EOS is preparing to introduce a new polymer powder bed fusion platform at Formnext 2026, with full details scheduled for release on November 17. Ahead of the launch, Materialise has evaluated the system under production conditions and reports 44% higher productivity than on the previous EOS platform, along with a reduction of more than six minutes in build time per part.
The additive manufacturing service provider used the unreleased machine to produce a cable twist wheel for GKN Aerospace. Beyond confirming that the part could be printed, Materialise assessed reliability, the effect of the platform's new features, productivity and efficiency, usability and control, and how easily printed parts could be post-processed.
Three lasers with balanced exposure
EOS has not yet disclosed the platform's full technical specification, though some of its customers have already trialled the technology with positive results. The system uses a three-laser architecture with intelligent utilization and dynamic load balancing. The platform's dynamic load balancing is intended to maximize output per build by balancing the exposure workload evenly, while the added laser capacity is credited with higher productivity.
Giovanni Vleminckx, process engineering manager at Materialise, said the three lasers make a visible difference in performance, and that their intelligent utilization helps the service reach considerably higher throughput while holding the part quality its customers expect.
Validated or open parameters
The platform also offers extended process controls, so users can work with validated parameter sets or open them up when a specific application and its key performance indicators call for closer alignment. Vleminckx said what stood out was not one isolated feature but the overall performance of the system, which combines the productivity the service needs with the process stability and control required to bring demanding applications into production.
Benefits beyond the build
On the GKN Aerospace part, Materialise measured productivity gains of 44% compared with the previous machine, with build time per part falling from 19:53 to 13:51 minutes. The service also noted downstream benefits from an advanced roller recoater that creates softer powder cakes. Vleminckx described the softer cake as a tangible improvement for operators, because parts are easier to unpack and depowder, which makes the overall workflow noticeably more efficient.
Such gains matter for a manufacturing service with high-throughput requirements that has to adapt to different production applications, which is where the combination of the three-laser architecture, the new roller recoater and open process controls is aimed.
EOS plans to present the polymer platform in person from November 17 at Formnext 2026, at its booth in hall 12, stand D71.