5,000 Machines and Counting: Celebrating a Milestone in Additive Manufacturing
March 10, 2025 | Reading time: 8 min
On April 24, 1989, Dr. Hans J. Langer embarked on an extraordinary journey in Gräfelfing, an unassuming municipality south of Munich. EOS’ story began with a bold vision—to revolutionize manufacturing. Over the years, this vision has been shaped by our pioneering spirit, conviction, and courage.
Today, we are proud to be a global leader in additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, offering integrated metal and polymer AM technology to our customers through a holistic portfolio of services, materials, software, consulting and processes. With nearly 1,400 employees across 15 countries, we serve customers worldwide, helping them unlock new possibilities through innovation.
Our Journey Through the Years
In 1990, BMW became our first customer, ordering the STEREOS 400 stereolithography (SLA) system. While earmarked for rapid prototyping use, this also marked the initial steps in a new, transformative industry – Additive Manufacturing (AM).
Through the early 1990s, EOS introduced groundbreaking technologies such as the world’s first active coating technology for stereolithography systems and the EOSINT P 350, Europe’s first laser sintering system for manufacturing plastic prototypes. By 1997, we had acquired worldwide patent rights for laser sintering technology, solidifying our role as innovators.
The 2000s ushered in a decade of expansion and refinement. In 2001, we established a foothold in North America with the opening of our Novi, Michigan, office, and launched the EOSINT P 380 polymer system. This era saw revolutionary material development and advancements like the EOSINT M 270, the first commercial Direct Metal Laser Solidification (DMLS) system with a fiber laser.
The 2010s marked exponential growth and by 2011, more than 1,000 EOS laser sintering systems had been sold and quality assurance software tools like EOSTATE had been introduced to the AM market. The EOS M 280, made with 200W and 400W lasers was introduced, which later went on to become the EOS M 290 in 2014, the best-selling metal EOS system in our portfolio to date. In 2016, the EOS M 400-4 was introduced – our fastest DMLS system, and the EOS P 770, a high-performance plastic system. The was followed by another industry first: Our Additive Minds division, founded the same year, provided consulting and knowledge transfer to customers, enabling unprecedented, applied engineering skills to bolster customer success in AM.
From 2017 to 2023, we reached new heights. In 2017, we introduced the EOS P 500, the first automatable polymer production system, and EOSTATE ExposureOT for real-time build process monitoring. By 2020, we championed sustainability with climate-neutral materials and recycling initiatives. 2023 brought the first-of-its-kind Wilson Airless basketball in collaboration with many partner organizations, and technology breakthroughs like Smart Fusion, a software pushing the boundaries of metal 3D printing efficiency for heat management.
Reaching the 5,000th Machine Milestone: Reflecting on our Legacy and Looking Ahead
Today, we’re thrilled to announce the installation of our 5,000th industrial 3D printer, installed at Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM, now a business of ADDMAN Group) in Statesville, North Carolina. Founded by race car driver and entrepreneur Brad Keselowski, KAM has been a longtime partner and advocate of our technology. Their addition of our EOS M 400-4 to their portfolio underscores the growing importance of AM in industries such as defense, space, energy, tooling, and medical.
This monumental achievement is a testament to the dedication and innovation that have defined us since day one. From a small start-up to technological pioneers, to a global leader in AM, our journey has been one of relentless innovation and dedication to our core mission—to accelerate the world’s transition to responsible manufacturing with industrial 3D printing. Dr. Hans Langer’s original vision of combining data, analytics, machines, and robotics to transform manufacturing remains our guiding principle.
We’ve come a long way, but we know this is just the beginning. As our CEO, Marie Langer, aptly puts it, “While 5,000 machines are impressive, we have barely left the starting blocks. The possibilities are endless, and I’m both confident and excited about the greater milestones we’ll undoubtedly achieve.”
Looking ahead, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AM. With each new system installed, material developed, and partnership forged, we move closer to a future where manufacturing is more efficient, sustainable, and innovative than ever before. Here’s to the next 5,000 machines and beyond!
