PRECIOUS M 080 Additive Manufacturing system (source: EOS)
Cooksongold, leading supplier of fabricated precious metals, together with e-manufacturing solutions provider EOS, has announced the launch of the PRECIOUS M 080 Direct Metal Laser Sintering system at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Faire 2014.
Paving the way for a new approach towards design and manufacturing, Cooksongold will support new product lines from the most demanding jewellery brands and change the economics of jewellery making by offering this affordable and compact additive manufacturing solution.
The PRECIOUS M 080 system features a 100-watt fibre laser, providing exceptional beam quality and power stability and guaranteeing optimum processing conditions. The system has an 80 mm diameter round build platform with the ability to highlight even the finest details and is designed to maximise the accountability of precious metal powders.
David Fletcher, European Product Manager at Cooksongold, explains: “AM will change the economics of producing watch and jewellery products by offering a streamlined manufacturing process that dramatically reduces the time required from design conception to final part realisation. DMLS will also enable the production of design driven pieces that are not limited by the restrictions of conventional production techniques such as lost wax casting, eliminating many process steps and costs that we normally encounter.”
The Advanced Metal Powders produced by Cooksongold have been optimised to match the performance of the Precious M 080 system, ensuring that customers can start building parts immediately upon machine installation. The system can produce parts using a variety of gold alloys but additional materials are also in development. This will enable designers to produce pieces previously unachievable by conventional production methods using key DMLS guidelines .
Cooksongold will offer services ranging from installation, supply chain support and training and designers are already looking ahead to the possibilities DMLS will bring to their work. Johannes von Stumm, designer of the puzzle rings said: "I create many different iterations of the same design and the ability to change and immediately print a piece offers me great flexibility. With DMLS I send over my latest design which is simply printed and ready to polish. I am even able to send multiple files and have them printed together to save cost."
