SLM Solutions outfits MacLean Additive with SLM280 3.0

MacLean Additive acquired a new SLM 280 3.0 Production Series system from AM system OEM SLM Solutions. MacLean Additive is a start-up division of MacLean Fogg Component Solutions, one of the 100 largest automotive suppliers in North America. After acquiring Formetrix in May 2021, MacLean is also the company that supplies the Formetrix L-40 steel powder, an engineered, patented, high-performance steel alloy designed to provide users with an unparalleled combination of hardness, ductility, toughness, and 3D printability.

Durable tooling manufactured with Formetrix L-40 powder has been serially produced via SLM Solutions machines and is deployed across multiple industries and processes. A key pillar of SLM Solutions is the ability for an open-architecture system that enables Tier 1 experts like MacLean Additive to supply their customers with their unique material properties. This installed SLM machine will be used to produce hundreds of identified Formetrix L-40 3D- tools annually, with technical and economic benefits exceeding those of traditional tooling.

“Some of the most innovative use cases for Formetrix L-40 powder were developed and printed using SLM machines. This proven performance made these machines the perfect fit for our initial production product lines,” commented Greg Rizzo, Vice President and General Manager of MacLean Additive. Sam O’Leary, CEO of SLM Solutions, stated: “We’re excited to partner with MacLean Additive on the industrialization and growth of their 3D metal printing product lines. Success with another innovative powder like Formetrix L-40 tool steel adds to the list of materials validated and proven on SLM machines. We look forward to the mutual growth of Formetrix L-40 powder usage and the rapid adoption of SLM Solutions’ technology”. The machine will be delivered to one of MacLean Additive’s design and manufacturing centers in the Detroit metropolitan area.