Nikon Invests in Ai Build Limited

Nikon Corp. announces an investment in Ai Build Limited (Ai Build), based in UK, which specializes in 3D printing software, through the Nikon-SBI Innovation Fund. (Investment amount is undisclosed.). This investment will expand the range of value delivered to customers in additive manufacturing (AM) and accelerate Nikon's business expansion.

Ai Build's 3D printing software is compatible with Nikon's adopted AM technology, the directed energy deposition (DED) method, allowing for rapid generation of modeling paths for complex shapes. When used in combination with Nikon's Metal 3D Printer Lasermeister 100A series, it provides a solution for AM that enables automation and multi-variety variable production.

In the Medium-Term Management Plan announced in April 2022, Nikon emphasized strengthening digital manufacturing business with a particular focus on positioning material processing as a growth driver. Leveraging long-standing expertise in opto-electronics technologies and precision control technologies, Nikon, in collaboration with Ai Build, will drive innovation in the manufacturing industry by delivering tailored solutions that align with customers' modeling needs, Nikon reports.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.