Metal and Plastic Materials from EOS

It's press release season at EuroMold, and here we see that laser sintering equipment manufacturer EOS has released some pretty amazing new materials, as you might notice in the image of a laser sintered automobile engine exhaust manifold made in nickel alloy. Here's the new materials:

 

• A flame-retardant polyamide, PrimePart FR, that is especially well-suited for aerospace, which also offers increased economic and ecological benefits.
• A flexible elastomeric material, PrimePart ST, that opens up entire new applications for laser-sintering, such as flexible fasteners, seals, and buffers. This material offers a wide-range of mechanical properties depending on the laser-exposure strategy selected
• A metal nickel alloy with high tensile strength and corrosion resistance that make it ideal for aerospace, chemical, motorsport and marine applications due to its high tensile strength, excellent processability and uniform corrosion resistance

 

You may have thought that laser sintering can produce only plastic models, but that's not true. EOS has been printing metals for some time now (with some 270 metal systems sold thus far), but the new materials take it to another level. According to EOS:

 

Based on these materials, completely new fields of application can be developed, costs can be reduced.

 

This complements EOS's earlier announcement of a new laser sintering system, the EOSINT M 280. It includes a powerful 400 watt laser, capable of melting more metal faster than ever before. This complex device includes sophisticated management systems that ensure quality parts emerge by optimizing gas flows within the 32.5cm chamber.

 

Via EOS