EOS North American Systems, Novi, Mich., announces that it will join the Virginia-based Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, where it will install the EOS M 290, its latest direct metal laser-sintering system. The 62,000 square-foot facility in Prince George County includes computational software and hardware, and surfacing apparatus such as plasma spray and thermal spray.
“EOS often partners with its customers to refine their use of laser sintering,” says Andrew Snow, senior vice president at EOS North America Inc. “CCAM will enable us to draw on the experience of our fellow members and collaborate to create organization-specific additive applications.”
For instance, collaborating with a company that creates surfacing tools may help determine whether an abrasive polish or a coating method will offer the right finish for a particular alloy. In the case of a near-net DMLS part, a milling or CNC cutting process might be more appropriate. And the resulting production line may be guided via the control hardware and software produced by yet another member. “Given the varied capabilities CCAM encompasses, the opportunity to explore how our technology meshes with that of others has significant value,” Mr. Snow says.
CCAM is unique among industrial consortia in that it offers its members a shared facility for R&D while protecting their individual intellectual property and market position. Through the use of joint resources, the Center provides a hub for the most advanced manufacturing techniques and procedures being practiced today. Companies such as Rolls-Royce, Siemens, and Chromalloy are working alongside, not only one another, but in collaboration with academic teams from Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, and Virginia State University. Roughly 50 student interns participate in the Center.
