EOS Among First 3D Printing Companies to Join MindSphere World

Siemens has a hand in a lot of different technology, to say the least, and it has lately been pursuing the Internet of Things with its cloud-based, open IoT operating system called MindSphere. The system connects products, plants, systems and machines, allowing users to rapidly develop apps in the cloud. To promote the system, registered association MindSphere World e.V was developed, and is comprised of several companies including Siemens, Festo, KUKA and now EOS.

Leading additive manufacturing company EOS is one of the first to join MindSphere World from the 3D printing sector, and will leverage its nearly 30 years of additive manufacturing expertise to become an active participant in the organization. The company is planning to chair an additive manufacturing work group as part of its role in the association.

“With a community of industrial and IT companies of all sizes and sectors, as well as independent developers and start-ups, we aim to establish and drive an ecosystem based on MindSphere,” said Jan Mrosik, Chair of the Management Board of MindSphere World. “So we are very pleased to have EOS on board, a pioneer for 3D printing solutions. The company’s technology know-how in additive manufacturing contributes to the further development of MindSphere and its applications, adding significant value to the ecosystem.”

MindSphere allows companies to utilize data from various sources for extensive analysis and production management functions, regardless of location. EOS is also continuously working to integrate its own solutions into its customers’ production workflows. The company’s EOSCONNECT software acts as a gateway and, in combination with MindSphere, allows users to integrate EOS 3D printing systems in the Internet of Things. Companies can then connect networks of machines worldwide, making their manufacturing capabilities more flexible and productive.

“In the course of Industry 4.0, manufacturing scenarios are continuously becoming more digitalized,” said Dr. Tobias Abeln, Chief Technical Officer at EOS. “The industrial 3D printing technology offered by EOS plays a key role in this field, as it gives customers a completely new degree of freedom in terms of part design and production. Therefore the technology is being increasingly used in serial production. The next step is to meaningfully integrate industrial 3D printing in both existing as well as future manufacturing environments and at the same time continually optimize part and data flows in serial production. In other words, it’s all about the digital connectivity of conventional and additive technologies. With MindSphere World we are able to collaborate with the right companies to promote this development.”

EOS is working to ensure that its solutions can be connected with MES/ERP applications, and with the help of EOSCONNECT combined with MindSphere, can support new digital marketplaces and IoT platforms. Companies will thus gain a seamless handover of production data into their Computer Aided Quality (CAQ) systems for reliable, secure traceability, allowing them to validate their processes for production. They also benefit from transparency with visualization and readout of real-time production KPIs, helping them to boost their productivity overall.

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