EOS Ships Metal Powders for Aerospace Industry

EOS NickelAlloy IN718 is a nickel-based, heat resistant superalloy which corresponds to Inconel 718.  It is a precipitation hardening, nickel chromium alloy characterized by good tensile, fatigue, creep and rupture strengths at temperatures up to 700°C. It shows outstanding corrosion resistance, is ideal for many high temperature applications, and possesses excellent cryogenic properties.

The material will be of particular interest to the aerospace industry due to its demanding requirements. EOS has already carried out extensive tests in collaboration with several pilot customers. It has developed process parameters that enable good part building and ensure that the relevant industrial standards for this material type can be reliably fulfilled.  These include, for example, heat treatment in accordance with AMS 5662 and AMS 5664 standards as well as tensile and stress rupture properties at elevated temperature (650°C).

Greg Morris, President of pilot user Morris Technologies Inc in the US said: "We have been supplying parts in EOS CobaltChrome MP1 as a preferred material for high stress / high temperature environments since 2005.

“Since working with EOS NickelAlloy IN718, this has become our front-line material of choice for many applications in aerospace and other demanding applications.  The material allows us to produce parts that will see some of the most demanding environments including high temperatures, high stress loads and extended fatigue situations.

“Not only has the sintered nickel alloy performed well in such tests and environments, but Morris Technologies’ material characterization efforts have also demonstrated that it performs to ASTM standards".

Ian Halliday, CEO of pilot user 3T RPD in Newbury, UK, added: “EOS NickelAlloy IN718 has helped to open up new application areas for us.  We are working with some of our customers to qualify this material for future series production of aerospace components.

“Tests have shown that the mechanical properties of parts built from the material exceed what our customers are used to from cast parts.  They also report that the components are easier to machine than conventional Inconel 718.”

EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg powder, a typical casting alloy, is the first aluminium-based powder to be qualified for EOSINT M 270 systems and opens up new application areas due to its light weight and excellent thermal conductivity.  Thorough process development and testing were performed as preparation for the launch.

Cast parts in conventional AlSi10Mg are typically subjected to T6 heat treatment including solution annealing and quenching followed by age hardening at elevated temperatures.

Mike Shellabear, Vice President M Technology, commented: “Due to the rapid melting and resolidification caused by exposure to the lasers, the sintered parts match or even exceed conventional heat-treated parts in the as-built condition.  So even more time and cost can be saved in the process chain.”

EOS has already produced examples of laser-sintered aluminium alloy components illustrating intelligent designs such as hollow parts and mesh-like structures with high stiffness-to-weight ratios.  The material is expected to open up new markets in the area of light alloys.

Dr Hans Langer, CEO and founder of EOS stressed, “Developing new materials for laser-sintering at the request of and in close cooperation with our customers continually pushes our technology to the next level.

“Application-led creation of the latest two powders - EOS NickelAlloy IN718 and EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg – are good examples and highlight the design possibilities that e-Manufacturing can offer to improve the performance of users’ products.

EOS materials in the aerospace sector

Aerospace is one of the major growth markets for e-Manufacturing. The particular advantages of laser-sintering technology are the speed and cost-effectiveness with which fully operative metal or plastic parts with complex geometries and aerodynamic properties can be made.

Other factors are material and weight savings, which can reduce fuel consumption. In addition, the possibility of producing small batches and of making manufacturer-specific modifications, such as in the cabin area, support the use of this technology.

Major players in both civil and military aircraft manufacture as well as in the production of unmanned aircraft have long since integrated e-Manufacturing into their future production strategies.

Typical laser-sintering applications in aerospace include test engine and turbine parts, components for cabin interiors, paneling, wire bundle clips, airflow diverters, exhaust ducts, electrical shrouds, fairings and tooling for composites fabrication.

Metals typically used for laser-sintering parts for aerospace applications include EOS’ Ti64/Ti64ELI and CobaltChrome MP1 in addition to the latest nickel and aluminium alloys.  In the plastics area, commonly used materials are flame retardant polymers such as PA 2210 FR, and PEEK HP3.

Customers implementing laser-sintering of parts on EOS systems include Boeing, Airbus, Dassault Aviation, and Snecma for the manufacture of such components as air conditioning systems, cooling ducts for electronics, blades and vanes.

For more information, visit www.eos.info

----------

If news like this is important to you, sign up for TenLinks Daily, our free newsletter.

----------

See Also

EOS Systems website
Rapid Prototyping Products and Companies - list by TenLinks.com

Additional News

Jan 20 - EOS Ships Metal Powders for Aerospace Industry
Dec 3 - EOS, BESTinClass Joint Venture to Offer MMP in UK
Dec 3 - EOS to Present Part Property Profiles System at EuroMold
Dec 3 - Germany's LBC to Use 3rd EOSINT M 270 System
Dec 3 - EOS to Present EOSINT P Laser Sintering Systems at EuroMold
Aug 3 - UK's UCL Bartlett School of Architecture Picks EOSINT P
Apr 15 - EOS Holds 51% of Advanced Laser Materials Shares
Mar 9 - GPI Expands Prototype, Anatomicals with EOSINT M 270
Feb 18 - EOS, Victrex to Develop Peek Material for Laser-Sintering
Jul 9 - Aerospace, Manufacturing Firms Join to Form Research Center

Source: Material used in press releases is often supplied by external sources and used as is.