EOS introduces new Smart Fusion software for metal 3D printing optimization

The 3D printer manufacturer EOS has unveiled a new software monitoring package that includes the first real-time intelligent thermal management. The software reduces support structures and enables increased efficiency during printing.

Smart Fusion intuitively detects and fixes potential problems during manufacturing and achieves real-time capabilities without significantly extending manufacturing time. Customer beta testing showed performance two to five times faster than leading competitors in the metal AM market.

“When we learned about Smart Fusion and started to test it several month ago, we knew it would be a game changer. Not only does it significantly reduce the part cost, but it is also a facilitator in the use of optical tomography which, in our view, is a key element to introduce AM for serial production. Over the past few months, we have developed several products with EOS which really show the potential of Smart Fusion”, comments Stefan Seidel, Chief Technical Officer at Pankl Racing Systems, manufacturers of auto racing, aerospace, and other high-performance applications.

Smart Fusion measures the absorbed laser power and monitors the melt pool emissions of each layer with a special camera. The data is fed back to the laser, where it is adjusted to ensure homogeneous energy distribution and reduced stresses in the parts.

“Smart Fusion is another important breakthrough for metal AM, especially for those organizations with highly engineered applications, such as energy, space tech, mobility, and aerospace. Other solutions in the market have significant drawbacks such as slower build times, and a need for an expert to make sure it works. Smart Fusion offers an industrialized solution that is faster, flexible, and more accessible”, says Mirco Schöpf, EOS product line manager, software.

One aerospace company that tested Smart Fusion found that it was more than twice as fast and delivered better part quality than leading competing technologies.

“The beauty of Smart Fusion is that it is incredibly flexible, easy-to-use, and will work with the majority of customer applications out-of-the-box. We challenged our team to mitigate one of metal AM’s significant challenges with a unique software solution and we could not be prouder of the results”, says Mirco Schöpf, EOS product line manager, software.

Smart Fusion will be showcased at RAPID+TCT 2023 in Chicago, May 2-4, 2023.

Find out more about EOS at eos.info.