Quality Assurance in 3D Printing

EOS Standards and Certifications

Many sectors, including the aerospace, automotive and medical industries, require carefully tested and consistent part quality. How can this be achieved with additive manufacturing? Find out how EOS has established a quality management system that is unrivaled.

We continuously control the quality of every part at every process step in the value chain and have obtained product certifications and validations to prove this. The objective of our quality policy is to identify current customer needs and recognize future market requirements at an early stage so we can meet them with appropriate organization, technical and economic means.

Industrial 3D Printing Quality Assurance Approach For System, Material, and Process

Our joint development and multilateral coordination between the three elements (system, material and process) draw from 30 years of experience. In this way, we create the conditions for uniform, repeatable and reliable part properties. The result? Unsurpassed part quality. With comprehensive quality assurance measures in all three areas, EOS has established an integrated quality approach for series production.

1. EOS system quality assurance

We manufacture fixed, predefined reference objects that are checked against all decisive criteria, including mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation at break, porosity and surface quality. The corresponding tests are conducted using common DIN and ISO standards. Finally, a comprehensive check of all system components rounds off the EOS machine acceptance process.

2. EOS material quality testing

Each batch of raw powder is checked in terms of chemical properties and uniform particle size distribution using various test procedures - which is especially important in additive manufacturing.
The second quality check is performed with density cubes and tension rods. These objects are manufactured from each powder batch according to fixed criteria and then analyzed. Further processing and packaging into a range of large product units only occurs after both testing processes have been successful. All testing and processing steps are performed in class 9 cleanrooms.

EOS 3D printing materials in terms of TRLs

We classify the technological maturity of all our polymer and metal materials and processes using Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The TRL approach was developed by NASA and is well-established in many industries.

3. Verified and secured parameters

At EOS, all parameters required to achieve specific chemical properties or part properties, such as laser power or layer thickness, draw from more than 30 years of experience and extensive testing series. Intensive coordination with hardware development teams and material suppliers allows cross-cutting optimization potentials to be exploited. This approach also opens a valuable integrated perspective that encompasses all three fundamental quality factors: system, material and process. In this way, the optimal combination of parameters is determined when developing a specific product property. This is made available in the system as a secured parameter set. The corresponding material data sheet describes the material properties achievable with each parameter set in more detail.

Quality assurance in the lab

Whitepaper "Hands-on Quality"

In many industries, such as aerospace and medical technology, there are strict requirements for the qualification and certification of parts, materials and processes. Which quality requirements can EOS additive manufacturing meet?

Our whitepaper describes the quality assurance processes and standards fulfilled by EOS systems, processes and materials.

You will find answers to the following questions: