EOS is showcasing a number of developments at Euromold 2014. —The EOS M 400, an the additive manufacturing system it launched last year for industrial series production, show cases EOS’ strategy for the metal segment. Customers can use it in research, development and series production.

This machine has a modular, extendable platform design and a laser with power up to 1000 W. It has completed pilot customer tests and is going into series production. Key developments for this machine are better process stability and productivity, and the possibility of manufacturing even larger components. A recirculating filter system with automated self-cleaning reduces filter changes and increases operation time. It also offers automatic unpacking and automatic powder treatment

Build volume is 400 x 400 x 400 mm. The first expansion stage for the basic version will initially be offered with the materials EOS Aluminum AlSi10Mg and EOS NickelAlloy IN718, suitable for use in the automotive and aerospace industries in particular. Processes for further materials are under development.

–PA 1102 black material. PA 1102 black is a material made from renewable resources. It is a mass-coloured Polyamide 11 material for the manufacturing of deep black, highly resilient parts. Due to its color, built parts are resistant to dirt or discoloration even under extreme conditions. The material has a high flexibility, bendability and impact resistance so that the parts will not split even under excessive load conditions. The material’s mechanical properties suit serial parts, highly stressed functional models as well as design prototypes.

 

— The natural-coloured PA 1101 has gained in importance among customers. A number of serial applications have been implemented based on this eco-friendly material. Established biocompatibility and food grade approvals carried out (e.g. cytotoxity according to DIN EN ISO 10993-5) and all have been successful based on part examination. Consequently, there is growing interest in the material from the medical and food industry.

 

–EOS launched the EOS M 290 at this year‘s Rapid.Tech. This machine is the successor to the EOSINT M 280, designed for the tool-free production of high-quality serial components, spare parts and prototypes. With a build volume of 250 mm x 250 mm x 325 mm, the EOS M 290 permits flexible and economic manufacturing of metal components.

Key features include: process chamber, gas stream, and process parameters. With the aid of EOSTATE PowderBed, a camera built into the process chamber monitors the powder bed, following powder deposition and exposure, by means of still images. EOSTATE Base ensures the consistent monitoring of a range of parameters, including the position of the Z axis or scanner, laser power, air humidity, temperature and pressure. Finally, EOSTATE LaserMonitoring measures the laser power throughout the entire build period.

 

The system is equipped with a 400 Watt laser. The EOS M 290 can be operated under an inert (nitrogen) atmosphere or under argon, which permits processing of a great breadth of materials. These include light alloys, stainless and tool-grade steels, and superalloys. The EOS parameter sets ensure that parts can be manufactured with standard property profiles.

The EOS ParameterEditor lets you modify a range of exposure parameters. You can develop your own parameters for specific applications on the basis of the EOS parameter sets. These include laser power and exposure speed or strategy. A new version of the Parameter Editor is currently under development, which will also allow modification of layer thickness, inert gas stream, build platform temperature, and skip layers.

The EOSYSTEM machine software allows intuitive and task-oriented operation through a graphic user interface, which was developed especially for production environments. In addition, an operator assistant is included to guide you through the program.

The new EOSPRINT Desktop Software allows jobs to be prepared and computed directly at the workplace, separately from the build process. The job file can then be transferred through the network to the system to build the part. Offline job preparation lets complex parts with large job files be processed quickly.

Process gas management has also been optimized. The EOS M 290 is fitted with an air circulation filter equipped with an automatic self-cleaning function.

Leslie Langnau
llangnau@wtwhmedia.com