EOS installs two EOS M 290s at Automotive Trim Developments
August 3, 2022
EOS GmbH, headquartered in Krailling, Germany, has announced that Automotive Trim Developments (ATD), a UK-based group of companies focused on the engineering and manufacture of complete interior trim and electro-mechanical assemblies for the automotive and other transport industries, has installed two EOS M 290 metal Additive Manufacturing machines.
“Adopting Additive Manufacturing as a new process brings new opportunities for manufacturers, in exactly the same way it has for ATD,” stated Davide Iacovelli, Regional Director EMEA at EOS. “Our solutions are designed to support manufacturers of all sizes, and our Additive Minds team offers a range of training and consulting services on optimising, validating and scaling your Additive Manufacturing, helping get the most out of machines from day one. We also support companies across all certified industries with complex engineering challenges.”
During the engineering phase of a project to develop an electro-mechanical module for a luxury vehicle interior, ATD hit an engineering challenge with one physically large, complex component which was visible, but also lightweight. It was said to have become clear to the company that the only way to manufacture the component would be Additive Manufacturing, as taking this approach would enable ATD to achieve the target weight while enabling a high-quality component, both cosmetically and functionally, once highly polished and electroplated in post-processing.
Additive Manufacturing was a completely new process for ATD, but, working with the EOS Additive Minds team, they were able to implement a complete turnkey solution that covered training, installation and setup of the EOS M 290 machines, as well as every aspect of undergoing a transformation on the production floor. This included production business case analysis, floor layout, health & safety procedures, maintenance regimes & guidance on the quality requirements of certified components. Additive Minds provided consultation support on the development of prototype parts, with machines pre-programmed before installation on site by EOS.
Brett Townsend, owner and managing director at ATD, added, “Metal printing is often wrongly perceived as an immature process, and too expensive for production volumes but for us, it has proven ideal. Our investment in Additive Manufacturing and EOS is one for the long term, and a relationship that has already enabled us, at speed, to move to high quality production of complex automotive components.”
