• High-performance materials broaden the range of applications, particularly in the aerospace industry

Krailling, February 16, 2018 – EOS, the world’s leading technology provider in the field of industrial 3D printing of metals and polymers, is expanding the range of materials by offering European distribution of three high-performance polymers for Additive Manufacturing (AM) from ALM, a wholly owned subsidiary of the EOS Group that focuses on providing customized material solutions for the additive manufacturing market. These special-purpose materials are already being successfully deployed by several companies in North America and are also highly attractive for the European market due to their properties.

Dr. Tobias Abeln, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at EOS explains: “EOS is broadening its range of available materials, while also opening up new application areas for industrial 3D printing at the same time.” He goes on to say: “ALM materials – like EOS materials – are going through extensive quality testing in order to fulfill high customer requirements, particularly from even highly regulated industries. As of February 2018, ALM received its formal ISO 9001:2015 certification that specifies the requirements for a quality management in organizations. ”

Photo courtesy of EOS

The following new materials will be available as from March 2018 onwards.

ALM HP 11-30: Carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 11 material
ALM HP 11-30 is a carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 11 material. Its specially integrated carbon fibers give it high strength, impact resistance, and an increased elongation at break for a fiber reinforced material. Uniquely for a fiber reinforced material in AM, parts made using this material display well-balanced, comparable mechanical parameters in all three dimensions. The material is highly suited for components subject to mechanical wear that require a minimum level of toughness. ALM HP 11-30 is therefore of special interest for automotive industry applications, particularly for motorsport.

ALM FR-106: Flame-retardant polyamide 11 material
As a flame-retardant polyamide 11, ALM FR-106 is an ideal addition to the existing EOS portfolio of flame-retardant materials. With its combination of high toughness and good strength, ALM FR-106 broadens the application range for powder-based AM materials. As such, the material is particularly suited for use in the aerospace industry and also meets rigorous FAR 25.853 aviation standards. Its well-balanced properties and good detail resolution make it an interesting material for a great many other applications in which outstanding flame-retardant properties and thin wall thicknesses are an advantage, such as housings or casings and hard-wearing fasteners.

ALM PA 640-GSL: Polyamide 12 material filled with hollow glass microspheres and carbon fibers
ALM PA 640-GSL is a polyamide 12 material filled with lightweight glass microspheres, providing practically the same properties as a normal glass filled polyamide, but with substantially reduced weight (component density: 0.82g/cm³). With its microsphere and carbon fiber filling, ALM PA 640-GSL is particularly suitable for applications that require extremely low weight, high strength, and rigidity in one product. At the same time, ALM PA 640-GSL features increased thermal resistance and excellent surface quality. Application fields include the aerospace, shipping, sports, model making, and motorsport sectors. The material’s enhanced thermal stability also makes it suitable for applications in which components are exposed to high temperatures.

Technical information and material data sheets for ALM materials are available on the ALM website.

About ALM
Advanced Laser Materials (ALM) specialises in material research, development and consultation for industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing. Founded in 2004, ALM remains focused on providing customers with application-specific, quality-tested materials and engineering support to meet the most complex product specifications and production requirements. ALM offers the largest selection of laser sintering solutions with onsite capabilities to produce standard and specialized materials in varying quantities. Based in Temple, Texas, ALM is a wholly owned subsidiary of EOS Group.

About EOS
EOS is the world’s leading technology supplier in the field of industrial 3D printing of metals and polymers. Formed in 1989, the independent company is pioneer and innovator for comprehensive solutions in additive manufacturing. Its product portfolio of EOS systems, materials, and process parameters gives customers crucial competitive advantages in terms of product quality and the long-term economic sustainability of their manufacturing processes. Furthermore customers benefit from deep technical expertise in global service, applications engineering and consultancy. www.eos.info

Source: EOS