Let’s face it: When many people think additive manufacturing (AM), they think about making things out of metal. Not everyone. But many.

Manufacturing just resonates with metal.

And while there is a handful of companies that are producing machines capable of producing metal parts, the whole approach just got a huge kick-start today as manufacturing technology innovator Renishaw plc acquired MTT, a U.K.-based firm with particular expertise in selective laser melting (SLM).

And these SLM machines can produce parts with stainless steel, tool steel, aluminum, titanium, cobalt-chrome, and Inconel. Not merely your run-of-the-mill metals, but really hard-core materials.

MTT SLM250 has a standard metal part build volume of 250 x 250 x 300 mm.

The company is now on the third generation of its equipment. It uses a fiber laser to melt metal powders; the materials are melted in a chamber in which there is minimal oxygen (they pull a vacuum, then put argon gas into the chamber), to help assure the material integrity of the final part. One of the key aspects of this third-gen equipment is that it has been built to be robust—“machine tool-like”—such that this truly is manufacturing-capable—as well as being economical to use and easy to maintain.

While Renishaw is perhaps most widely known for its metrology offerings—coordinate measuring machine (CMM) touch probes, in particular—there is also considerable work being done at the engineering technologies company on improving manufacturing processes, including those where precision is paramount, as in aerospace and medical applications, two where SLM tech is ideal.

Look for AM to become more prevalent on a global basis, as Renishaw has footprints in all major markets and offices in countries ranging from Argentina to Zimbabwe.