Determining Details, Developing Better Molds

Oct. 22, 2015
GF Machining Solutions and EOS introduced the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling additive manufacturing system.

GF Machining Solutions, EOS offering additive manufacturing system for better-performing molds

Earlier this year GF Machining Solutions and EOS — a developer of systems and materials for direct metal laser sintering — agreed to cooperate on additive manufacturing packages that combine their particular specialties. Now, they have introduced the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling additive manufacturing system, which combines GF’s expertise in electric discharge machining, milling, laser texturing, and automation with the EOS M 290 metal laser sintering system.

According to GF CEO Yves Serra, “GF and EOS complement each other very well to offer the large customer base of GF Machining Solutions a unique set of technologies.”

The particular target for the AM S 290 Tooling package wil be mold and die tooling proudction: With AM S 290 Tooling, GF Machining Solutions claimed, “moldmakers can move thermal exchange closer to the surface of a mold, improving temperature homogeneity to reduce throughput times, and increase part quality.

Additive manufacturing also reduces machine shops’ energy cost factors, and creates new opportunities for part design that incorporate conformal cooling and heating channels.