Binder jet 3D printing pioneer ExOne has today announced the opening of a new Metal 3D Printing Adoption Center in Germany.

Located at its European headquarters in Gersthofen just outside of Munich, where all new ExOne metal 3D printers including its huge X1 160Pro are being manufactured, the facility will give customers an opportunity to see metal binder jet in action and put their designs to the test before purchasing their own ExOne 3D printer. According to Eric Bader, Managing Director, ExOne GmbH, the motivation behind the new centre has been bolstered by “increased interest in metal binder jetting in Europe as the technology matures.”

In addition to facilities in the U.S. and Japan, the expansion builds on ExOne’s existing Adoption Center in Europe which currently produces sand moulds and cores for metal casting customers. Now, customers will be able to access end-to-end metal binder jet services including benchmarking, design and materials support, and work cell development. The 270-square-metre centre currently features two Innovent+ printers while a X1 25Pro, X1 Metal Designlab and X1F furnace are said to be arriving soon.

“Now, manufacturers throughout Europe can benefit from locally produced binder jetted metal designs and benchmarks, along with world-class engineering consultation and support,” said John Hartner, ExOne’s CEO. “We encourage manufacturers to take advantage of the high speed, low cost, and industry-leading quality that our patented binder jetting technology can deliver for even the most complex designs.”

The centre will initially focus on small-to-medium parts in 316L and 17-4PH, with other materials available. To date, ExOne has qualified more than 20 metal, ceramic, and composite materials for its binder jetting process. Most recently, the company announced aluminium 6061 is now a Customer-Qualified material while titanium has also been fast-tracked for qualification in partnership with a global medical device firm.

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