Seamless Integration: Meltio’s Approach to Metal AM for Industries – Interview with Ángel Llavero López de Villalta

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Linares, Spain, Meltio has established itself as a key innovator in metal additive manufacturing. The company specializes in wire-laser metal deposition (LMD), a Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process that uses welding wire as feedstock to produce fully dense metal parts. By layering wire within a laser-generated melt pool, Meltio offers an efficient and precise approach that serves both industrial and research applications. In an interview with 3Druck.com, CEO Ángel Llavero López de Villalta discusses how Meltio’s metal 3D printing solutions are benefiting industries and their potential for broader applications.

Meltio’s product portfolio addresses diverse manufacturing needs. The compact Meltio M450 is ideal for industrial prototyping and small-scale production, while the Meltio Engine CNC Integration transforms CNC machines into hybrid systems capable of both additive and subtractive manufacturing. For larger and more complex projects, the Meltio Engine Robot Integration facilitates 3D printing, repair, and cladding operations. To simplify adoption, the company also offers the Meltio Robot Cell, a turnkey robotic manufacturing solution.

A standout feature of Meltio’s systems is their use of commodity welding wire, which is safer, cleaner, and more accessible than metal powders. This reduces operational costs and complexity while supporting advanced features such as dual-wire printing for anti-corrosion treatments and real-time alloy creation.

With over 300 systems installed globally, Meltio’s technology is used in prototyping, mold and die production, maintenance, and short-run manufacturing. A notable example is its deployment onboard the USS Somerset, where Meltio’s technology enabled the crew to fabricate critical metal parts directly on the ship, highlighting its adaptability in unconventional environments.

Interview with Ángel Llavero López de Villalta

In the interview with 3Druck.com, CEO Ángel Llavero López de Villalta highlights the industries currently benefiting from Meltio’s wire-laser metal 3D printing solutions, such as aerospace, automotive, and defense. He also discusses the seamless integration of their technologies into manufacturing workflows and their potential to expand applications in various sectors.

Which industries are currently benefiting most from your technology and do you see potential for new applications?

Currently, industries such as aerospace, automotive, defense, mining, and oil and gas are benefiting the most from our technology. These sectors actively use and validate our innovative Meltio wire-laser metal 3D printing solutions, including the Meltio M600 metal 3D printer, Meltio Engine Robot integration, Meltio Engine CNC integration, and Meltio Robot Cell. These technologies enable the creation and repair of metal parts using various materials, such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper, Inconel, Invar, nickel, and many others. The metal parts produced with our solutions are exceptionally reliable, meeting the high standards required by these industries. Moreover, we see significant potential for expanding the applications of our technology into new sectors, further demonstrating its versatility and effectiveness.

How seamlessly can your systems be integrated into existing manufacturing workflows?

Our systems are designed for seamless integration into existing manufacturing workflows. The Meltio Engine Blue, for instance, works effortlessly with industrial robotic arms and vertical machining centers, enabling advanced metal 3D printing with minimal reconfiguration. A prime example is its use onboard the USS Somerset, where it helped fabricate critical metal parts directly on the vessel, demonstrating its adaptability in non-traditional settings.

Additionally, our blue laser technology simplifies system architecture by eliminating fiber optics, reducing maintenance, and enhancing reliability. These innovations make it easier for manufacturers to adopt and scale our technology, improving efficiency and flexibility in their workflows.

Additive manufacturing has advanced significantly in recent years. Which innovations or technological breakthroughs do you consider particularly transformative within the field of metal 3D printing?

One of the most transformative breakthroughs in metal 3D printing is our recent innovation, the Meltio Engine Blue. This technology marks a significant advancement in wire-laser metal Directed Energy Deposition (DED) printing. The Meltio Engine Blue is specifically designed for industrial companies that require highly reliable metal parts, combining productivity, efficiency, and versatility.

What makes it so transformative is its integration flexibility. It can be seamlessly paired with both robotic arms and vertical machining centers, opening up new possibilities for creating complex geometries in an industrial environment. Key innovations include a 1.4 kW blue laser head, an improved wire feeding system, and the elimination of fiber optics. These features simplify the integration process, reduce maintenance requirements, and improve reliability, which are critical factors for industries like automotive, aerospace, defense, and energy.

Moreover, the Meltio Engine Blue supports a broad range of materials—stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and copper, to name a few—enhancing its adaptability to various manufacturing needs. This innovation not only accelerates production but also ensures that the quality of the printed parts meets the high standards required in these industries. It’s a game-changer for scaling additive manufacturing in industrial applications.

Looking ahead, what impact do you foresee additive manufacturing and Meltio’s 3D printing solutions having on various industries?

The world of additive manufacturing is constantly evolving, and Meltio is actively contributing to this evolution through the conceptualization and design of metal parts. New industrial applications are emerging, and with the adoption of these advanced technologies, we will uncover groundbreaking innovations and explore new geometries enabled by additive manufacturing. At Meltio, we remain steadfast in our commitment to innovation and will continue to lead in this area in the future.

In 2024, we launched the new Meltio M600 industrial metal 3D printer and introduced an integration system to simplify the use of a robotic arm, transforming it into a 3D printer capable of producing more complex geometries in industrial environments: the Meltio Engine Blue. By 2025, the consolidation and advancement of these two products will drive transformative change across various industries, including defense, mining, automotive, energy, oil, and gas, among many others.

Our metal 3D printing solutions, designed to revolutionize industries worldwide, are developed in our state-of-the-art factory located in Linares (Jaén), from which we export to over 60 countries globally.

Here you can find more information about Meltio.