EOS FeNi36: Dimensional Stability in AM
October 27, 2025 | Reading time: 4 min
When Shape Is Non-Negotiable: Introducing EOS FeNi36
A satellite swings from sunlight into shadow, its structure exposed to a temperature shift of hundreds of degrees. On Earth, an optical instrument loses calibration as a lens mount creeps by a fraction of a millimeter. In a composite workshop, a mold slowly warps after countless heating and cooling cycles. These are not shortcomings of ambition — they’re the result of a crucial material choice. EOS’ material scientists and manufacturing experts work hard to improve that choice every day to allow for new applications.
One prime example is EOS FeNi36, a nickel-iron alloy built for environments where dimensional stability counts before anything else, to be introduced at Formnext 2025. Known for its exceptionally low coefficient of thermal expansion, FeNi36 gives engineers and scientists the power to build parts that stay true, even when conditions change dramatically.
The Data Behind the Promise
- Thermal expansion ~1.5 ppm/K — a fraction of titanium, stainless steel, or aluminum alloys.
- Stable size and shape under cycling, confirmed by ASTM-F1684-06 testing.
- Tensile strength up to 460 MPa, elongation up to 42%, combining robustness with ductility.
- Available for the EOS M 290 system at 40 µm and 80 µm with part densities of ~8.0 g/cm³.
Aerospace: Holding Structure in Orbit’s Thermal Extremes
For the aerospace industry, thermal deformation is a part of daily operations, with millions being invested in research to limit it and maintain equipment accuracy. Satellites and spacecraft can swing hundreds of degrees in temperature within minutes. Most alloys expand, contract, and jeopardize alignment.
EOS FeNi36 keeps its dimensions stable, enabling spacecraft housings, frames, and cryogenic fuel systems that stay true to form. Paired with additive manufacturing, it gives aerospace engineers freedom to design lightweight, consolidated structures that won’t drift out of tolerance when it matters most.
Optics and Scientific Instruments: Stability Where Microns Matter
Spaceborne imaging teams now publish explicit thermal-deformation budgets: EMIT’s 2024 on-orbit calibration work shows how tightly spectroradiometric accuracy must be controlled to avoid science-grade drift. A lens mount that shifts by a fraction of a millimeter can throw off an entire optical system. Thermal drift undermines years of calibration in high-precision instruments.
With EOS FeNi36, optical housings and scientific frames resist expansion, protecting the accuracy of measurements and the fidelity of observations — no matter how the environment changes.
Cryogenics: Strength That Survives the Cold
In cryogenic applications, some metals grow brittle while others warp. EOS FeNi36 combines mechanical strength with ductility at extremely low temperatures, making it ideal for liquefied gas storage, cryogenic transport, and superconducting components.
Its resilience allows engineers to create optimized geometries for efficiency and safety — without fear of failure in the coldest corners of science and industry. Recent materials research underscores the risk: mechanical properties of many alloys degrade at cryogenic temperatures, prompting new alloy designs specifically to retain ductility and toughness at extreme temperatures.
Tooling: Molds That Refuse to Drift
When a mold drifts, downtime explodes. ABB’s 2023 Value of Reliability survey found the “typical” industrial outage runs into six-digit costs every hour, with over 2/3 of plants suffering unplanned outages at least monthly. Composite manufacturing depends on tooling that holds its shape after countless heating and cooling cycles. Distortion means downtime, rework, and cost.
EOS FeNi36 ensures molds for aerospace and automotive composites stay dimensionally stable, extending tool life and reliability. Additive manufacturing amplifies the advantage by allowing conformal cooling and complex mold geometries beyond the reach of traditional production.
A New Standard for Dimensional Reliability
EOS FeNi36 adds a crucial tool to our metal portfolio: a material that turns the challenge of thermal expansion into an opportunity for breakthrough design. Across aerospace, optics, cryogenics, and tooling, it enables precision that doesn’t move when the world does.
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