Jane Edwards 
HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division has placed an order for Nikon SLM Solutions’ NXG 600E additive manufacturing system to support the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding programs.
Nikon SLM said Tuesday the purchase makes the HII division the first U.S. shipyard to deploy Nikon SLM’s NXG 600E.
“This latest NXG 600E order underscores the strategic importance of metal additive manufacturing to U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs, and marks another milestone in Nikon AM’s holistic approach towards scaling the defense industrial base on U.S. shores,” said Hamid Zarringhalam, CEO of Nikon Advanced Manufacturing and chairman of the board at Nikon SLM Solutions.
“We are proud to strengthen our relationship with HII and the Navy to deliver the AM capabilities that are imperative to national security,” Zarringhalam added.
What Is Nikon SLM’s NXG 600E?
NXG 600E is a large-volume, multi-laser platform from Nikon SLM Solutions designed to produce large components.
The system features a removable build cylinder and comes with 12 lasers, each capable of generating 1000 watts of power to accelerate the production of parts.
What Does HII Newport News Shipbuilding Do?
HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding has over 26,000 employees focused on designing, building and maintaining nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines.
The Newport News, Virginia-based division has developed and maintained more than 800 ships for the U.S. Navy and commercial customers.
