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ITAMCO Ramps up Additive Manufacturing with New EOS Printer

Left to Right: Joel Neidig, director of research and development at ITAMCO; Jennifer Howe, area sales representative at EOS; and Jon Walker, area sales manager at EOS. Photo courtesy of ITAMCO and EOS.

PLYMOUTH, Ind.–ITAMCO (Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies) is delivering components–made with its new EOS M 290 additive manufacturing printer–to the medical device industry, the company announced recently.

The EOS printer was delivered in June 2017, and ITAMCO was shipping components to a medical device supplier in August. The fast ramp-up is partially due to the experience the ITAMCO team gained while contributing to the development of additive manufacturing software. The company was part of a consortium of manufacturers and universities that collaborated to develop the program through the multi-million dollar manufacturing initiative, America Makes, one of the 14 Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes. The software, Atlas 3D, is now marketed through a division of ITAMCO.

"The EOS printer is the right tool for our complex components made with DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering), and the EOS team trained our staff and got us up and running quickly," said Joel Neidig, director of research and development for ITAMCO, in a statement. "The printer works seamlessly with Atlas 3D, too."

ITAMCO (http://itamco.com) reported that its technology team quickly built a good working relationship with the EOS sales and support team. Jon Walker, area sales manager with EOS North America, called ITAMCO an ideal partner for EOS.

"ITAMCO is an ideal partner for EOS because three generations of ITAMCO leaders have supplied traditional subtractive manufactured parts to some of the best known organizations in the world," he explained. "Due to their reputation, ITAMCO's investment in additive manufacturing validates the 3D printing market, especially in highly regulated industries where testing and validation of components or devices is critical. We're thrilled that they have invested in an EOS M 290 3D printing platform, smartly positioning themselves to become an additive manufacturing leader in robust medical and industrial markets for the next three generations and beyond."

The medical device industry is a relatively new market for the company that has serviced heavy-duty industries for decades. "Additive manufacturing is allowing us to do things we've not done before, like producing the smaller, more intricate components for the medical device industry," said Neidig.

ITAMCO sees its entry into the medical industry as a logical move, given the company's capabilities and its close proximity to numerous medical implant manufacturers in Indiana. "We've hired two people from medical device companies to work for us," said Neidig. "Of course, we will continue to expand our presence in our current markets by offering additive manufacturing and the high-quality subtractive manufacturing that made us so successful."

ITAMCO has been on track to include additive manufacturing in its offerings since the launch of its "Strategic Technology Initiative for Additive Manufacturing" in 2015. The company said that it is using additive manufacturing to expand its market position in a global economy and to deliver real benefits to its customers. These benefits include faster turnaround; lighter, yet stronger components; lower prices; and design freedom. They also include product customization and reasonably priced small-batch production, the company said.

Since 1955, ITAMCO (itamco.com) has provided open gearing and precision machining services to heavy-duty industries that include mining, off-highway vehicles, marine, and aviation. The company said that its technology team has released more than 65 apps for mobile devices. ITAMCO also designed and markets iBlue, reported to be the first industrial Bluetooth transmitter, and developed an award-winning Google Glass application.