--- title: "LEAP 71 and Nikon SLM Solutions produce 2 MN full‑flow engine injector head" url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/leap-71-and-nikon-slm-solutions-produce-2-mn-full%e2%80%91flow-engine-injector-head/ date: 2025-11-06 modified: 2025-11-06 lang: en author: "Davide Sher" description: "LEAP 71 has validated a 2,000 kN (2 MN) injector head for its full‑flow staged‑combustion (FFSC) rocket engine, developed in collaboration with Nikon SLM Solutions. The injector head, with a diameter of..." categories: - "Aerospace AM" - "AM for Space" - "AM Software" - "Computational Engineering" - "Formnext" tags: - "future" image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_2025-11-LEAP-71-x-SLM-2-640x427.jpg word_count: 412 --- # LEAP 71 and Nikon SLM Solutions produce 2 MN full‑flow engine injector head [LEAP 71](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/leap71/) has validated a 2,000 kN (2 MN) injector head for its full‑flow staged‑combustion (FFSC) rocket engine, developed in collaboration with [Nikon SLM Solutions](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/slm-solutions/). The injector head, with a diameter of 600 mm, was fabricated using Nikon SLM Solutions’ NXG 600E metal additive‑manufacturing system and aerospace‑grade IN718 nickel alloy. [Noyron, LEAP  71’s Large Computational Engineering Model,](https://www.voxelmatters.com/leap71-launches-noyron-large-computational-engineering-model/) generated the injector head design autonomously from high‑level specifications. The part was printed as a monolithic unit, reducing the need for assembly of many machined components and thereby shortening production time from weeks to days. The NXG 600E system from Nikon SLM Solutions enabled the reliable printing of the intricate structure in less than four days, utilizing the IN718 PROD parameter set. Noyron’s use with additive manufacturing is central to LEAP 71’s strategy. By combining computational design with large-format metal 3D printing, the company aims to accelerate iteration cycles and enable more complex, integrated hardware at scale. ![Discover the collaboration between LEAP71 and Nikon SLM in creating a validated injector head for a cutting-edge rocket engine.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_2025-11-LEAP-71-x-SLM-1.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-3-511x640.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-3.jpeg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-4-511x640.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-4.jpeg) ## Propelling innovation at impossible speed The injector head is a critical component of the XRB-2E6 engine, a planned 2 MN thrust methane/liquid-oxygen FFSC engine. Full-flow staged-combustion is widely regarded as the most efficient rocket cycle because both oxidizer and fuel are run through pre-burners; however, it presents extreme material, thermal, and manufacturing complexity. Engineering sources note that the step to meganewton-class thrust marks a significant scaling of LEAP 71’s earlier work, w[hich included smaller engines designed by Noyron and 3D printed using metal LPBF technology](https://www.voxelmatters.com/leap-71-hot-fires-3d-printed-aerospike-rocket-engine/). The practical test of the XRB-2E6 is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027. Alongside the injector, LEAP 71 is forging partnerships in additive manufacturing and the industrialization of large-scale components to validate the production chain ahead of engine testing. ![Discover the collaboration between LEAP71 and Nikon SLM in creating a validated injector head for a cutting-edge rocket engine.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_2025-11-LEAP-71-x-SLM-5.jpeg) ## It does compute Computational engineering design automation, combined with large-format metal additive manufacturing and advanced rocket engine cycles, such as FFSC, can generate significant disruption in the commercial space industry by accelerating the rate of development to unprecedented levels. If successful, the injector head may represent one of the largest and most complex additively manufactured rocket‑engine parts to date. For Nikon SLM Solutions, the project marks another clear application case of the company's capabilities in high-output aerospace metal AM systems. The next steps will be critical: LEAP 71 must integrate the injector into the full engine, conduct hardware qualification under flight-representative loads, and validate repeatable manufacturing at scale. The broader question remains whether the accelerated design-to-hardware cycle can deliver the reliability and performance required in launch-vehicle applications. [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-2-511x640.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-2.jpeg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-1-511x640.jpeg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LEAP71_SLM_XRB-2E6-1.jpeg)