SLM Solutions Group AG officially introduced the new NXG XII 600 next-generation system for metal additive manufacturing. The new machine is packed with features to support 12-laser manufacturing and large part production, marking significant milestone for the manufacturing industry, as it will revolutionize the industrialization of metal additive manufacturing using SLM technology.

Key developers joined SLM Solutions’ CEO, Meddah Hadjar to present all these technical features from the company’s headquarters in Lübeck, Germany (see video above).

On behalf of SLM Solutions, Hadjar highlighted that the launch is much anticipated: “We are very pleased to introduce our customers to the most productive selective laser melting system available in the market. Together with our partners, we are happy to push the limits of additive manufacturing and be the beacon for innovations to come.”

SLM Solutions continues to hold many patents making machine features such as bi-directional recoating, multi-laser overlap stitching, and laminar gas flow exclusive to the brand. SLM Solutions was the first OEM to bring multi-laser technology to the market and, as a pioneer in the field, will continue to redefine the technology’s boundaries with this new machine and its capabilities.

Much like the first multi-laser systems, the new 12-laser NXG XII 600 system will add several orders of magnitude of complexity in optimizing and controlling the AM process. It’s not just about adding lasers but also cooling the molten metal powder, ensuring that the build chamber atmosphere and the powder itself remain stable and detecting errors among other issues. In the video above, SLM engineers explain how they handle these and several other issues. The result is the ability to print very large parts, such as the engine housing in the image below, in record time.

A few months back, the company had revealed it was working on 12-laser technology, under the SLM Cube brand. Back in 2018, CTO Henner Schöneborn stated that the development of the SLM Cube machine with a build chamber of 600×600 mm and a minimum of 12 Lasers was on track for a 2019 release. It may have taken a little bit longer, but the machine is finally here.

Along with the excitement of a new machine, SLM Solutions has also decided to rebrand: the company’s new logo can now be seen promoting the machine launch, with a new website soon to follow. Excited to disclose the rebrand, Hadjar commented: “Over the past year and a half, the wonderful workforce at SLM Solutions has labored long and hard to revitalize our company and to create a better experience to serve our customer base. Because of their amazing dedication and hard work, we realized that our logo and branding do not speak to the company we are today.” SLM Solutions’ rebranding goes deeper than colors and shapes – committed to its upward growth, the company is laser-focused on the future and leading the industry in metal additive innovation.