EOS expands PREMIUM and CORE metal materials
Introducing one new PREMIUM and seven new CORE products
German additive manufacturing company EOS has significantly expanded its range of PREMIUM and CORE materials for metal AM. The company has added one new PREMIUM metal material, EOS ToolSteel 1.2709, and seven new CORE products for its EOS M 290, EOS M300-4 and EOS M 400-4 printers. The new metal powders and processes will enable EOS clients to accelerate their adoption of additive manufacturing for serial production.
“With more companies crossing the border from prototyping to serial production based on AM, the demand for reliable data for materials and built parts is growing,” said Hanna Pirkkalainen, Product Manager for Metal Materials at EOS. “For this, EOS introduced Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) in 2019 for materials and processes to classify technological maturity levels for easy customer orientation. Depending on specific application requirements, customers can choose between CORE materials (TRL 3 and 5) with a major focus on early market access to new materials, and PREMIUM materials (TRL 7-9) which attach particular importance to repeatable part quality essential in serial production.”
Read on for more details about each of EOS’s new additive manufacturing products.
(Photo: Tobias Hase)
- PREMIUM EOS ToolSteel 1.2709
This new AM powder is a TRL 7, ultra-high strength and hardness maraging steel that is suited for molding applications. The material is validated for the EOS M 290 system and demonstrates excellent fatigue strength and polishability. EOS points out that the material’s properties can be adjusted through various heat treatment settings. It has applications in plastic injection molding, extrusion tools, hot pressing tools, die casting tools for aluminum and zinc alloys, and more.
New CORE processes
EOS has introduced three new CORE products for AlSi10Mg, Ti64 Grade 5 and Ti64 Grade 23. The processes unlock 50% faster printing speeds for the EOS M 290. The company has also introduced EOS NickelAlloy IN718 and EOS MaragingSteel MS1 for the EOS M 300-4. And the EOS 400-4 now has faster CORE processes for EOS Ti64 Grade 5 and EOS Ti64 Grade 23.
- EOS Aluminum AlSi10Mg
This aluminum-based powder now has a 60µm process for the EOS M 290 and is classified as CORE material with TRL 3. The material boasts high productivity and improved buildability. The material’s ductility can be improved using heat treatment post printing. AlSi10Mg has applications in various industries and is particularly well suited for applications where cost-efficiency is a priority.
- EOS Titanium Ti64 Grade 5 and Grade 23
EOS has introduced new 80µm processes for Ti64 Grade 5 and Grade 23 powders for the EOS M 290 and EOS M 400-4. The processes enable higher build rates and a lower cost-per-part. The titanium alloys both offer high density and strength, as well as excellent corrosion resistance. The new 80µm processes are optimized for faster production and result in parts with properties similar to wrought titanium. Applications vary and include aerospace and automotive part production, as well as other industrial applications where a good weight-to-strength ratio is needed.
- EOS NickelAlloy IN718
EOS has also introduced a new 40 µm process for the EOS M 300-4 system with a TRL 3 classification. It is developed for EOS Nickel Alloy IN718, a precipitation-hardening nickel-chromium alloy with good tensile, fatigue, creep and rupture strength up to 700 ºC. The material is well suited to the production of gas turbine components, instrumentation, parts for the power industry and more.
(Photo: Tobias Hase)
- EOS MaragingSteel MS1
A new 50 µm process based on EOS’ Maraging Steel MS1 powder has been developed for the EOS M 300-4 system. The material comes with a TRL 3 classification, and is characterized by its good mechanical properties. Parts can be post-hardened to more than 50 HRC for superior hardness and strength. Applications for the powder include injection molding tools, inserts and mechanical engineering parts.
TRL
The TRL values indicated above are Technology Readiness Levels applied by EOS in 2019 to help classify technological maturity levels for customer orientation and to facilitate material selection. The levels are split into two categories: TRL 3-6 refer to EOS’ CORE materials, while TRL 7-9 refers to its PREMIUM materials. Level 3 indicates a material ready for concept proof, Level 5 refers to design freeze and a verification of the technical solution, and Level 7 indicates production capability with extensive statistical data documentation.
