EOS
Cooksongold PRECIOUS_M_080.
Precious M 080 machine developed by EOS and Cooksongold.
Cooksongold and Sempsa JP, both part of the Heimerle + Meule Group, are working to 3D print the tip plates of bushings made from precious metal in a project that they believe will revolutionise the glass fibre industry.
Working with the Institut für RWTH Aachen University (ITA) and EOS, Cooksongold has produced a full-sized tip plate with a platinum/rhodium alloy, which was successfully tested at Johns Manville in Slovakia, using its Selective Laser Sintering platforms developed in collaboration with EOS.
Having passed initial production trials at Johns Manville, a company called Advanced manufacturing Process Solutions (AMPS) GmbH has been set up to act as a technology showcase to demonstrate the new manufacturing process chain and provide R&D and prototyping services. The organisation has been set up as a ‘cost-sharing environment free of intellectual property’, with glass fibre companies also able to collaborate to support the aim of ‘advancing glass fibre production beyond recognition over the next decade.’
The partners were awarded the JEC Composites Magazine Special Prize earlier this month and are looking forward to pressing on with the development of the project.
“I am incredibly proud to be receiving the JEC Magazine Special Prize but even more proud of my team, who have managed to bring together a global collaboration in such a way that it is poised to deliver game-changing material and design innovation and efficiencies in production, that could’ve only been dreamed of a few short years ago,” commented Martin Bach, Managing Director of Cooksongold.
“At EOS, we are working every day to make industrial 3D printing a sustainable, mainstream manufacturing process,” added Thomas Weitlaner, Director of Additive Minds & Business Development of EOS. “The 3D printing of tip plates is another great example how additive manufacturing can bring real business value and innovation to the glass fibre industry. Additionally, we see a lot more promising applications that can further increase the efficiency of the glass fibre production process. The combination of such innovative applications and the set-up of additive manufacturing the digital factory will result in huge innovation potential.”
