EOS and AMCM will open a new UK Additive Manufacturing Excellence Center

The University of Wolverhampton (UK), along with global 3D printing leaders EOS and AMCM, will collaborate to establish a new Centre of Excellence (AM) for Additive Manufacturing in the UK. This partnership will provide cutting-edge technology from EOS and AMCM, and focus on developing advanced materials and processes for high demand applications in industries such as aerospace, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and quantum computing.

The center is partially funded by the Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) in the UK and will be located at the Elite Manufacturing Skills Center (ECMS) at the University of Wolverhampton Springfield campus. It will serve as a center for knowledge exchange and research commercialization activities, providing services to local, regional, and global clients in various fields.

Desire for innovation in additive manufacturing
The additive manufacturing research group and its spin off company Additive Analytics at the University of Wolverhampton will lead materials and process development activities. Industries from automobiles and electronics to quantum computing and aerospace have expressed interest and emphasized the widespread applicability of copper additive manufacturing in thermal management and electrification due to its excellent thermal and electrical performance.

Although copper has ideal properties, laser processing it poses challenges and hinders its widespread adoption in additive manufacturing. The alliance's work aims to address this issue by utilizing cutting-edge technology, processes, and expertise to improve efficiency and reduce material waste.

Decades of expertise in additive manufacturing
Building on a 20-year partnership between the University of Wolverhampton and EOS, the new Center of Excellence will be supported by the adoption of AMCM 290 FLX, the next-generation laser powder bed fusion system capable of handling challenging materials such as copper. The AMCM 290 FLX is a customized EOS M 290 machine equipped with the most advanced nLIGHT beam shaping laser technology, high-temperature processing capabilities, and excellent oxygen control. This system enables enterprises to obtain the latest technologies and research results as early as possible and easily.

Professor Arun Arjunan, Director of ECMS and Engineering Innovation and Research at the University of Wolverhampton, said, "The establishment of the UK Centre for Excellence in Copper Additive Manufacturing marks an important milestone in the field of additive manufacturing, laying the foundation for innovation, sustainable development, and responsible manufacturing in the new era. Future projects will explore the integration of laser processing data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence technology to achieve efficient material and laser processing development."

EOS UK Sales Manager Nathan Rawlings added, "The UK manufacturing industry has always driven and embraced innovation. Additive manufacturing using materials such as copper brings huge benefits to product designers, but may require high demands from manufacturers. This new center of excellence will create and test processes that can reliably and consistently achieve material benefits in the manufacturing of components in the real world."

Source: Laser Net