EOS
EOS P 500.
EOS and Sauber Technologies have signed a three-year additive manufacturing technology partnership that will initially focus on the additive manufacture of parts within motor racing.
The companies agreed the collaboration at the recent F1 Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain and will combine their expertise to focus on the manufacturing and optimisation of aerodynamic spoiler designs, end-use parts for race cars and production aids. Sauber will install an EOS P 500 system in 2022 and initially run EOS’ Polyamide 12 PA 2200 material.
Sauber Technologies is a renowned user of additive manufacturing technology through its investment in 3D printing technology from 3D Systems, post-processing hardware from Rösler AM Solutions and its long-term partnership with Additive Industries. For Sauber and other motor racing companies, additive manufacturing technology facilitates design innovation and the production of parts in short development and manufacturing cycles.
EOS P 500 systems is said to have a build rate twice as fast as the EOS P 396, uses two 70-watt lasers for precise energy input and brings the material to optimum processing temperature before application to shorten the time required for recoating and exposure. With the option of preheating and cooling the interchangeable frame outside the P 500 after the print run, a new build job can be started in just 15 minutes. The EOS P 500 can also be integrated into existing MES/ERP systems and includes a range of process monitoring and system integration tools for ‘quality assurance on an industrial scale.’
“We see AM applications in F1 for both prototyping and serial production where reproducible part quality is key. Together with Sauber we are aiming to set new benchmarks here,” commented Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President EMEA at EOS. “With more serial AM applications in F1, automation will be essential too, enabling higher productivity and reduced costs per part. Sauber is the first customer for polymer-based AM, integrating this into its production, including the installation of an EOS P 500 system.”
Christoph Hansen, COO Sauber Technologies, added: “EOS and Sauber share the same passion for application-driven design and the highest quality standards, which we want to offer in motorsports and beyond. EOS’s company culture is a perfect fit for us, which is why we decided to enter this partnership. From a technology perspective, we co-operate with EOS because its ecosystem of partners and sister companies not only enables the end-to-end solutions we need, including automation, but provides us with highly custom solutions via AMCM (Additive Manufacturing Customized Machines).”
