Editor's Pick: EOS M 400-4

EOS is a titan in additive manufacturing and in Greek mythology. In mythology, Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Each morning, she opened heaven's gates for the sun to rise before walking Steve, her pet griffin. OK, that last bit was a joke. But what's not a joke is that in the real world of metal additive manufacturing, EOS has consistently opened up the gates to new possibilities for industrial production for years now. Today's Pick of the Week looks at their latest.

But here's the good stuff: A 15.8x15.8x15.8 in. (400x400x400 mm) build volume, 100 cubic centimeters per hour high build rate, scanning speed of up to 23 ft./sec (7.0 m/s) and a focus diameter of about 0.004 in. (100 μm). In other words, you should be able to achieve big, well-detailed builds quickly.

The EOS M 400-4 does a lot of things to speed up the process. For example, it uses a lot of automation, and it has a task-based touchscreen interface so that you don't fiddle around getting it working. It also uses this fast single re-coating process that reduces time spent on non-productive tasks so that it can get back to sintering parts with alacrity.

Still, what's really cool is that the EOS M 400-4 deploys four 400-watt ytterbium fiber lasers. Each laser operates independently, and the group of them divides the build area into four 9.85x9.85 in. (250x250 mm) overlapping squares. This division of labor lets large parts get hit by more than one laser, which means that the part gets fabricated that much more quickly.

EOS says that its new EOS M 400-4, a four-laser direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) additive manufacturing system, provides greater volumes and increased productivity for industrial applications. Image courtesy of EOS.

You can learn more about the EOS M 400-4 DMLS manufacturing system from today's Pick of the Week write-up. But the thing to do is hit the link at the end of the main text and open the gates to the EOS M 400-4 landing page. You'll find a pair of short videos waiting for you. The first shows the EOS M 400-4 in operation with specific features called out. The second is a silent action video. It's mesmerizing.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, DE