Published 3/11/2011

Additive Manufacturing System Offers Expanded Application Range

The EOSINT M 280 additive manufacturing system for metals is designed to increase part quality, reproducibility, cost-effectiveness and user-friendliness.

Edited by: MMS Editorial Team

The EOSINT M 280 additive manufacturing system for metals is designed to increase part quality, reproducibility, cost-effectiveness and user-friendliness. The EOS system is suited for tooling and series production in the medical field as well as a range of other applications.

The system is available with either a 200- or 400-W fiber laser. The higher-power laser melts more metal powder per second to increase productivity. Heavy use in a manufacturing environment is said to reduce costs per part. According to the company, increased competitiveness of laser sintering compared to other technologies opens new application areas.

The system can build parts to a maximum height of 325 mm. Taller parts can be placed in the process chamber, which can be useful for hybrid part building, the company says. In that application, complex parts are produced by building additional material on top of a prefabricated part.

An optimized gas management system features a high-velocity laminar flow of protective gas across the entire build area. Combined with the high-capacity recirculating filter system, this ensures more uniform process conditions that keep melting behavior stable over time with higher laser power, resulting in improved part reproducibility, the company says. Other improvements in the gas management system reduce gas consumption and prolong filter life.

The Part Property Management concept enables standardization and comparability of building processes based on the Part Property Profiles (PPP). Ensuring consistent quality assurance along the entire process chain enables reliable production based on defined material and part properties, the company says.

The system can be configured to user specifications through a variety of options and accessories. Laser Power Monitoring (LPM) monitors laser power during the building process and reports compliance or deviation with required specifications. Machine status can be monitored with the base module EOSTATE 1.2 software. Additional EOSTATE modules, Quality Assurance, Controlling and MPM (Machine Park Management) are also available. These enable a statistical overview of built jobs and parts over freely selectable periods of time. Integrated Process Chain Management (IPCM) modules offer optimized powder and part handling to ensure increased productivity, quality and usability.