AM Solutions Closes the SLS Powder Loop With PMS and DFS Systems

AM Solutions has introduced the Powder Management System (PMS) and the Direct Feeding System (DFS) to support polymer additive manufacturing. The new systems automate the replenishment of printing systems with processed SLS powder, targeting the manual transfer step that has long sat between powder preparation and the printer itself. Both systems have been made commercially available immediately and will be presented at this year's Formnext.

From unpacking to resupply, without hands on powder

The PMS and DFS systems extend the existing workflow of the D1 Unpacking System and F1 Powder Handling System into a fully automated, closed powder loop. The systems are designed to create a continuous material loop spanning the printing process, unpacking, powder preparation, and the resupply of printing systems. The practical effect: the systems reduce manual contact with the powder, increase process reliability, occupational safety, and cost-effectiveness.

The two new units split the use cases cleanly. The DFS provides direct powder supply to a single EOS SLS printing system. The PMS was developed for production environments with multiple printing systems and enables automated supply of processed powder to up to four EOS SLS printers.

One printer or four

The DFS is deliberately lean. It utilises the existing components of the F1 with no additional controls, powder pumps, or media supplies required. The piping system runs up to 15 meters between the F1 and the printer, which gives layout flexibility on the shop floor.

The PMS supplies two Polyboxes, each with a usable volume of 180 litres, and automatically switches between them to ensure continuous powder supply. That switchover is the key to uninterrupted operation across a multi-printer cell.

Early deployments

This is not a paper launch. EOS has already deployed the PMS under production conditions and gained initial positive experience with automated powder supply. AM Solutions has deployed the DFS for internal production operations for approximately ten months in combination with an EOS P3 NEXT and the F1.

"The PMS enables our customers to supply up to four EOS polymer systems with powder cost-effectively and with minimal operator intervention. Its intuitive operation and closed-loop system make day-to-day production easier and safer. It's another step forward made possible by our close collaboration with AM Solutions." — Magdalena Schwangler, Senior Product Manager Polymer at EOS

"The DFS automates the direct powder supply to the printing system, significantly reducing manual intervention in the material flow. Day-to-day production operations have shown that the combination of F1 and DFS enables reliable and convenient printer supply and substantially reduces the manual effort involved in powder supply." — Ann-Kathrin Mahr, Development Engineer at AM Solutions

What it means for polymer series production

Manual powder handling is one of the least glamorous, most labour-intensive parts of SLS workflows, and it is a genuine safety exposure. Automating resupply addresses both. For facilities running multiple machines, the PMS in particular turns powder logistics from a shift-by-shift chore into background infrastructure.

M4S Take:: The grounded claims here are solid and verifiable: 180-litre Polyboxes, automatic switchover, up to four EOS SLS printers on the PMS, 15 meters of piping on the DFS, and roughly ten months of internal DFS operation on an EOS P3 NEXT. The marketing gloss sits in the softer language — "initial positive experience" at EOS and improved "cost-effectiveness" come with no published figures on labour hours saved, uptime gained, or payback period.