Nikon SLM Solutions SLM 500 — Technical data

The SLM 500 is Nikon SLM Solutions' large-format production machine; according to the Nikon group it was the first LPBF system with four lasers when it appeared in 2013. In its current form, four 700 W fibre lasers expose a 500 × 280 × 365 mm build envelope in parallel. The build cylinder is exchangeable: while one job cools and is unpacked under inert gas in the Part Removal Station, the machine can already start the next. Powder is sieved by the PSV and fed in a closed loop. It is common in automotive, energy and space applications and at contract manufacturers, often with aluminium and titanium alloys.

The used market holds machines from many different years, with two or four lasers at 400 or 700 W – the exact configuration drives productivity and value. Check the hours on each laser, calibration of the laser overlap, the condition of the exchangeable cylinders, whether PSV and PRS are included, and floor space, weight and the 63 A connection at the destination.