EOS expands portfolio with two new metal AM materials

EOS, a leading industrial 3D printing company, has added two new metal additive manufacturing materials to its portfolio: EOS NickelAlloy IN738 and EOS NickelAlloy K500 – both of which deliver excellent performance, part properties, and value to a variety of industries that leverage EOS Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LBPF) 3D printing technology.

EOS NickelAlloy IN738

EOS IN738 is a Nickel-based material, that combines high-strength and heat resistance, with a tensile strength of 1,265 MPa and 4.5% elongation. Compared to traditionally manufactured superalloys, EOS IN738 withstands higher-temperature environments and shows significantly less deterioration in high-stress applications such as turbine blades and other energy components. Additively manufactured parts produced with EOS IN738 also take advantage of one of the inherent benefits of industrial 3D printing: design optimization – providing additional cooling and increasing the component’s overall lifespan.

Winnipeg-based Precision ADM provided an early test case for EOS IN738 – producing turbine blades for a Canadian energy customer experiencing the strain of supply chain and spare part inventory shortages.

“Because of EOS technology and EOS IN738 material, we successfully produced a turbine engine blade that achieved 110% of standard running RPM, and withstood up to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit produced by an active turbine. These tests not only showcased the first-ever successful 3D printed turbine engine blade, but that EOS IN738 can withstand the high levels of heat and stress that turbomachinery applications require. Simply put, EOS IN738 was critical to the success of this project,” said Derek VanDenDreissche, Director of Medical and Industrial Sales and Business Development at Precision ADM.

EOS NickelAlloy K500

EOS K500 was developed at the request of a major space launch organization and provides a complete solution for manufacturers seeking a balanced combination of strength and moderate thermal conductivity – bridging the performance of nickel alloys and copper alloys. This material is well-suited for space applications like thrusters and nozzles, as well as chemical processors making pumps and valves, and maritime applications.

“EOS K500 fills an important gap between two worlds of AM materials, the high mechanical strength of nickel-superalloys and the thermal conductivity of copper alloys. The EOS material development team successfully created EOS K500 as a solution for space applications where both mechanical strength and thermal conductivity are needed at the same time, or in extreme conditions,” said Juha Kotila, Business Development Manager at EOS Metal Materials.

“EOS continues to lead in providing advanced material solutions for industries using additively manufactured parts in challenging conditions. EOS IN738 offers a crack-free solution for high-stress, high-temperature applications, while EOS K500’s combination of strength, corrosion resistance, and thermal conductivity enables its applications to perform exceptionally well in extreme temperatures. With these additions to our metal materials portfolio, we can broaden our application range and expand the reach of industrial 3D printing,” said Hanna Pirkkalainen, Head of Product Management for EOS Metal Materials & Processes.

EOS IN738 and EOS K500 will be commercially available for all EOS M 290 family platforms in December 2024, and the EOS M 400-4 in the first half of 2025.