Nikon formed Nikon Advanced Manufacturing in California to lead its metal 3D printing business. It brings together the US work of SLM Solutions, the German printer maker Nikon bought in 2023, and Morf3D, a California parts maker it had invested in. Nikon said it was the first time in its more than 100-year history that a business unit's global headquarters sits outside Japan. Manufacturing Dive and 3DPrint.com reported $25 million of initial investment; Nikon's own notice did not give a figure. The setup The company is led by chief executive Hamid Zarringhalam and co-CEO Yuichi Shibazaki. It oversees Nikon's own metal printing, machining and CT scanning tools as well as SLM's laser powder bed printers and Morf3D's parts work, while SLM and Morf3D still serve their own customers. It can also offer customers complete turnkey factories. How Nikon got here Nikon set up a division for new growth businesses such as advanced manufacturing in 2019. It invested in Morf3D first and then bought SLM. The move is part of Nikon's Vision 2030 plan to become a key technology company in digital manufacturing.
