Colibrium Additive, a GE Aerospace company, has announced the commercial release of its M Line 4 x 1 kW system for non-reactive materials, building on the success of the earlier M Line 4 x 400W system. The new system addresses the increasing demands of aerospace and defense manufacturers for higher productivity while maintaining the precision required for complex, highly regulated components.
“The M Line 4 x 1 kW system allows manufacturers to accelerate productivity without sacrificing quality,” said Philipp Schumann, Product Manager – M Line at Colibrium Additive. “It meets the rising demand, especially in highly regulated industries, for faster, more cost-effective production by combining precision where it matters most with efficiency across the rest of the part.”
Modular Design and Enhanced Flexibility
The M Line’s modular architecture enhances flexibility for industrial-scale production by separating the Laser Processing System (LPS) and Material Handling Station (MHS) units. This design allows upstream and downstream tasks to run in parallel, reducing stoppages caused by manual processes such as powder supply or extraction, and delivering significant time and cost savings.
Equipped with four 1 kW IPG lasers and offering a build area of 500 x 500 x 400 mm, the M Line 4 x 1 kW system combines high laser power with a modular, flexible design. With 2.5 times the laser power of its predecessor, the system enables users to maintain high-quality printing in critical areas of a component while accelerating production in less sensitive regions, helping manufacturers efficiently meet certification standards.
It currently supports CoCr and Ni718 materials, with additional parameters under development, while existing settings from the M Line 4 x 400W system remain fully compatible to ensure continuity and consistent part quality. All parameters are fully visible and editable through Colibrium’s WRX3 software suite, which also provides access to sensor and operational data streams via an OPC/UA interface.
Recent Developments at Colibrium Additive
Colibrium Additive continues to expand its industrial 3D printing portfolio with strategic installations and product launches. In January, Hyliion Holdings Corp., a developer of sustainable electricity-generating technology, installed its first M Line additive manufacturing system from Colibrium Additive. Known for its distributed power generators, Hyliion will use the system to scale production of its KARNO generator technology, marking the first deployment of the advanced M Line platform in the U.S.
Additionally, Colibrium Additive showcased new offerings at RAPID + TCT 2024, including the Spectra M electron beam melting (EB-PBF) printer, an EBMControl 6.4 software upgrade for its core EB-PBF platform, and a coarse Ti64 powder solution for L-PBF printers. The Spectra M system is now available for order, with first deliveries done in early Q1 2025, further reinforcing Colibrium’s focus on high-performance, scalable additive manufacturing solutions for aerospace, defense, and other regulated industries.
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Featured image shows M Line 4 x 1 kW system. Image via Colibrium Additive.
