SLM Solutions' NXG XII 600 Enables High-Volume Production
Machine features 12 lasers designed to use in serial production for high-volume applications as well as for printing large parts.
SLM Solutions NXG XII 600
The SLM Solutions NXG XII 600 is designed to be one of the fastest machines on the market with 12 simultaneously operating lasers at 1 kW each and a square build envelope of 600 × 600 × 600 mm. The company says the machine’s technological innovations and automated features enable it to operate 20 times faster, compared to a single laser machine, and its technical features enable it to provide high productivity and reliability. It is designed to be used in serial production for high-volume applications as well as for printing large parts.
According to the company, the machine’s improved use of laser time in the build process enables excellent buildup rates. The machine also enables large overlap and is based on a tailor-made laser scanning system to best fit the build area. All 12 optics provide spot-size definition via a double lens system (zoom function), enabling customers to choose between different spot sizes in the focal plane which boosts buildup rates to 1,000 cc/h and more, enabling lower cost per part.
The NXG XII 600’s automated features facilitate its integration into factories and supply chains, including an automatic build cylinder exchange and automatic build start as well as an external preheating station and external depowdering station. A gas-flow setup along with an optimized chamber design and sinter-wall technology work to produce homogeneous part properties all over the building platform. The bidirectional recoating has been redesigned to be more compact and gas-flow optimized.
The NXG XII 600’s machine design boasts a thermal concept, which reduces drifts to a minimum and enables customers to print seamless parts stitched together with up to 12 lasers. The machine also comes with a user interface concept that focuses on the operator, which optimizes the workflow and reduces training requirements. The machine is available with two powder handling options — a gravity-based and a vacuum-based solution — that both keep downtime between each build job to a minimum.
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