Hypermetal expands metal 3D printing capacity with Nikon SLM NXG XII 600

The certified metal 3D printing service provider Hypermetal is expanding its production for aerospace and defense. The Portuguese company has commissioned a Nikon SLM NXG XII 600, a large-format laser powder bed fusion system with a multi-laser architecture. With this, Hypermetal is responding to increasing requirements for part size, throughput, and reproducibility in safety-critical programs.

Up to now, parts requiring a large build volume or high quantities in particular have been a limiting factor for existing systems. The NXG XII 600 combines an enlarged build volume with multiple high-power lasers, allowing complex components to be produced in a single run and exposure strategies to be optimized for process stability. Hypermetal is pairing this hardware with qualified process windows in accordance with EN9100 and ISO 9001 to serve aerospace programs with documented quality.

“This investment marks an important step in Hypermetal’s growth,” said Afonso Nogueira, Founder and CEO of Hypermetal. “By adding the Nikon SLM NXG system to our production capabilities, we are strengthening our ability to support demanding aerospace and defense programs with certified, high-quality additive manufacturing. It also allows our customers to access state-of-the-art technology on demand — whether to expand their own production capacity or to accelerate new developments. We see this as a strategic move toward deeper integration in the European advanced manufacturing supply chain.”

The investment is part of a funded project under “Portugal 2030 – Productive Innovation.” The program supports companies in building advanced manufacturing technologies. In a letter of support, the Portuguese space agency PT Space highlights the contribution to European sovereignty in the space sector, in particular for propulsion structures and other mission-critical LPBF components.

“Nikon SLM Solutions offers unmatched reliability and productivity for large-scale additive manufacturing,” said Nogueira. “The NXG platform’s precision, scalability, and proven performance for aerospace applications perfectly align with Hypermetal’s goals of delivering flight-critical components under EN9100 and ISO9001 quality standards.”

“Hypermetal represents exactly the type of forward-looking partner driving the European AM ecosystem forward,” said Sam O’Leary, CEO of Nikon SLM Solutions. “Their investment in the NXG XII 600 underscores how industrial-scale metal AM is evolving from an experimental technology to a trusted production tool for critical applications in aerospace and defense. Together, we’re enabling a more resilient, capable, and independent European manufacturing supply chain.”

On the application side, Hypermetal is initially focusing on functional parts and demonstrators for propulsion systems, structural components, and thermal management solutions. The NXG XII 600 is intended above all to enable geometrically complex, weight-optimized structures made from high-performance materials such as Inconel. In the long term, the company is positioning itself as a qualified subcontractor for large-format metal AM projects, thereby expanding the available capacity and certified quality in the European 3D printing supply network.