As TCT Asia 2024 approaches, TCT has been chatting with a few of the firms who’ve exhibited at China’s largest industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing occasion yearly all through its first decade.
EOS, the German pioneer of direct steel laser sintering and selective laser sintering applied sciences, has been with us because the begin.
Right here, we ask Terrence Oh, Senior Vice President Asia Pacific at EOS APAC about EOS’s 3D printing journey to date in China, the demand for brand spanking new additive manufacturing supplies like copper and aluminium Al5X1, and the place he believes the trade will probably be in one other 10 years.
Register to attend TCT Asia 2024 and go to EOS on sales space 8E30. TCT Asia runs from Might 7-9, 2024.
What’s going to EOS be presenting on the present flooring at TCT Asia 2024? Can we anticipate any main reveals?
At TCT Asia 2024, our spotlight is the AM Knowledgeable Bar. We invite guests to come back forth to our AM knowledgeable bar with their downside assertion / challenges and collectively we are going to talk about options on how AM can clear up their issues and challenges. These options will give attention to half high quality, Value per Half (CPP) and another elements that may have a constructive affect on their challenges.
We’ve seen a spread of EOS functions by numerous sectors like aerospace and e-mobility over the past yr. Are you able to inform us a couple of must-see utility that guests will be capable to expertise on the occasion?
We will probably be showcasing functions in Thermal Administration, Aerospace, Medical, Vitality and Client Items. We will even function improvements resembling support-free printing and Effective Element Decision.
With such a broad portfolio of machines and options throughout polymers and metals, how is EOS prioritising the place to innovate?
Innovation is in our DNA. It’s not the about prioritising the place to innovate however understanding the wants and necessities of our buyer and market and we innovate to deal with their challenges and to allow them to achieve success.
Just lately EOS has centered on increasing AM capabilities with supplies like Copper and Aluminium Al5X1. Why is there such demand for these supplies?
Our group of supplies and metallurgy specialists constantly develop supplies primarily based on prospects’ necessities and suggestions. Our R&D groups are continuously engaged on a variety of future supplies addressing numerous industries and our prospects’ wants.
Our steel materials portfolio presently encompasses over 30 alloys and over 75 certified processes for all our DMLS methods. Our quality-controlled materials provide chain – from supply to supply – ensures regulatory compliance, lot traceability, versatile volumes, and quick supply. All our supplies, course of parameters and steel 3D printers are tuned optimally to offer the absolute best reliability and repeatability which leads to desired half properties.
Our complete portfolio of polymer supplies are completely fitted to selective laser sintering (SLS). Our 3D printing supplies, methods, and course of parameters are primarily based on a few years of expertise and are optimally tuned to understand the specified property profiles. We’re additionally constantly creating a spread of high-tech supplies for particular buyer necessities.
TCT Asia is celebrating its tenth anniversary. What are your ideas on how the AM market, and particularly in China, has advanced in that point?
The AM market in China has grown considerably in recent times, most likely the quickest rising AM market on the earth. Previously, most individuals are unfamiliar with AM and for these which can be, solely have a look at AM as a machine that does prototyping. In current instances, with extra consciousness, persons are taking a look at AM as an answer for points that they face of their manufacturing course of utilizing the traditional technique to do manufacturing.
In your view, what’s the largest problem that the additive manufacturing trade faces right now?
The largest problem the AM trade faces now’s to get to the specified value level (i.e. Value per Half – CPP) with good Half High quality, particularly for bigger components. Many individuals are intrigued by bigger platforms with extra lasers as they consider this can allow them to construct bigger high quality components with higher value per half (CPP). Nonetheless, their pursuits shortly subside after they realise that bigger machine with extra lasers don’t meet their expectations.
AM shouldn’t be a “plug and play” know-how and it requires a whole lot of data in Supplies Science and the way it reacts when uncovered to high-power lasers. Not many within the AM trade are capable of present a machine with a number of lasers that works collectively seamlessly. With out adequate data in these two fundamentals, one would ultimately get a component that doesn’t give good Half High quality and the specified Value per Half.
EOS has been a part of the TCT Asia journey proper from the beginning. What has been your spotlight?
The spotlight for us at TCT Asia is the standard of the guests that visits the present. Previously, most guests doesn’t have adequate understanding on the advantages of AM and are there solely to “look and see”. In current instances, guests that attends TCT Asia comes with an utility in thoughts or have a problem they need to deal with with AM.
How do you envision the AM trade progressing over the following decade? And the place will EOS’s focus be?
Over the following decade, extra firms will incorporate AM into their manufacturing facility. Development on this know-how and new improvements will obtainable. EOS will nonetheless nonetheless give attention to the 2 key parts that may make our prospects profitable – Half High quality and Value per Half. Bigger components are one thing that we’re trying into, however we won’t neglect functions which can be small in dimension. That is the place our Effective Detailed Decision (FDR) performs an necessary position.
Register to attend TCT Asia 2024 and go to EOS on sales space 8E30. TCT Asia runs from Might 7-9, 2024.
