Material Capabilities in Metal Additive Manufacturing: Performance and Application Insights

The success of metal 3D printing relies heavily on the synergy between material properties, machine capabilities, and application demands. As industries like aerospace, defense, and automotive push the limits of performance, the choice of metal alloy in additive manufacturing becomes a strategic decision—not just a material selection.

At Nikon SLM Solutions, our focus is on enabling customers to leverage the full potential of industrial metal additive manufacturing (AM) through proven materials, scalable platforms, and expert engineering support. This article explores the core materials widely used in metal AM today, their application potential, and how the right system and partner can accelerate success.

Titanium: Lightweight Strength for High-Performance Applications

Titanium alloys, particularly Ti6Al4V Grade 23, are widely used in metal AM due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. These characteristics make titanium a natural fit for high-performance structural components in aerospace, such as brackets, engine mounts, and airframe parts where every gram counts while maintaining a high strength. In defense, titanium is increasingly used in armor systems and aerospace platforms requiring lightweight protection and thermal resistance. Thanks to its biocompatibility, titanium alloys are also used in medical applications.

Titanium’s high affinity for oxygen and nitrogen makes it challenging to process, requiring a tightly controlled atmosphere throughout production. Advanced metal additive manufacturing systems with ultra-low oxygen environments and stable processing conditions are essential for achieving consistent, high-quality results when working with this demanding material. Moreover, titanium alloys are prone to residual stresses leading to distortion or even cracks, which can be avoid using a proper thermal management system throughout the entire production process.

Aluminum: Complex Geometries with High Throughput

Aluminum alloys, such as AlSi10Mg and F357, offer excellent mechanical properties with low density, making them suitable for applications that require lightweight structures and/or thermal conductivity. Automotive manufacturers leverage additive manufacturing to produce aluminum components such as brackets, heat exchangers, and motor housings, especially in electric vehicles where reducing weight is critical to maximizing battery range.

In aerospace and defense, aluminum is widely used for internal aircraft components, drone structures, and thermal management systems. Nikon SLM Solutions’ high-speed, multi-laser systems make it possible to produce complex aluminum parts economically and at scale. Metal AM can complement traditional casting methods by enabling rapid iteration, lightweight designs, and the production of geometries that are difficult or impossible to achieve with conventional tooling.

Stainless Steel: Durable and Versatile for Functional Parts

Stainless steel, particularly 316L and 17-4 PH, is one of the most versatile materials used in AM. It offers good corrosion resistance, ductility, and mechanical strength, making it ideal for producing tooling, housings, medical devices, and fluid handling components.

In the automotive industry, stainless steel is commonly used for high-wear components, tooling, and functional prototypes. Its ease of processing and reliable performance in additive manufacturing make it a go-to material for both development and production. Nikon SLM Solutions offers validated parameter sets for stainless steel, enabling manufacturers to achieve consistent mechanical properties and repeatability across builds.

Copper: Advanced Conductivity for Energy and Electromagnetic Applications

Copper presents unique challenges in AM due to its high thermal conductivity and reflectivity. However, with optimized process parameters and the right laser configuration, pure copper and copper alloys can be successfully printed, opening up a range of advanced applications.

In aerospace and defense, copper is used for passive and active thermal management, including heat exchangers, rocket engine components, and antenna elements. In automotive, copper is gaining traction for electric vehicle components such as busbars, induction coils, and power electronics cooling systems.

Nikon SLM Solutions has developed specialized parameters for copper alloys to ensure full-density builds, precision geometries, and excellent conductivity, making it possible to manufacture complex internal cooling channels and fine features previously impossible through conventional means.

Inconel: High-Temperature Resilience for Extreme Environments

Inconel, particularly IN718 and IN625, is a family of nickel-based superalloys used for high-temperature and corrosive environments. These materials are critical in aerospace and defense propulsion systems, gas turbines, and exhaust components where parts are subjected to extreme stress and thermal cycling.

Additive manufacturing allows engineers to design internal cooling channels, lattice structures, and functionally graded materials to improve thermal efficiency and reduce component weight. Nikon SLM Solutions’ systems maintain the process stability required for printing Inconel with minimal distortion and superior surface finish, even for intricate geometries.

Niobium: Specialized Performance for High-Temperature and Reactive Environments

Niobium is a refractory metal known for its exceptional high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and superconducting properties. Though less commonly used than titanium or Inconel, niobium plays a critical role in specialized aerospace and defense applications, such as rocket propulsion systems, hypersonic vehicles, and plasma-facing components in experimental reactors.

In metal additive manufacturing, niobium’s high melting point and reactivity require precise control of processing parameters and a stable, inert atmosphere. Nikon SLM Solutions’ systems are well-equipped to meet these challenges, offering a controlled build environment and customizable parameter sets to ensure part integrity and repeatability.

Applications include nozzles, combustion chamber linings, and heat shields that must withstand extreme thermal loads without structural degradation. As demand increases for next-generation propulsion systems and advanced thermal protection, additive manufacturing of niobium alloys is expected to grow in both research and production environments.

Scalable Production with the NXG XII 600

Material performance in AM is only as effective as the system that processes it. The NXG XII 600 is Nikon SLM Solutions’ flagship production system, engineered for high-volume manufacturing with a 600 x 600 x 600 mm³ build envelope and equipped with 12 powerful lasers, each boasting 1000 Watts of power.

The NXG XII 600 is ideally suited for industries such as aerospace, defense, and automotive, where large, complex parts must be produced at scale. With validated parameters for materials like titanium, aluminum, Inconel, and stainless steel, the system enables efficient production of mission-critical components without compromising quality.

To help customers select the right platform, our comparison page provides a side-by-side view of all Nikon SLM Solutions systems. This tool allows users to compare build sizes, laser configurations, compatible materials, and productivity metrics to identify the system that best fits their production needs.

A Strategic Partnership in Materials and Applications

Choosing a partner in metal AM goes beyond selecting a machine. At Nikon SLM Solutions, we provide deep expertise in both materials and applications. Our in-house materials science team works continuously to develop and qualify new alloys, while our application engineers collaborate directly with customers to optimize part design, printing parameters, and post-processing strategies.

Whether you are developing next-generation aerospace components, defense systems, or automotive innovations, Nikon SLM Solutions offers the expertise, technology, and support to help you succeed. From early-stage R&D to full-scale production, we are your partner in building the future with metal additive manufacturing.

Our Mission, to Empower Yours

To learn more about how Nikon SLM Solutions can help you optimize your manufacturing processes, please contact our team.