nLIGHT, a provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers, and EOS, a provider of additive manufacturing technologies, announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish a joint strategic technology collaboration that will make nLIGHT’s beam shaping lasers available in EOS’ metal AM systems.
This collaboration includes the implementation of a set of complementary laser-based technologies to optimize the AM light system for robust industrial 3D printing production. nLIGHT and EOS plan to make beam shaping and light system optimization capabilities digitally available, allowing customers to access different beam profiles through EOS software to achieve higher printing productivity.
“EOS is an industry leader in additive manufacturing, and nLIGHT is proud to partner with a company that shares our vision for bringing significant improvements to the additive manufacturing landscape,” said Scott Keeney, CEO of nLIGHT. “The teams and technologies at nLIGHT and EOS are highly complementary; we are excited to build on the early success with AMCM to integrate our laser technologies into the wider EOS portfolio.”
nLIGHT’s programmable AFX laser offers seven different beam profiles in a single laser, from an 85 micron dot size for maximum precision to a 210 micron ring profile for faster printing, improved process stability and reduced soot and spatter formation. The nLIGHT AFX lasers enable print speeds up to three times faster than a standard 400-watt process when processing 316L steel and aluminum.
“We are always researching industry leading technologies to advance the industrialization of additive manufacturing to meet the emerging application demands and exceed customer expectations,” said Marie Langer, CEO of EOS. “The flexibility and performance gains of nLIGHT’s beam shaping and laser technologies gives us an unprecedented advancement in metal AM systems and will allow our customers to unleash a new level of productivity.”
This collaboration underscores the commitment of both companies to further industrialize additive manufacturing and significantly increase the performance and efficiency of 3D printing processes through the use of cutting-edge technologies.
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