GKN Powder Metallurgy, a leading materials and parts producer in the powder metal industry, announced a strategic partnership with EOS, a leading technology supplier in the field of industrial 3D printing of metals and polymers. Together, the companies have designed a new, high-productivity process for Laser metal 3D Printing which has reduced production time by 70% and overall cost by up to 50%.

We’re thinking differently about what’s possible in manufacturing; metal 3D printing and rapid prototyping have become a formidable part of our business. This collaboration makes laser metal 3D printing a viable long-term solution for manufacturers across the board that require fast delivery turnaround and could benefit from the high degree of design freedom that comes with Laser 3D printing. Our customers will be able to produce higher quality parts faster than ever before, with absolutely no tooling.

—Peter Oberparleiter, CEO of GKN Powder Metallurgy

So far, additive manufacturing has been embraced by the automotive and industrial industries for rapid prototyping, but often customers find the process cost prohibitive for producing parts at full-scale production. The combination of GKN’s innovative metal powder, EOS StainlessSteel 316L VPro, and EOS’s unique process and additive manufacturing expertise, make it possible to create a high-performance part designed for end-use at scale, the partners said.

In order to expand our footprint in the automotive industry, we were looking for a strong partner with a high level of expertise in the field of steels and typical industry grade materials combined with a proven track record of further industrializing technologies together with customer applications. We found a perfect partner in GKN Powder Metallurgy. Based on this partnership, our customers will benefit from higher build speeds and lower material costs resulting in significantly optimized cost per part. This is going to lower the entry barrier and will enable completely new application fields.

—Dr. Adrian Keppler, CEO at EOS