Belgium-based ValCUN is probably one of the most fascinating start-ups I talked to last year. Given the complexity of the Belgian market for AM companies, I admire every single milestone they reach to accelerate their go-to-market strategy.
If you don’t remember, ValCUN develops a molten metal deposition (MMD), a solution they describe as “an analogy to FDM but with molten metals”. Named Minerva, their flagship 3D printer aims to address challenges relating to safety risks, cumbersome post-processing, and high capital costs, preventing wider adoption of metal AM. To do so, it uses wire as the feedstock, delivering a deployable, safe, and easy-to-use metal printer that produces near-net-shape metal parts.
“We are excited to announce the start of pre-orders for our disruptive, deployable metal 3D printer,” said Jonas Galle, CEO and Co-Founder of ValCUN. “Customers are stressing the need for an easy-to-use, easy-to-deploy solution that reduces post-processing and time-to-part, while remaining cost effective. We are glad to announce that the MMD technology delivers just that and are looking forward to supporting our customers in their metal AM utilization”.
ValCUN, backed by several private investors, has previously received funding from ESA, the European Union, and the Flemish government. The company has already received several LOIs from manufacturing and research institutes in Europe and abroad. Â The Minerva printer is expected to be in high demand for universities, research institutes and innovation-driven companies and will focus on aluminum and high-strength alloys, a press release states.
ValCUN will start taking pre-orders for its upcoming Minerva printer at RAPID-TCT in Chicago on May 2nd 2023.
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