From Validation to Production
Materialise Tests New Polymer Platform

Before its official market launch, Materialise evaluated the next-generation EOS polymer platform under real production conditions. A cable twist wheel manufactured for GKN Aerospace served as the validation application, but the findings extend well beyond a single component or industry. They demonstrate how the new system generation can give contract manufacturers the combination of performance, process control, and flexibility needed to industrialize a wide range of demanding applications. For Materialise, the evaluation focused not only on whether the machine could produce a successful part. The team evaluated the reliability of its performance, the effectiveness of its innovative hardware features, the efficiency with which it used available production capacity, the ease with which completed builds could be post-processed, and the degree of control users retained over the process.

The next-generation platform combines homogeneous process conditions with validated parameter sets that can be fully opened if desired, as well as extended process controls. Production teams can therefore adjust quality and productivity KPIs according to the specific requirements of an application, rather than being limited to a single, generic process target. This approach supports repeatable production while giving experienced manufacturers the freedom to optimize their processes. As Giovanni Vleminckx, Process Engineering Manager at Materialise, explains: “What stood out to us was not one isolated feature, but the overall performance of the system. It combines the productivity we need with the process stability and control required to bring demanding applications into production.”

In addition, Materialise highlighted the softer powder cake generated by the plattform’s advanced roller recoater. The technology enables independent control of roller rotation and recoating speed, enhancing process stability while creating a softer powder bed. The practical benefit becomes apparent after the build. Parts can be depowdered more easily, reducing handling effort and helping production teams move completed jobs through downstream operations more efficiently. The system-level value proposition associates the improved powder behavior and build control with substantially lower post-processing effort. “The soft powder cake is a very tangible improvement for our operators. Parts are easier to unpack and depowder, which makes the overall workflow noticeably more efficient,” says Giovanni Vleminckx.

Equally important for an experienced contract manufacturer is the possibility of adapting parameters. Validated and fully open parameter sets, combined with extended process controls, allow production teams to fine-tune the balance between part quality and productivity for individual application requirements. “We value the possibility of changing parameters because different applications require different priorities. Having access to the process allows us to optimize performance and quality for the specific needs of each production job,” explains Giovanni Vleminckx.

This combination differentiates the platform from a machine designed around one fixed production scenario. Three-laser performance increases productive capacity, the roller recoater improves the physical workflow, and open process control gives manufacturers the flexibility to apply those capabilities to a broader application portfolio. For contract manufacturers, that flexibility can become a strategic advantage. Providers that can combine higher throughput with application-specific process control and more efficient downstream operations are better positioned to take on demanding new projects and to move them from initial validation into repeatable production.