Nikon SLM Options and ArianeGroup have entered right into a strategic partnership to assist the manufacturing of ultra-large-scale elements—exceeding one cubic meter—by way of metallic additive manufacturing utilizing powder mattress fusion. The preliminary machine supply underneath this partnership shall be unique, marking a significant milestone for each corporations and setting a brand new benchmark within the aerospace and protection industries.
Amongst its many actions within the house business, ArianeGroup is the lead contractor for the Ariane 6 European launcher, developed for the European House Company (ESA), and for the M51 strategic missile, which serves because the spine of France’s oceanic deterrent drive underneath the French Defence Armament Procurement Company (DGA). The corporate additionally offers a complete vary of house, protection, and industrial gear and providers, each independently and in collaboration with its subsidiaries: Sodern, Pyroalliance, Nuclétudes, and APP. Within the space of house launchers, ArianeGroup’s subsidiary Arianespace is chargeable for advertising Ariane 6, whereas MaiaSpace, one other subsidiary, is creating and commercializing the reusable launcher Maia.
Equally owned by Airbus and Safran, ArianeGroup reported revenues of €2.5 billion in 2024. With 8,300 extremely certified staff throughout France and Germany, ArianeGroup possesses distinctive experience in entry to house, protecting the total lifecycle of civil and navy launch techniques. This contains design, growth, manufacturing, integration, flight preparation, operational readiness, and end-of-life decommissioning.
The powder mattress fusion know-how employed on this course of ensures the exact layering of high-performance supplies, enabling the manufacturing of geometrically complicated components at a scale beforehand thought unattainable.
“ArianeGroup is a key international participant within the house business. Our collaboration demonstrates the effectiveness of our know-how and showcases how Nikon SLM’s improvements can meet the demanding wants of strategic, high-tech clients,” stated Julien Frugier, Gross sales Supervisor, Nikon SLM Options
This partnership highlights the rising significance of additive manufacturing as a foundational know-how within the house business. By decreasing the necessity for meeting and enabling the creation of light-weight, high-performance elements, Nikon SLM Options offers ArianeGroup with new alternatives to shorten lead occasions and decrease prices for complicated, ultra-large-scale {hardware} utilized in important liquid propulsion functions.
