EOS SELLS ITS FIRST EOSINT P 800 HIGH TEMPERATURE PEEK PROCESSING SYSTEM
Client FKM expands its machine park by adding an additional
laser-sintering system

Krailling near Munich/Biedenkopf-Wallau, May 12, 2009 – FKM, one of EOS's e-Manufacturing partners, is the first company to purchase an EOSINT P 800 high temperature machine built by EOS, the worldwide market leader in laser-sintering. FKM has now increased its machine park to a total of 14 laser-sintering systems for processing plastic, metal and sand. With this purchase, the rapid technology specialist obtains a machine with great future potential that can process EOS's innovative high-performance polymer PEEK HP3.

Jürgen Blöcher, managing director at FKM, on the decision to purchase this system, said: "We were motivated to purchase another machine from EOS for a variety of reasons: in our opinion, laser-sintering is today one of the key technologies in the area of e-Manufacturing. It enables the manufacture of durable and close-to-production functional models. Buying an EOSINT P 800 was a logical step, because the machine complements our portfolio perfectly." Blöcher adds: "With EOS we have a broad range of applications know-how at our disposal, and this makes it possible for us to respond exactly to our customers' demands."

The machine was presented for the first time at last year's Euromold, and Peter Klink, Vice President Sales at EOS, welcomes FKM's decision: "The long-standing cooperation between EOS and FKM is based on a high degree of mutual trust. FKM, as one of our e-Manufacturing partners, is always prepared to advance and give input on our ideas and visions. As a result of this, FKM is the first service bureau to offer this highly innovative technology."

EOSINT P 800 high-temperature system
Due to their excellent material properties, high-performance polymers have great potential for numerous applications and industries. Because of its suitability for process temperatures of up to 385°C, the new EOSINT P 800 is the first machine worldwide to open up this highly interesting family of materials for laser-sintering. By adapting the well-proven and fully developed design of the EOSINT P730 by adding completely newly-designed components, the machine is equipped to meet the demands of high-temperature processes.

The implementation of the high temperature levels within the machine has created completely new requirements for long-term strength, the control of thermal expansion and temperature distribution. EOS is therefore focusing on new materials which up until now have not been used in the construction of laser-sintering systems but with which the machines can now fulfil both the demands of the process on temperature distribution and the mechanical precision requirements.

PEEK HP3: material of the future
With its PEEK HP3 material, EOS has made the first-ever high-performance polymer available for use in laser-sintering. Products manufactured in this material achieve tensile strengths of up to 95 MPa and a tensile modulus of 4,400 MPa. Its excellent chemical resistance makes PEEK impervious to all kinds of chemicals except corrosive acids. This results in outstanding application-specific properties. In applications where light weight and flame resistance are of the utmost importance, PEEK has developed into a popular replacement for metal.

Due to its purity, solidity and chemical resistance, PEEK has also been promoted to the status of gold standard for HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) applications in analytical science. Its biocompatibility, sterilizability, tensile strength and lubrication properties make this material an ideal replacement in medical applications for stainless steel and titanium. PEEK is already considered as being one of the best-performing thermoplastic polymers and as having the potential to open up new application fields.

About EOS
EOS was founded in 1989 and is the worldwide market leader in the field of laser-sintering. Laser-sintering is the key technology for e-Manufacturing. Components can be produced fast, flexibly and cost-effectively, directly from electronic data. The method accelerates product development and modernizes production processes. EOS completed the 2007/2008 business year with a turnover in laser-sintering of 70M euro, which is an increase of 17 percent on the previous year. The company currently employs more than 280 employees worldwide - 230 of these at its headquarters in Krailling near Munich. www.eos.info

About FKM Sintertechnik
FKM Sintertechnik GmbH is based Biedenkopf-Wallau in Hesse. The development service provider was founded in 1994 and quickly became a specialist in laser-sintering. The company founders and managing directors are Jürgen Blöcher and Harald Henkel. This medium-sized enterprise is among the industry's leading service providers. It is a development partner of numerous well-known customers in the automotive engineering and consumer goods industries. FKM-Sintertechnik produces – almost exclusively on machines from the German manufacturer EOS in Munich – pre-series, functioning prototypes and small series parts out of plastic and metal. In 2008 and in more than 4,500 individual jobs the company produced a wide variety of part geometries in job lots of various sizes.

Contact EOS:
Claudia Jordan
PR Specialist
Tel.: +49 89 893 36 134
Tel.: +49 89 893 36 284
Email: Email Contacto

Contact FKM:                                        
Jürgen Blöcher
Tel.: +49 6461 95510
Tel.: +49 6461 955112
Email: Email Contact

Contact Parker Group :
Nick O’Donohoe
Parker Group
Tel. : 401-272-1510
Email : Email Contact