EOS has launched a new generation of plastic laser-sintering systems, comprising one new machine and two improved models. The new FORMIGA P 100 offers cost-effective and flexible entry into the world of laser-sintering, enabling plastic products to be produced directly from CAD data in less than 24 hours. The machine has a compact footprint and a height of just 195 cm, so may be situated in practically any production environment. The build envelope of 200 mm x 250 mm x 330 mm is ideal for economic manufacture of small batches and individual products with complex geometries, such as high-value consumer goods and medical devices.
A technical innovation is the ability to build vertical walls with high surface quality. The extremely fine focus diameter of the laser enables wall thicknesses down to 0.4 mm to be created for manufacturing small, filigree components such as connectors, for example. The dispensing and recoating system has also been redesigned to increase product quality and reduce powder consumption.
The machine is easy to use and requires only a minimum of accessories. Preparation and control of the building process is conveniently carried out at the user’s desk, so the FORMIGA P 100 lends itself to decentralised production.
Twenty-three parts of the FORMIGA P 100 itself have been laser-sintered, from the filling hopper for the plastic powder to the switch cover, demonstrating the practicality of the manufacturing process.
New metal materials
EOS has also introduced several new titanium alloy powders as well as MaragingSteel MS1, all of which will be available in the next few months. The titanium alloys open up applications in the aerospace and medical industries, especially for implants. MaragingSteel MS1, a martensite-hardening, high strength, 18 maraging 300 steel (type 1.2709), offers a significant increase in quality, in particular for tooling manufacture.