Nikon SLM Solutions implements advanced metal 3D printing software from Materialise

Nikon SLM Solutions and Materialise presented a joint project to develop the next generation of build processes for metal 3D printing, integrating SLM Solutions 3D printers with the Materialise CO-AM platform. The cooperation is intended to enable companies using the open architecture of Nikon SLM 3D printers to have a very high degree of autonomy in customizing 3D printing processes.

With the arrival of the NXG series machines, Nikon SLM Solutions has become a supplier of high-performance metal 3D printers intended for large-scale production. Equipped with twelve 1 kW lasers, these machines feature the largest build chamber in the industry, enabling unmatched part sizes and volumes in a single pass. A large number of 3D printers require processing significant amounts of data, which traditionally increases computation times, thus complicating the workflow to initiate 3D printing jobs.

Bridging the gap between data preparation and getting started is essential to realizing the full productivity potential of your 3D printer fleet. Nikon SLM Solutions and Materialise have combined expertise to develop a next-generation system that eliminates this bottleneck. At the same time, it will provide 3D printer users with the freedom to modify the production process according to their requirements. The premiere of the new version of the system is planned for the coming months.

3D print compilation acts as a conduit between 3D printers and data preparation software such as Materialise Magics. Once the data is prepared, a large amount of information needs to be processed to provide the machine with the information it needs to produce the part. The new version of the Materialise compiler speeds up this phase by offering users the flexibility to adjust process parameters to optimize results.

In conjunction with the new build system, users of Nikon SLM Solutions machines will enjoy direct connectivity to the Materialise CO-AM platform via SLM.Link – the open communications interface of the Nikon SLM Solutions platform. CO-AM makes it easier for users to integrate 3D printers with existing manufacturing systems and improve workflow from order entry to delivery. The software platform provides access to supporting solutions from Materialise and third parties, including CO-AM partner solutions for design automation, mass customization, automatic labeling and various post-processing technologies. CO-AM enables 3D printer users to combine and manage technologies from different machine manufacturers on one platform.

Source: www.slm-solutions.com