EOS and Cookson Precious Metals (CPM) sign strategic developmet partnership

EOS, technology and market leader for design-driven, integrated e-manufacturing solutions for Additive Manufacturing (AM) applications, and Cookson Precious Metals (CPM), worldwide established supplier for the precious metal industry, signed a strategic development partnership. Under this agreement, both companies will introduce and further develop precious metal-based applications to the jewellery and watch industry. The product and services offering will range from the production of precious metal parts to consulting for a Direct Metal Laser-Sintering (DMLS)-driven design process, the development and production of special precious metal alloys and the installation of a bespoken solution chain for high volume jewellery production. To start with, CPM offers AM capacities enabling a production of designs made of 18 ct yellow gold (3N colour).

As a leading supplier of fabricated precious metals – primarily gold, silver and platinum – Cookson Precious Metals has a reputation for high quality products and services, as well as for developing a close working relationship with customers. CPM is able to supply fair-trade gold and their own Ecogold guarantees to customers that the gold has come from a recycled source. This utilises above ground stocks of recycled gold instead of using new metal direct from the mines which can be damaging to the earth. Moreover, CPM is UK’s largest one-stop shop for the jewellery maker with over 12,000 products including a huge stock of silver, gold, palladium and platinum bullion cut to customer requirements (sheet, wire, tube, solder, grain, settings) as well as huge ranges of findings, loose and finished chain, gemstones, ring blanks, jewellery making tools, silver clay and beading materials.

Dr. Adrian Keppler, Executive Vice President Strategy and Business Development at EOS states: “With CPM we found a perfect partner to introduce our innovative and paradigm shifting technology to the luxury goods industry. We truly believe that our AM process offers a huge potential for these industries and a freedom of design that they have long been searching for. The most demanding jewellery brands can now create entirely new products and geometries that still meet their high quality requirements. The technology challenges designer’s imagination and pushes it to the next level. This could not be achieved with a goldsmith’s handicraft work or conventional manufacturing methods.”

Stella Layton, Global Vice President at Cookson Precious Metals adds: “With EOS, we now join forces with the market and quality leader in AM. With the EOS technology, 3D bespoke jewellery and watch components can be created from CAD files. This takes us on an exciting journey permitting the creation of highly complex and intricate designs that weren’t thinkable before. The particular beauty of this technology is that it can be used to produce both one-off pieces as well as large scale production eliminating many process steps and tooling costs we see today.”

Both EOS and CPM envision customized e-manufacturing solutions that will change the economics of making jewellery or watches. The technology time lowers the general costs of entry into the business of making quality jewellery and watch parts in precious metal. As such, e-manufacturing with DMLS enables designers to produce pieces that do not have to deal with the boundaries of conventional production techniques.

Cookson Precious Metals (CPM) is a leading supplier of fabricated precious metals in Europe, a supplier of gold, silver, platinum and palladium alloys, wire, sheet, tubing, coin blanks and casting grain. Cookson is also a major precious metals refiner with London Bullion Market Association good delivery status. www.cookson-emanufacturing.com