AMCM 8 laser M 8K metal 3D printing equipment is about to be launched, equipped with 8 lasers

In October 2023, Germany's AMCM (EOS, a global technology leader in industrial grade additive manufacturing) announced the upcoming launch of the M 8K metal 3D printing equipment. The device will be equipped with 8 lasers, with a construction volume of 800 x 800 x 1200 millimeters, nearly four times the size of AMCM's previously launched M 4K metal 3D printing device on the market.

ArianeGroup's hot test

It is reported that the development of AMCM M 8K equipment has been supported by funding from the German government to enhance the competitiveness of Ariane Group's Ariane 6 project. The first application of this device was to manufacture the combustion chamber of the Ariane Group Prometheus rocket engine. The combustion chamber is made of copper alloy material CuCr1Zr 3D printed, with a height greater than 1000mm and a maximum diameter of 800mm, which will become the benchmark for size and quality.

We need to find a partner to jointly challenge the current manufacturing limits. This is precisely the gene of AMCM, who already owns multiple M 4K metal 3D printing systems and has established a good reputation in the industry. ArianeGroup's projects must meet the strict requirements of the European Space Agency in order to be approved for launch. Therefore, we attach great importance to component quality, such as material microstructure and surface roughness. We are very grateful to AMCM for obtaining With this federal funding, we are confident that we can solve this challenge in a short period of time, help the company open up new markets, and promote cutting-edge technological innovation, which is our indispensable mission.

Designing an additive manufacturing system of this scale requires addressing a series of challenges. Excellent laser, scanner, and optical design, as well as proven beam sources, are all based on EOS's decades of process expertise. The construction volume of the M 8K metal 3D printing equipment is four times that of the M 4K, and the Z-axis of the system must be able to move up to 5 tons of powder with the highest accuracy. In addition, the importance of material supply is often underestimated. To print up to 1.2 tons Powder management is crucial for achieving high productivity and quality in the production of rice components. It is not easy to reliably supply several tons of metal powder within a few days.

As the size of components increases and printing time prolongs, process control and verification become increasingly important. X-ray computed tomography is still a commonly used method for checking the structural integrity of rapid prototyping (AM) components. With the help of EOS's closed-loop intelligent fusion technology and EOSTATE Exposure OT (optical tomography), AMCM has integrated EOS's latest technology into the M 8K system to further improve quality assurance and process monitoring during the process, helping to reduce subsequent testing work.

Metal 3D printing can make rocket engine manufacturing processes more flexible, cost-effective, and faster. The new M 8K system will be put into use within one year. We promise ArianeGroup to provide the first batch of 3D printed combustion chambers by the end of 2024

Source: Sohu