CEO of EOS Named One of Top 20 Most Influential People

Dr. Hans J. Langer, founder and CEO of EOS, has been named one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in a recent issue of the U.K.’s TCT Magazine. The list, compiled in part by reader nominations, was prepared for the 20^th anniversary of the magazine and recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the additive manufacturing (AM) industry during the past 20 years.

Dr. Langer, a physicist who established EOS in 1989, has worked in development, marketing and sales of laser-based solutions for decades. Over the years he has helped drive the evolution of laser-sintering from a prototyping technology to a high-quality manufacturing method with sophisticated process controls and a wide range of materials. This manufacturing method includes plastics laser sintering, with such materials as EOS PEEK HP3, and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) with such materials as titanium, cobalt chrome and nickel alloys (such as IN 625 and IN 718) as well as sand laser sintering. These processes are scalable across major industries—from aerospace, automotive, dental, medical and industrial, to consumer.

The company itself was recently named one of the Top 100 small- and medium-sized innovative businesses in Germany, receiving the prestigious award for the fourth time since 2007.

“Dr. Hans Langer is most deserving of this recognition,” says Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president of AM consulting firm Wohlers Associates. “He is among a very small number of people who have played an ongoing role in the successful development and commercialization of systems for additive manufacturing for more than 20 years.” Wohlers was selected once again as one of the Top 20 for his work as an industry expert.

“In the pioneer days of additive manufacturing, a few of us could see its vast potential for creating end products unlike any then existing,” says Dr. Langer. “It's thrilling to see laser sintering has realized that potential and more, and I'm ever grateful for having been a part of this adventurous journey.”

“Our business model would have been quite impossible without additive manufacturing,” says Lisa Harouni, co-founder and CEO of Digital Forming (London, UK) and another Top 20 winner. “Through EOS technology, we have been able to create an opportunity for consumers to co-design and individualize products in a way that has never before been widely available.” Digital Forming is a sister company to WITHIN Technologies, whose FEA/CAD optimization software works with plastic and metal laser-sintering systems to create strong, lightweight parts, including novel, load-bearing lattice structures.

To see the list of the Top 20, follow this link.