Press Release
EOS ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF LASER-SINTERING EQUIPMENT BY NORTHWEST UAV PROPULSION SYSTEMS
EOSINT P 390 MEETS TIGHT TOLERANCES FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURE
Krailling, Germany, and Novi, MI, June 10th, 2008:
EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, the world-leading manufacturer of laser-sintering systems, today announced that Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems (NWUAV), an aerospace supplier, has purchased an EOSINT P 390 plastics laser-sintering machine. Northwest is using the equipment to produce high-quality aircraft components, including laser-sintered PA 2201 and PrimePart DC parts for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
NWUAV manufactures complex cylinder head temperature controllers, cylinder head shrouds and a variety of other parts for UAVs from Insitu, Inc. “Our greatest concern is meeting the tight tolerances and consistent quality that aircraft designs require,” says Chris Harris, president of NWUAV. “The EOSINT P 390 provides us with consistent, uniform, high-quality production parts that eliminate the need for secondary finishing operations such as sanding.”
With assistance and training from EOS technicians, NWUAV was able to go from installation to part production on the P 390 in just ten days. An essential step in the process was tuning parameters to meet design criteria within 0.001”.
Previously, NWUAV ordered the parts from an outside vendor and performed sanding and other finishing processes on them. Purchasing the P 390 and manufacturing the parts in-house has reduced the company’s supply chain and infrastructure costs such as part inspection, inventory, and storage. Northwest is now able to supply the components just-in-time and implement design changes within a couple of days versus weeks.
“The use of rapid manufacturing is booming in the aerospace industry,” says Jim Fendrick, vice president of EOS North America. “This growth continues to be driven by the ingenuity and innovation of industry leaders such as Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems.”
About Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems
Northwest ULD Inc., doing business as Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems, was founded in 2002 and has produced over 1,500 turnkey propulsion systems for Insitu Inc. of Bingen, WA. NWUAV coordinates closely with the customer to ensure manufacturing and design criteria are achieved. Engine run-in stations/dynamometers ensure performance criteria prior to shipping. Through various industrial skill sets and partners in manufacturing, NWUAV provides excellence in all aspects of production of propulsion systems. Circuit card manufacturing, machining, aluminum castings and rapid manufacturing, using the in-house EOS P390, are a small sampling of the company’s capabilities. NWUAV is on track to achieve AS9100 certification in the fall of 2008. Visit
www.nwuav.com for further information – or Contact Chris Harris @ 971-241-6696 / 503-434-6845 /
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About EOS (
www.eos.info)
EOS was founded in 1989 and is today the world-leading manufacturer of laser-sintering systems. Laser-sintering is the key technology for e-Manufacturing, the fast, flexible and cost-effective production of products, patterns or tools. The technology manufactures parts for every phase of the product life cycle, directly from electronic data. Laser-sintering accelerates product development and optimizes production processes. EOS completed its business year 2006/2007 with revenues of 59.7 million Euro, which is an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year.
Press contact for further information / photos: Company contact:
Martina Methner Jim Fendrick
EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems EOS of North America Inc.
Robert-Stirling-Ring 1 28970 Cabot Drive, Ste. 700
D-82152 Krailling Novi, MI 48377-2978
Tel: +49 89 893 36-134 Tel: 248-306-0143
Fax: +49 89 893 36-288 Fax: 248-306-0298
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Miles Parker, Parker Group
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