Business Enquirer Issue 110 | SLM Solutions | February'23

THE MANUFACTURING REVOLUTION

SLM SOLUTIONS

THE MANUFACTURING REVOLUTION

What seems like a manufacturing process of the future is now very much here, helping to produce innovative parts for rocket ships and create custom made and patientmatched implants.

But those applications all seem very futuristic too, don’t they?

What SLM Solutions CEO, Sam O’Leary, wants you to know is that additive manufacturing is now forming part of the world’s day-to-day. You’ll find parts made by the manufacturing process in cars, trains and tools.

Additive manufacturing is here and now, and SLM Solutions is at the forefront of the revolution.

The Obvious Choice

SLM Solutions’ specific process of additive manufacturing is Selective Laser Melting, a process co-created by SLM Solutions Chief Engineer, Dr Dieter Schwarze.

The business’ process uses its innovative industrial metal additive manufacturing machines to mould advanced and lightweight materials into bespoke solutions for its customers, defying the limitations of traditional manufacturing.

“Our technology is now 1000 time more productive than it was twenty years ago, with a majority of that development happening in the last four to five years,”

SLM

SOLUTIONS PROJECT DIRECTED

BY: CHARLOTTE ROPE

ARTICLE

WRITTEN BY: LAURA WATLING

To the average person, it may be hard to believe that 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, was first introduced in the 1980s.

explained Sam, “it’s now a truly viable choice for customers, but additive manufacturing only has about 2% of global market share - there is tremendous potential for growth”.

As well as having the ability to to create more complex structures, selective laser melting reduces labour requirementsa clear selling point during the current labour shortages faced across the globe. Its use of lightweight materials combined with technology to design advanced structures means the final application has the ability to reduce its energy consumption, too.

Scaling Up

According to analysis, the global additive manufacturing market size has a CAGR of 21.2% from 2022 to 2030.

Matching the growth of the market, Sam

outlined a five year strategy to grow the business by a factor of five when joining SLM Solutions in 2019.

“In 2019 we had a turnover just under $50 million, at the end of 2022 we were in excess of $100 million. This achievement, during a period of unexpected market conditions, is a testament to our product and abilities,” he said.

Supporting the business’ growth plans is its recent acquisition by Nikon. As part of Nikon’s plans to increase its position in the additive manufacturing space, it acquired a 92% share of the business, which will remain as SLM Solutions.

“The year ahead is going to be an exciting period for us. The additional security in the market brought by the acquisition means that we can focus on innovations and further improve how we serve our customers,” shared Sam, “we will also benefit from Nikon’s own experience

It’s a match! How to find the right... industrial vacuum cleaner?

Dynamic, innovative industrial processes, such as Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM), need reliable and adaptable partner technologies e.g., concerning maintenance cleaning. However, the role of industrial vacuum cleaners in everyday operations is often underestimated.

Alot is happening in the industrial world right now: Since Manufacturing processes are being rethought to become adaptable ever faster, AM is playing an increasingly important role in various industries (such as aviation, medicine or automotive). This is also made clear by the current study on the state of the additive manufacturing industry, the Wohlers Report 2022: The industry can show a growth of 19.5 % compared to the previous year.

Better clean than sorry

No matter where an AM printer is used, the printer chamber must be vacuumed to ensure safe and clean operation. During the printing process, aluminium or titanium dust is produced. These are gradually deposited in the printing chamber. If the dust is stirred up, not only is the health of the employees endangered, they actually can explode!

The devil in the details

Dust? You take a vacuum and remove it. But in case of AM, it is not that easy. The metal dust can cause serious illnesses when inhaled or explode in the vacuum cleaner during extraction or at the latest afterwards. For this reason, a special industrial vacuum cleaner with inert technology is needed, such as the safety vacuum cleaner with wet separation from Evo-Products. The professional vacuum cleaner passivates and binds the explosive metal dust through a liquid bath. Therefore, they are no longer reactive.

through to the last particle

When extracting hazardous substances, really everything has to be thought of:

• Special VA and H14 cartridge filters provide clean air

•Suction bend with camlock coupling for safe connection of the suction hose

•Degasing valve for maximum safety: prevents build-up of gases and vapours.

