EOS and Grenzebach to strengthen partnership in development of automation processes
November 12, 2021
EOS GmbH, Krailling, Germany, and Grenzebach Group, headquartered in Hamlar, Germany, have reported a strengthening in their relationship in an effort to advance metal and polymer Additive Manufacturing through the development of efficient, safe and holistic automation processes.
“It is essential for us to further automate and network industrial 3D printing as intelligently as possible with different processes,” Dr Marco Nock, Senior VP, Business Unit Systems and Innovation Management, EOS. “For years, we have been appreciating the exchange and cooperation with Grenzebach as our technology partner and now, we will take this next step together.”
Since beginning the partnership, a portfolio has been developing which includes automation systems and transport solutions for the respective system platforms. In 2017, the innovation project NextGenAM was established, which aimed to realise the fully automated series production of quality metal components. An aerospace and automotive manufacturer from Baden-Württemberg adopted the automated solution, in which Grenzebach had been involved from the start as a consulting and solutions partner of EOS.
The portfolio was extended during the partnership and is still growing. More machines in the metal sector, such as the unpacking station, were handed over to Grenzebach. These developed solutions were then also applied to the industrial polymer AM sector.
The companies, cooperating in both research and customer projects, develop individual configurations and derive process and production solutions to meet the respective requirements of customers. The partnership focuses on the highest possible utilisation of the industrial AM and the accompanying periphery, efficient and robust production processes and high levels of occupational health and safety.
Grenzebach has also extended its own portfolio for industrial AM in the past months; in addition to AM-machine-specific automation and transport solutions, the company developed automatic storage and bin picking & sorting solutions in an effort to further advance the automation of up-and downstream process steps.
“We have already demonstrated our expertise with automated guided vehicles, robotics and efficient material flow in the automated transport of parts within process chains”, stated Oliver Elbert, Head of Additive Manufacturing at Grenzebach. “In the future, we will also contribute our know-how in further steps of the production process of additive manufacturing. There are still many processes which we have to automate on our way to a lights-out-factory.“
The automation of AM has been noted as a clear growth area for the medium-sized Grenzebach Group. The close cooperation with partners such as EOS has been a key factor of success to Elbert.
He explained, “Only with strong partnerships in the market, in which everyone contributes their part, we are able to develop efficient solutions for industrial 3D printers users. We are happy to further deepen our partnership with EOS, which has grown over the years.”
In the future, Grenzebach is expected to provide more machines in the direct and indirect environment of the EOS AM machines. It his hoped that this will open new opportunities and fields of interaction to address the specific industry and customer requirements more efficiently.
