EOS partners with Constellium to launch aluminum alloy Aheadd CP1 as EOS Aluminium Constellium CP1, rebrand Al5X1 for metal AM
Hardware
Originally reported by 3D Printing Industry
EOS has signed an agreement with aluminum alloy developer Constellium to expand its metal AM materials lineup. Constellium's Aheadd CP1 alloy launches as EOS Aluminium Constellium CP1 in August 2026, while EOS's existing Al5X1 material is renamed EOS Aluminium Constellium Al5X1 and added to Constellium's own alloy catalog. Both companies frame the deal as the start of a longer alloy-development effort for EOS and AMCM laser powder bed fusion systems, with Constellium CTO Ludovic Piquier and EOS CTO Joachim Zettler signing off publicly. The goal is validated process parameters that shorten material qualification time for production customers.
The move addresses a real gap in metal AM: AlSi10Mg has stayed the default aluminum powder for laser powder bed fusion mainly because it resists cracking during builds, not because it delivers the best mechanical or thermal properties. CP1 is pitched as an alternative with higher strength, simplified heat treatment that skips quenching, and stable high-power processing since it avoids volatile elements like magnesium and zinc, targeting heat exchangers, semiconductor heat sinks and wafer components, and corrosion-exposed parts. That applications list places EOS closer to the consumer-electronics and semiconductor supply chains rather than only the aerospace and motorsport work that Al5X1 continues to serve. Pairing an alloy chemist with a printer OEM mirrors a pattern other metal AM suppliers use to close the qualification gap faster than in-house R&D alone, since the alloy science and the process parameter work happen in parallel rather than sequentially.
The practical payoff won't be visible until CP1 ships in August 2026 and customers run their own qualification cycles on EOS or AMCM machines. Buyers evaluating aluminum LPBF today should treat this as a credible second option to AlSi10Mg for thermal and corrosion-resistant parts, not yet a proven production substitute. The rebranding of Al5X1 into Constellium's own catalog also signals this is meant as a durable co-marketing arrangement, not a one-off material drop.
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