•Every part of the Evotec vacuum is built to meet the highest safety requirements of metal dusts extraction in zone 22

•Accessories, such as the suction hose are fully ESD-conductive The flexibilty to every process, adjustable technology Evotec:

The company Evo-Products offers moreover central extraction systems, customized solutions and attaches importance to low-contamination disposal by means of Longopac.

and expertise which will only bolster our position as a pioneer”.

Supported by Nikon, Sam foresees the opportunity to grow the business footprint, which currently has application centres in China, Germany, Singapore and the US. In addition, it has sales sites in every corner of the world, ensuring it can easily connect with and efficiently support its customers.

Predominantly, SLM Solutions partners with customers in industries such as aerospace, automotive, defence and healthcare, in which the use of additive manufacturing is already mature.

Beauty in the Mundane

“With additive manufacturing becoming a more mainstream approach to production, I believe we’ll see more opportunities in the consumer electrical market,” said Sam.

And that’s just it. Additive manufacturing (and within that, selective laser melting) is seeing more uptake en masse, particularly as the next generation of engineers take

on roles within SLM Solution’s customer’s industries.

From Bugatti brake callipers to monolithic trust chambers for space applications, there’s no denying that a proportion of SLMs order book is very cool.

But what Sam loves about SLM Solutions is the solutions it can indirectly provide to the average person’s day-to-day life.

“In 2020 we worked on a project with Azienda Napoletana Mobilità, a transport company in Naples, to produce a critical part for the city’s trolleybuses. Implementing our SLM® 500, ANM and 3DnA we were able to assist ANM in ensuring the trolleybuses remained functioning, providing a vital service to residence and helping to reduce the carbon footprint in the region,” explained Sam, “This is where our technology makes a real impact on the world”.

Relentless Innovators

Born out of innovation, SLM Solutions strives to deliver the next breakthrough in the market.

Apparatus and container construction

Vacuum technology

Barrel technique

Sheet metal technology

Pipe technology

Plant and steel construction and welding technology

Engineering & reverse engineering

Machining and machining of large parts

Surface engineeringengineering

Engine & Aircraft Tooling

In November 2022, the business announced the development of a new technology which will enable the 3D printing of metal parts with a size of up to 3.0m x 1.2m x1.2m.

“This is yet another piece of game changing technology that opens up new possibilities and removes previously accepted geometrical restrictions. Every piece of technology we develop is testament to our incredible team of relentless innovators, who constantly strive to solve our customers’ manufacturing challenges,” said Sam.

Currently, SLM Solutions is made up of a 600-strong team with an average age of 35, 40% of which are engineers. “For innovation to be successful we need to allow our colleagues the freedom to explore. Our latest innovations are coming from young members of the team who have only been with us for six months,” said Sam, “it’s important that we run the business with the mindset of a group of engineers and not as a hierarchical system”.

Sam has worked with his team to create a

collaborative working environment, where failure is an accepted part of the process. “We have to troubleshoot to find the best outcome, the focus is on problem solving not quick wins,” he said.

Going full-circle, SLM Solutions will soon be launching its own apprenticeship program.

“I was a college drop-out but found my path when I started an engineering apprenticeship. I was given my first leadership opportunity in my early 20’s - someone took a chance on me, and I believe in that too. Everybody needs an opportunity to start somewhere and so I’m delighted that we can provide that platform for young people stepping into the industry,” shared Sam.

Above all, Sam says enthusiasm, intensity and attitude are key to working at SLM Solutions.

“People have to love what they do - we are changing the world at SLM Solutions”. And Sam is certainly leading by example.

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