ACMI acquires world’s first AMCM M 8K for advanced aerospace and defence AM
The American Center for Manufacturing & Innovation (ACMI), based in Austin, Texas, and EOS GmbH, headquartered in Krailling, Germany, have announced a new partnership to support advanced manufacturing and domestic production in the United States. Under the deal, ACMI has purchased a number of EOS Additive Manufacturing machines, including the newly launched EOS M4 ONYX, an AMCM M 290-2 FLX featuring beam shaping technology, and the world’s first AMCM M 8K.
The partnership is expected to support the growth of the commercial manufacturing base and the development of new applications for AM in the defence industry. Pairing ACMI’s expertise in developing large-scale production ecosystems with EOS’ technology and industry knowledge will provide the capabilities needed to address advanced manufacturing requirements and scale production.
ACMI’s unique model unites commercial, governmental, and academic stakeholders with private markets to meet national manufacturing security quickly and at scale. ACMI is strengthening manufacturing in the US and onshoring production by working with manufacturers to support their growth through private investment, the building of modern manufacturing facilities, and a close partnership with the federal government. ACMI is developing several multi-tenant manufacturing and industrial campuses across the USA where tenants will leverage advanced manufacturing, unlocking new products, manufacturing techniques, and more efficient processes from R&D through full-scale production.
“These new capabilities from EOS will play a key role in accelerating development and production timelines, delivering direct benefits to defense manufacturers and the American industrial base,” stated John Burer, Founder and CEO of ACMI. “This technology will help drive the factory floor of tomorrow – making American manufacturers more competitive and resilient across multiple sectors – while enabling the development of breakthrough products, hardware, and machines essential to our national security. None of this would be possible without the partnership of a global leader like EOS.”
Developed and produced by AMCM, part of the EOS Group, the AMCM M 8K is engineered for large, high-end aerospace and defense applications. Featuring an expansive build volume of 800 × 800 × 1,200 mm, the machine leverages eight 1.2 kW nLIGHT lasers, advanced optical systems, and state-of-the-art thermal management to deliver exceptional precision and reliability for extended build jobs. Its innovative cooling architecture and optimised process gas flow ensure part quality, even with challenging materials such as copper alloys.
“This partnership with ACMI represents a major step forward in accelerating the adoption of AM as a core manufacturing technology for the United States,” added Greg Hayes, Global SVP of Additive Minds, EOS. “By combining EOS’ decades of engineering expertise with ACMI’s vision for scalable production ecosystems, we’re explicitly enabling defense and aerospace manufacturers to move from concept to qualified production at an accelerated pace. The addition of systems like the AMCM M 8K and the EOS M4 ONYX into ACMI’s campuses give the U.S. industry access to capabilities that were previously out of reach, and we’re proud to support this mission to strengthen domestic manufacturing and national security.”
