK
Leibniz University Hannover
“Discover the pioneering potential of ValCUN's aluminum 3D printing process! We believe it is the future for producing lightweight, durable, single-piece components with exceptional form fidelity for various scientific applications. And as a game-changer for In-Space Manufacturing, we are excited to collaborate with ValCUN on this revolutionary journey.”Dr. Christoph Lotz, Institute of Transport and Automation Technology, Leibniz University Hannover
CASE SPOTLIGHT:

Fan blades printed by ValCUN are saving data centers $6M/year.

ValCUN’s 3D-optimized fan blades boost efficiency by 10%, generating over €6 million in annual electricity savings across 7,000 fans in more than 10 data centers. ValCUN’s technology delivers these results with cost-effective investment for manufacturers.

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Press

ValCUN is shaping the future of metal 3D printing

February 7, 2024

ValCUN featured in emerging AM technologies analysis

March 20, 2023

ValCUN is one of the top 5 impacting companies in metal 3D printing

February 9, 2022

Read More Press

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Have any questions about deployable aluminum additive manufacturing or need assistance? Feel free to leave us a message, and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Deployable Aluminum Additive Manufacturing with Molten Metal Deposition (MMD)
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