Faiborida 3D, a Foshan-based metal AM equipment and powder maker, has launched the SLM M500, a laser powder bed fusion printer with a 500 x 500 x 500 mm build envelope run by four lasers instead of the usual one or two.
Each of the four IPG fiber lasers puts out 500 W at 1064 nm, paired with SCANLAB scanning systems and F-theta lenses. Layer thickness runs 0.02 to 0.2 mm, and Faiborida quotes a forming efficiency window of 20 to 80 cm³/h.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Build volume | 500 x 500 x 500 mm |
| Lasers | 4x 500 W IPG fiber, 1064 nm |
| Layer thickness | 0.02-0.2 mm |
| Forming efficiency | 20-80 cm³/h |
| Accuracy (≤100mm) | ±0.1 mm |
| Accuracy (>100mm) | ±0.1% of length |
The pitch is straightforward: four lasers scanning in parallel either cut build time on a single large part or let more parts share a plate, without needing the floor space of a bigger single- or dual-laser machine. Faiborida lists compatible materials as stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, titanium alloys, tool steel, aluminum alloys and high-temperature alloys, and the company makes its own metal powders in-house alongside SLA resins and FDM filaments.
The M500 slots above Faiborida’s existing SLM M100, M150D and M280 systems, which the company positions from research through production use. No price, ship date or resolution/dimensional test data beyond the accuracy figures above have been published.
What is missing from the announcement: price, availability or ship date, laser spot size, inert gas/oxygen level specs, and any independent measurement of the throughput or accuracy claims. The forming efficiency range (20-80 cm³/h) is not tied to a specific material or laser count in the source, so it is unclear whether that figure is per laser or for all four combined.