The additive manufacturing technology jointly developed by Cooksongold and EOS will revolutionize the production of watches and jewellery. By providing economical, compact and design-driven manufacturing solutions, additive manufacturing technology will greatly reduce production costs and provide more designs and faster. The speed of supply.
At the just-concluded Hong Kong Jewellery & Accessories Fair 2014, the precious metal-based Precious M 080 direct metal laser sintering system jointly launched by Cooksongold, a world-leading supplier of precious metals, and its strategic partner, the famous 3D printer manufacturer EOS, attracted everyone’s attention.
At present, when the jewellery industry develops and manufactures jewelry using 3D printing technology, it is often the first to print a fine wax pattern in 3D, and then cast it with a lost wax method. The Precious M 080 is the world's first 3D printing device that can directly print 3D precious metals, such as gold. EOS and Cooksongold developed this product for direct 3D printing of jewelry and high-end watches.
The so-called Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technique uses a high-energy laser beam to melt and solidify the fine precious metal powder layer by layer to build a 3D object. The Precious M 080 system is equipped with a 100 watt fiber laser, which provides excellent beam quality and power stability and can be used to print high-quality parts. The Precious M 080 system has a small spot size and a very high print resolution, allowing excellent detail and creating the finest structure.
Precious M 080's feeding system is based on a powder cartridge. It includes a sampling cartridge that facilitates the removal of powder and allows quick switching of metal powders depending on the job.
The system has an 80 mm diameter circular build platform with a working stroke of 95 mm (high, including the build platform itself). The metal powder produced by Cooksongold has been specifically optimized to match the performance requirements of the Precious M 080 system. At present, the system can use a variety of gold alloys to print 3D objects, and other precious metal materials will be developed in the future to meet the different requirements of customers.
Johannes von Stumm: Interlocking ring. (Source: Johannes von Stamm)
Additive manufacturing, 18K3N gold and titanium
Height: 4.2 mm
Made of weight: 6.8 grams, Polished weight: 6.4 grams
From design to finishing? 3 day
Technical data
Maximum print size: Diameter 80mm × 100mm Laser Type: Erbium-doped fiber laser, 100W Precision optics: F-θ lens, high-speed scanner Scanning speed: up to 7.0m/s Focusing diameter less than 30μm Power: 12 A
Power consumption: Maximum 2.3 kW external air supply: 4.000 hPa; 50L/min (58PSI; 1.8 cfm)
Dimensions (width x depth x height): 800mm x 950mm x 1850mm Recommended installation space: 1m x 3m x 2.5m Weight: 580kg Data preparation software: EOS RP Tools, Offline PSW
CAD interface: STL
Network: Ethernet
Dr. Adrian Keppler, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of EOS pointed out: “Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology brings a brand-new production model to the luxury goods industry. Cooksongold is our ideal and cooperative partner and can help us to be faster in this industry. Promote our technology."
David Fletcher, European product manager at Cooksongold, explained: “Utilizing CAD design, DMLS technology will challenge the imagination of designers to create jewelry and watch components that could not be completed before.â€
"Additive manufacturing will greatly reduce the time cycle from concept design to final product by providing a simplified manufacturing process, eliminating many processes and costs, making watch and jewelry production more economical." 
Cooksongold is a subsidiary company of Heimerle + Meule Group, the most famous gold and silver refinery in Germany. It is a leading supplier of precious metal manufacturing in Europe. Cooksongold is a distributor of this 3D printer product and will provide customers with a detailed training plan for the operation of the PRECIOUS M 080 machine. A copy of the design and usage instructions is accessible through the Cooksongold DMLS website.
Richard Hoptroff, headquartered in London, was the first watch manufacturer to produce atomic watches. He firmly believed that DMLS technology could provide him with the best production solutions. “For our business, small-batch manufacturing is critical, and industrial 3D printing can achieve this,†he said. “You can quickly change the design and manufacture of complex shapes, and using other methods is impossible.â€
Hoptroff London: Atomic Watch (Source: Hoptroff)
Additive manufacturing, 18K3N gold
Height: 11.6 mm
Weight: 40.8g, after grinding and polishing: 34.1g
From design to final product? 1 week
The designer of the interlocking ring, Johannes von Stumm, explained why he used 3D printing instead of using traditional lost wax casting to make gold ornaments. “I made a lot of different changes to an identical design, and I can print one immediately. This gives me a lot of flexibility. With DMLS technology, I can print my latest designs and send them. To polish, I can even send multiple files and have them print together to save costs."
(Editor)