The newly released NXG XII 600E from SLM Solutions, based on the 12-laser NXG XII 600 platform and featuring an extended 1.5M build envelope in the Z-axis, received its first order from Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), the prime contractor for a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) project. AFRL funded this work to leverage additive manufacturing for advanced DoD applications. Customers who already have the NXG XII 600 installed or are about to install customers can take advantage of its extensible architecture and have the option to upgrade their system to unlock the advantages of the extended Z build envelope. NXG XII 600E expects a scheduled delivery in 2023.
“We are pleased to continue our long-term partnership with SLM,” says Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. “SLM is clearly a leader in the additive manufacturing equipment arena, and we look forward to collaborating and expanding the possibilities of additive manufacturing for defense applications in this exciting opportunity in support of critical AFRL mission requirements.”
The industrialization of metal additive is moving rapidly as the NXG XII 600 has revolutionized the market. Customers are demanding larger metal parts at lightning speeds. Serial production of complex geometries can now be completed in hours or days rather than weeks and months driven by the most productive 12 1kW laser solution that produces up to 1000cm/hr. The NXG XII 600E also features the largest build envelope in the industry that exceeds its nearest competitor by 90% sparked by 50% more z-height.
Manufacturing on Demand
The original NXG XII 600
Sam O’Leary, CEO for SLM Solutions further commented: “These are the partnerships that are a testament to SLM Solutions’ ethos; it is only in close collaboration with them that we can push the limits of innovation. To take a market leader like that of the NXG XII 600 as a blueprint, extend the envelope to 1.5m, coupled with the precision and reliability of our systems, and our hands-on support allow our customer to develop with agility–almost at the Mach-speed that we are designing this system to build parts for.” He added, “We are especially pleased to be teamed with CTC, a highly regarded premier research and development organization with an outstanding record of securing technology transition successes.”
The NXG XII 600E is designed as the most advanced production system on the market today. The solution features an End-to-End Production workflow including external cool-down unpacking to maximize machine uptime allowing job-to-job turnover under one hour versus reported “days” on competing technology. In addition, the NXG platform features SLM Open Architecture allowing maximum flexibility to tailor process parameters to optimize application results with maximum productivity using 90µm layer thickness and beyond in commonly qualified materials that can be processed including IN718, AlSi10Mg, TiAl6V4 & copper alloys. Support-free printing with Free Float capability offers maximum freedom in design, and reduces the need for both support structures and post-processing time by up to 90%. SLM. Quality performs efficient and robust quality assurance with documentation, process qualification, and part certification with the ability to generate a quality report “in 2 clicks” and fully document process data and validate part quality.
Driving the development of this new innovative system was the customer’s need to produce larger components made from high-temperature materials that can withstand the extreme performance requirements in the defense, space, and aviation industries. The NXG XII 600 is the epitome of a production system in that it is 20x faster than a single-laser system and 5x faster than a quad-laser system, thus driving the lowest possible cost for end-use parts in automotive and energy sectors in addition to the previously mentioned.
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