On May 16, 2019, EOS, a 3D printing manufacturer in the metal and polymer materials industry, introduced four new metal materials-EOS stainless steel CX, EOS aluminum alloy AlF357, EOS titanium alloy Ti64 Grade 5 and EOS titanium alloy Ti64 Grade 23. They are tailor-made materials for a variety of applications and can be used in a wide range of industries from automotive to medical.
EOS provides detailed data on the properties of four metal materials to help companies better understand the quality of materials, such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) images based on the mechanical properties of a number of test specimens and details. Therefore, EOS provides enterprises with transparent material performance data file records, making it easier for them to compare DMLS 3D printing with traditional manufacturing technologies and other 3D printing technologies. These data and openness are needed for additive manufacturing for mass production.
Decades of EOS material expertise
Hannes Gostner, Director of Research and Development at EOS, said: “In EOS, the development of systems, materials, process parameters, software and services is always complementary. All of the above elements work perfectly together. Therefore, we can achieve reproducible and cost competitive High quality parts. This combination is critical, especially for mass production. “
EOS has more than 25 years of experience in metal processing, and currently offers 20 different metal materials, and more materials are still under development. Thanks to the EOS Oy materials factory in Finland, EOS has complete site conditions focused on the development, certification and quality assurance of metallic materials and parametric processes.
Introduction of new metal materials
EOS Stainless Steel CX is a new type of mold steel for EOS M 290 production. This material has excellent corrosion resistance, high strength and high hardness. Parts made from this material are easy to machine and achieve excellent polished surfaces.
EOS aluminum alloy AlF357 is an ideal material for applications that require light metals with excellent mechanical properties and thermal strength. Components made from this material are lightweight, corrosion resistant and highly dynamic. The EOS aluminum alloy AlF357 was developed specifically for the production of the EOS M 400 and is also planned to be used in the EOS M 290 system in the near future.
EOS titanium alloy Ti64 Grade 5 was developed for high fatigue strength operations that do not require hot isostatic pressing (HIP). This material is suitable for the manufacture of EOS M 290 and has excellent corrosion resistance, making it ideal for aerospace and automotive applications.
EOS titanium alloy Ti64 Grade 23 is also developed for high fatigue strength operations that do not require hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and is also used in the production of EOS M 290. Compared with Ti64, Ti64 grade 23 provides more excellent ductility and fracture toughness, but slightly lower strength. Due to these characteristics, the material is particularly suitable for applications in the medical field.
Reliable component characteristics are the foundation of mass additive manufacturing
EOS categorizes the technological maturity of all its polymer materials, metals, and parametric processes with a “technology maturity level” (TRL). The TRL concept was originally proposed by NASA and has been widely used in many industries. For example, level 5 refers to the validation of technical solutions, while the highest level 9 refers to the full production capacity with a large number of statistical data files. By verifying the parameters of part characteristics, EOS facilitates and accelerates the transition of additive manufacturing for mass production.
In addition, in order to facilitate positioning, EOS divides its materials and parameter processes into two categories: TRL 3-6 refers to the core product (CORE), and TRL 7-9 refers to the premium product (PREMIUM), and solves the problem of batch application. One of the purposes of such a classification is to provide new materials with clear value on the market.
New materials fall into the following categories:
• EOS CX: Premium, TRL 8
• EOS AlF357: Advanced, TRL 7
• EOS titanium alloy Ti64 Grade 5: Advanced, TRL 7
• EOS titanium alloy Ti64 Grade 23: Advanced, TRL 7