September 14, 2022
TOKYO—Nikon Corporation has invested in Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Global, Inc. (HMT), the developer of technologies to “marry the freedoms of additive [manufacturing] with the precision of CNC machining.” The investment will enable HMT and Nikon to leverage their combined expertise to accelerate innovation and expand the hybrid manufacturing landscape, HMT said in a release.
According to Nikon Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Next Generation Project Division Yuichi Shibazaki, the investment in HMT is the latest component of Nikon’s Next Generation Project program to “further industrialization of digital manufacturing.”
“As an industry leader with demonstrated collaborative capabilities, HMT and its AMBIT™ portfolio are well-matched with Nikon technologies,” Shibazaki said in the release. “We look forward to working with them as part of our commitment to creating value and advancing society through novel industries like hybrid manufacturing.”
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Global, Inc. (HMT) created an approach that enables users to integrate additive manufacturing (AM) tools onto any platform. The technology is said to allow users to take full advantage of the manufacturing process by unifying multiple complementary technologies in one setup.
Parts manufacturers will often use AM processing and machining in tandem, depending upon their specific production goals and tolerances. Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies said it enabled a leap forward by unlocking the freedoms of additive manufacturing while retaining the precision and surface finish capabilities of CNC machining, all in a single system. When HMT’s patented AMBIT™ deposition heads are used, only a simple tool change is required to switch from cutting to adding metal. This gives users “unprecedented flexibility,” according to HMT.
The company’s tool changeable heads are not limited to laser processes but are also compatible with numerous materials and a vast array of deployment methods. Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies can upgrade existing vertical platforms to enable additive and subtractive machining capabilities in one system, or create bespoke solutions with customized heads to meet the user’s objectives, the company said.
“Hybrid is all about synergy,” said HMT Co-founder and CTO Peter Coates, in the release. “For the better part of 10 years in this industry, we have taken pride in the strategic nature of our collaborations, and our partnership with Nikon takes this to a whole new level by adding value to advanced manufacture.”
Nikon manufactures some of the most precise equipment in the world. Its products are used in applications ranging from semiconductor manufacturing and mass production of panels for televisions and smart devices, to medical systems, automotive, and satellites. Nikon established the Next Generation Project Division to accelerate the launch of new growth businesses, including advanced materials processing technologies, through synergies resulting from strategic investments and alliances with industry-leading companies worldwide.
“We are honored to receive investment from such a longstanding technology leader as Nikon,” said HMT Co-founder and CEO Jason B. Jones, Ph.D., in the release. “Together we will more fully deliver on the promise of additive and digital manufacturing. We expect the results of this technology will touch the lives of virtually all people on earth in the coming decades.”
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