EOS is preparing to unveil a new polymer 3D printing platform at Formnext 2026, and one early customer is already reporting a significant productivity gain. Materialise evaluated the soon-to-launch powder bed fusion system under real production conditions and recorded 44% higher throughput than on the previous EOS platform, along with a reduction in build time per part of more than six minutes.
The AM service provider used the machine to produce a cable twist wheel for GKN Aerospace. The aim was not only to establish whether the part could be printed, which it could, but also to assess reliability, the effect of new features, productivity and efficiency, usability and control, and the ease of post-processing.
Three lasers and dynamic load balancing
EOS has not disclosed all technical details of the platform. The company says the system has a three-laser architecture, intelligent utilization and dynamic load balancing. The latter is intended to maximize output per build by equally balancing the exposure workload, while the added laser capacity contributes to higher productivity. Giovanni Vleminckx, process engineering manager at Materialise, said the three lasers make a visible difference in performance, and their intelligent use helps achieve considerably higher throughput while maintaining the part quality customers expect.
Process control and production fit
The platform also offers extended process controls. Users can work with validated parameter sets or open them up for greater control and alignment with specific applications and KPIs. Vleminckx said the overall performance of the system stood out rather than one isolated feature. He said it combines the productivity needed with the process stability and control required to bring demanding applications into production.
Measured build-time reduction
In the GKN Aerospace part, Materialise saw productivity gains of 44% compared with the previous machine. Build time per part fell from 19:53 to 13:51 minutes. Materialise also noted downstream benefits from an advanced roller recoater that creates softer powder cakes. This makes it easier to depowder parts and reduces handling effort. Vleminckx described the soft powder cake as a tangible improvement for operators, saying parts are easier to unpack and depowder and the overall workflow is noticeably more efficient.
What remains undisclosed
EOS has not yet released full details and plans to present the system on November 17 at Formnext 2026. The company will exhibit at booth D71 in hall 12. For a manufacturing service such as Materialise, which has high-throughput requirements and must adapt to different production applications, the reported combination of three-laser operation, a new roller recoater and open process controls is significant. The performance figures come from Materialise's evaluation, while full technical specifications are due to be released on November 17.