Velo3D (NYSE: VLD), a leading metal additive manufacturing technology, has announced that Hermeus, a private company developing hypersonic aircraft for defense and commercial applications, will utilize Sapphire 3D-printing equipment to build parts for Hermeus’ Chimera engine and Quarterhorse aircraft.

The engine is a turbine-based combined cycle engine that will power Hermeus’ first aircraft, Quarterhorse, an autonomous aircraft designed to touch high Mach speeds and prove reusability. Hermes has planned Quarterhorse’s first flight for 2023.

Benny Buller, Velo3D CEO and Founder commented: “Hypersonics is an extremely challenging subset of the aviation industry and at the speeds that Hermeus will achieve, temperature, vibration, and aerodynamics play major factors in the flight of the aircraft. There are not many teams with the deep experience in hypersonics, aviation, and space flight that Hermeus has, and we’re truly honored to provide Sapphire printers to help them achieve their goals.”

Velo3D’s metal additive manufacturing technology has seen extensive adoption in the hypersonics and NewSpace industries due to its ability to build the complex, mission-critical parts engineers need without compromising design, quality, or performance. The company says that customers can print existing designs without the need to design the parts for additive manufacturing or obtain specialized training.

Shares of Velo3D trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol VLD.