EOS 3D Printing
with pco.edge 5.5
High-resolution and dynamic images ensure quality 3D printing
Additive manufacturing is currently making a giant leap towards mass production. Technological processes have matured and industrial 3D printing has proven to be an efficient manufacturing process. However companies are still facing a major challenge with quality assurance. EOS is a single source supplier of Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) providing systems, materials and process software which are intelligently matched to one another and allow a high component quality and competitive advantages. In order to master this successfully, EOS, a manufacturer of machines for additive manufacturing, is launching an innovative quality monitoring solution for optical tomography (OT). The heart of the system is the pco.edge sCMOS camera.
Matthias Geisbauer, Program Manager for EOS in Krailling Germany, explains what the company does and goes a little deeper into detail. EOS is a leading technology provider in industrial 3D printing of metals and plastics. The company is considered a pioneer and innovator for holistic solutions in additive manufacturing. As a new technology and not standard know-how, many people are not familiar with this method and do not understand the possible uses of Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) for industrial manufacturing. This form of industrial 3D printing has however been successfully used by the automotive and aerospace industry for a number of years. Until now additive manufacturing as a whole has been used for the production of individual pieces for racing and rapid prototyping. "More and more customers worldwide want to use additive manufacturing for production," explains Matthias Geisbauer. EOS customer MTU Aero Engines for example, plans to produce a significant proportion of its components using industrial 3D printing by 2030. One major problem remains as parts used in aircraft construction must be 100 percent quality tested. Conventional test methods such as ultrasound and X-ray inspection make it difficult if not impossible to test production quantities. That's why EOS is now equipping its DMLS EOS M 290 series machines with the EOSTATE Exposure OT monitoring system that incorporates the pco.edge 5.5 camera that provides layer-by-layer mapping of the component during the production process to insure high quality of the component in real time. The main components of the OT monitoring system were developed in close cooperation with MTU Aero Engines.
Website: EOS