NextGen AM AEROTEC, EOS, Daimler
NextGenAM is scheduled to commence in May 2017.
Three leading additive manufacturing companies, Premium AEROTEC, EOS and Daimler have announced their partnership on a project which will seek to make metal 3D printing a more viable solution for serial manufacturing.
With metal 3D printing’s stock on the rise, the NextGenAM project will aim to lay foundations for mass implementation of the technology in large-scale serial manufacturing. All three of the partners boast a wealth of experience in applying metal 3D printing. Premium AEROTEC was the world’s first supplier of serial 3D printed structural components for Airbus aircraft, while Daimler is a large scale manufacturer of metal components for the automotive sector and EOS has a range of metal 3D printing machines. One of these machines, the Quad-Laser System EOS M 400-4, will be leveraged as part of this project.
The project’s main objective is to advance the automation of the entire industrial 3D printing process, as well as striving for a qualification of aluminium for use in industrial 3D printing. In cooperation with two fellow leading companies, Premium AEROTEC feel it is best placed to manage that automation.
“We are currently the leader for metal 3D printing in the aerospace industry,” said Dr Thomas Ehm, the CEO of Premium AEROTEC. “Now, we need to continue developing this technology extensively in order to expand its application spectrum significantly. Together with our partners, we can thus ensure state-of-the-art technology for our industry.”
The NextGenAM team will assess the entire additive manufacturing process, highlighting area suitable for automation, from the delivery of metal powder to the processing stages after the build process itself. By this measure, the partners hope to find significant cost advantages and other important foundations, to make additive manufacturing an even more attractive and viable solution for serial manufacturers. The process stages before and after the actual manufacturing stage, constitutes around 70% of the overall manufacturing costs.
NextGenAM AEROTEC, EOS, Daimler
The NextGenAM project will aim to lay foundations for mass implementation of the technology in large-scale serial manufacturing.
Similar to Premium AEROTEC, Daimler and EOS are both looking forward to taking part in a project that will look to make significant advancements in metal 3D printing as a practical manufacturing technique.
“We are proud to be part of such a forward-looking project alongside Premium AEROTEC and Daimler,” said Dr Hans J. Langer, Founder and CEO of EOS. “This underlines the growing footprint of industrial 3D printing in serial production. As a technology pioneer in powder-based additive manufacturing we contribute full engagement and long-lasting expertise. With EOS platforms we push ahead the set-up of this future production solution.”
Dr Stefan Kienzle, Head of Advance Development at Daimler AG, added: “We invented the car, and we are actively shaping the future of mobility. The elements that we bring to this collaboration are our extensive experience in automotive materials and the qualification of those materials, as well as our know-how on efficient and large-scale capacity manufacturing processes in conjunction with component design that is topologically optimised and the latest calculation methods.”
The economically efficient aluminium-based complete system which is to be developed cooperatively over the course of NextGenAM, shall be capable for the automotive industry, and adapted for aerospace too. Together, the three companies will also be investing millions of Euros into the planning and construction of an automated production facility for additive manufacturing based serial production. At a technology centre in Varel, Germany, a development and test environment will be established over the next few months. NextGenAM is scheduled to commence in May 2017.
