The AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling, based on the EOS technology, is GF Machining Solutions’ first 3D printing solution fully aligned with the mission of resolving manufacturers’ real-life application and business challenges (photo courtesy of GF Machining Solutions).
After signing a strategic partnership with the global additive manufacturing (AM) technology leader EOS, headquartered in Krailling, Germany one year ago, GF Machining Solutions, the Switzerland-based, globally prestigious builder of precision machines, has just launched the latest AM S 290 Tooling system, to demonstrate the payoff of the partnership designed to advance AM as a leading technology, and work together to ensure its seamless integration into the conventional manufacturing chain.
The AM S 290 Tooling, based on the established and proven EOS technology, is a system dedicated to the mold and die industry and from now on world-wide available. A System 3R MacroMagnum chuck is fully integrated into the building system. In combination with the Reference Point Calibration software, it permits the absolute location of parts relative to the X/Y plane of the building platform, which in particular supports manufacturing of hybrid workpieces. It further integrates building platform handling with other machining processes to separate workpieces or accurately refurbish building platforms for re-use.
The integrated chuck is intended to be used in combination with standard pallets (e.g., used for hybrid parts) or building platforms equipped with a standard reference element. This significantly improves the ability for upstream and downstream integration of the AM process in the whole production process. The hybrid mold insert is the most economical solution for parts characterized by geometrically simple and complex sections. Depending on material and size, such hybrid parts can be created by directly generating the additively manufactured part on top of the conventionally manufactured base or by separately finishing and assembling both parts.
With this system, GF Machining Solutions focuses on mold inserts with conformal cooling/heating channels. These inserts can be used for any kind of plastic products in all segments. Thanks to AM enabled conformal cooling, customers can reduce their cycle time, increase their productivity and improve the overall quality of, for example, a critical plastic part with thin walls.
Advantages of AM are now well understood and its industrialization is a major step toward the future. GF Machining Solutions is actively collaborating with EOS to speed up development of this solution which will be a major step in fulfilling Industry 4.0 requirements.
Both in mold and die and other applications in various segments, GF Machining Solutions is at the forefront of efficiently blending traditional and new manufacturing technologies, not by optimizing parts and process flow but also by improving data flow and systems connectivity.
