Nikon SLM Solutions Collaborates with Materialise to Propel and Interlink Metal 3D Printing Capabilities

- Emergent Materialise Build Processors Augment Process Efficiency
- Nikon SLM Solutions 3D Printers Achieve Connectivity with Materialise CO-AM

Lübeck, Germany, November 08, 2023 – Nikon SLM Solutions and Materialise, both global leaders in 3D printing technologies, unveil a collaborative venture to cultivate the ensuing generation of Materialise build processors (BP) tailored for Nikon SLM Solutions printers, seamlessly integrating them into the Materialise CO-AM platform. As manufacturers increasingly pivot towards metal additive manufacturing (AM) for end-use components, the call for enhanced part quality, competitive pricing, and swift production is paramount. This collaboration gives the option to equip manufacturers within Nikon SLM® open architecture with a powerful autonomy to customize their 3D printing processes.

With the advent of NXG machines, Nikon SLM Solutions is positioned as a provider of highly productive metal 3D printers designed for high-volume manufacturing. Powered by twelve 1kW lasers, these machines boast the largest build envelope in the industry, facilitating unparalleled part sizes and quantities in a single run. The expansive printer volume necessitates the processing of a substantial data volume, which traditionally elongates calculation times, thus impeding the workflow to initiate print jobs. Bridging the gap between data preparation and actual printing is vital to harnessing the full productivity potential. Nikon SLM Solutions and Materialise have amalgamated expertise to curate the next-gen BPs for Materialise, addressing this bottleneck and providing AM users the latitude to modify their 3D printing process as per their requisites. The novel BP is slated for release in the upcoming months for NXG and all SLM users employing Materialise software solutions.

Nicolas Lemaire, Product Manager - Software, Product Control, and Strategic Partnerships at Nikon SLM Solutions, articulated, “Working with Materialise, we have made a giant leap in developing a high-performative build processor. With this next generation of build processors, our customers using Materialise software will save time during the print job setup and profit from tools to optimize their print process.”

A BP acts as a conduit, linking 3D printers with data preparation software like Materialise Magics. Post-data preparation, an extensive data volume requires processing to furnish the requisite information for the 3D printer to fabricate the parts. The forthcoming Materialise BPs expedite this phase, offering AM users the flexibility to customize process parameters to optimize application outcomes. This milestone was achieved through the Materialise BP Software Development Kit (SDK), fostering close collaboration during development and allowing machine manufacturers to securely encapsulate their own intellectual property (IP). Nikon SLM users will revel in markedly reduced calculation times, with the liberty to optimize machine parameters through the Nikon SLM Open Architecture or utilize the Materialise BP SDK to formulate parameters and create their own IP. By fine-tuning print parameters, AM users can attain the sweet spot of cost-efficiency, production speed, and part quality, enabling the manufacture of intricate parts and mass production of identical or personalized products with consistent quality, reduced scrap rates, and abbreviated lead times.

 “Nikon SLM Solutions and Materialise share a vision of open systems that enable AM users to make optimal use of their equipment and connect it to their preferred solutions,” says Bart Van der Schueren, CTO of Materialise. “We look forward to offering the next generation of BPs to Nikon SLM Solutions users and providing them access to software solutions covering the whole AM workflow.”

In conjunction with the emergent Materialise BPs, Nikon SLM Solutions users will relish direct machine connectivity to the Materialise CO-AM Software Platform via SLM.Link, Nikon SLM Solutions' open platform communication interface. CO-AM facilitates users to integrate their 3D printers into existing production systems and refine the AM workflow from order inception to delivery. The software platform unveils access to auxiliary solutions from Materialise and third parties, including CO-AM partner solutions for design automation, mass customization, automated labeling, and various post-processing technologies. CO-AM empowers AM users to connect and manage technologies from diverse machine builders over a singular platform.

About Materialise

Materialise incorporates 30 years of 3D printing experience into a range of software solutions and 3D printing services, which form the backbone of the 3D printing industry. Materialise’s open and flexible solutions enable players in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, automotive, aerospace, art and design, and consumer goods, to build innovative 3D printing applications that aim to make the world a better and healthier place. Headquartered in Belgium, with branches worldwide, Materialise combines one of the largest groups of software developers in the industry with one of the largest 3D printing facilities in the world. For additional information, please visit: www.materialise.com.

About Nikon SLM Solutions

Nikon SLM Solutions AG is a global provider of integrated metal additive manufacturing solutions. Leading the industry since its inception, it continues to drive the future of metal AM in every major industry with its customers’ long-term success at its core. Nikon SLM Solutions is home to the world’s fastest metal additive manufacturing machines boasting up to 12 lasers and enabling build rates of up to 1000ccm/h. With a portfolio of systems to suit every customer's needs, along with its team of experts closely collaborating at every stage of the process, Nikon SLM Solutions leads the way on return on investment with maximum efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Nikon SLM Solutions believes that additive manufacturing is the future of manufacturing and has the desire and capability to take its customers there – right now.

Nikon SLM Solutions AG is a Company headquartered in Germany, with offices in Canada, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States.

Further information is available on www.slm-solutions.com.