EOS completed the pilot phase for EOSTATE MeltPool, a process monitoring and analysis solution for direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). Turkey-based pilot customer TUSAS Engine Ind. Inc. (TEI) will use the automated, intelligent and real-time process monitoring tool for quality inspection on engine parts.

Serial production with industrial 3D printing systems aims for high-quality and reproducible component quality at the lowest costs per part possible. Reliable quality assurance tools play a key role in this process. EOSTATE MeltPool moves the quality assurance process that would otherwise take place downstream into the additive build process. This improves risk management, lowers the costs associated with quality assurance and reduces the time required for this purpose. The result – a sustained reduction in overall costs per part.

Towards the end of 2015, EOS, the global technology and quality leader for high-end Additive Manufacturing (AM) solutions introduced its EOSTATE MeltPool solution as an add-on to the EOS M 290 DMLS system. This innovative tool paves the way for complete part traceability as well as an automated surveillance and analysis of the melt pool during the DMLS® build process – every spot, every layer, every part. With the tool EOS expands its existing comprehensive portfolio of monitoring solutions, ensuring even greater transparency of the complex build process.

After market introduction, EOS exposes its products to a subsequent testing phase with a handful of pilot customers. This phase has been recently completed. TEI – which also collaborates at GE’s LEAP engine program – has been one of the customers to support this.

“The decisive factor for customers on the road towards series manufacturing based on AM is reproducible top-quality parts at the lowest costs per part possible,” said Lukas Fuchs, Application Development Consultant MeltPool for Monitoring Solutions at EOS. “The EOSTATE MeltPool Monitoring allows to move part quality assurance from post- to in-process, as such not only supporting a better risk management, but as well reducing time and costs for quality assurance and as a consequence overall costs per part.” And he continues: “It is a powerful expert tool to those who need to improve their quality assurance procedures for AM and who want to build up deep insights into the DMLS process to e.g. support further process development.“

 “We consider the EOSTATE Meltpool monitoring system as an initial step for online control and part quality inspection, As such, it was part of our initial technical specifications for the DMLS process and we felt privileged to be one of the first pilot customers to test it,” added Semih Pilatin, Technology Programs Manager at TEI. “We are planning to use this tool – he continued – for aerospace engine parts manufacturing where tight tolerances and high performance are expected. With this tool, we can capture potential part defects online at an early stage and with minimal effort to assess the part quality.“ 

TUSAS Engine Industries Inc. (TEI) is a joint venture established in 1985 between Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI), General Electric (GE), Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TAFF) and Turkish Aeronautical Association (TAA). TEI is the leader in aviation engines area in Turkey and a successful partner for OEMs in the global market with its reliable, high quality products and services that meets international standards. Today TEI continues its operations focusing its investment and initiatives on its main activity areas which are: Engine part/module manufacturing; engine assembly, testing and maintenance, repair and overhaul; engine design and product development.

Process monitoring and analysis per spot, per layer, per part; minimizing risk and reducing quality assurance costs

Process and functional principle

During the DMLS build process, EOSTATE MeltPool observes the light emitted by the melt pool. Extensive hardware helps to separate the process light from the reflected laser light. The data that is obtained is further processed in the software: