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SLM Solutions has capped off a busy return to Formnext by announcing a new metal additive manufacturing system said to be capable of printing parts up to 3.0 x 1.2 x 1.2 metres.
Having not exhibited at last year's event, the company has announced the first order of its NXG XII 600E platform on the cover of TCT Magazine; the launch of a software partner ecosystem and held a joint press conference with Nikon; whose acquisition of SLM Solutions is set to be completed next year, all in Frankfurt. No image of the machine has yet been released.
SLM's large part machine concept is equipped with a core unit and a build envelope flexible in size, while leaning on many of the advantages of other SLM Solutions' machines. The company has designed the machine, which has been soft launched without a product name, to address the limitations existing powder bed metal 3D printing technologies have when it comes to part sizes. With this new product, SLM says it will be able to produce cylindrical parts with a diameter of 1.8 metres and a height of 1.6 metres or long parts up to 3 metres tall and 1.2 metres wide. SLM also claims the machine has a build rate of up to 330 cm³/h.
Sam O’Leary, CEO of SLM Solutions commented: “This is yet another piece of game-changing technology that opens up new possibilities to transition applications AM, by removing previously accepted geometrical restrictions. Every price of technology we develop is testament to our incredible team of relentless innovators, who solve our customers' manufacturing challenges and change the future of manufacturing forever.
“It is not only a simple addition to SLM Solutions machine portfolio. It is a real revolution of manufacturing. We can’t wait to show the giant and massive metal parts. It's almost unbelievable, but convince yourself.”
