PRINCE GEORGE, Va. (AP) — An advanced manufacturing research center in Prince George County is getting a new partner.

Officials say additive manufacturing company EOS has joined the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing.

The Michigan-based company will install a laser metal- forming system for industrial 3D printing in the center’s large-scale production lab.

The center says, for example, the research could help a company that creates surfacing tools determine whether an abrasive polish or a coating method will offer the right finish for a particular alloy.

The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing does research for a group of manufacturing companies under a partnership with Virginia Tech, Virginia State University and the University of Virginia.

The consortium that supports the center’s research includes Rolls-Royce, Newport News Shipbuilding and Siemens.

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