26.04.2023

May we present: Depowdering of 3D printed parts with Solukon

Effective post-processing of beam-melted metal components

With the machines for depowdering metal components, URMA is expanding its machine portfolio in industrial additive manufacturing.

With the Solukon portfolio, URMA offers a variety of systems to automatically remove powder from 3D printed metal components. All machines use the Solukon Smart Powder Recuperation technology SPR®: The rotation around up to two axes and the targeted oscillation excitation make it possible to get the powder out of even the finest internal channels. Solukon depowdering systems are compatible with all powder-based 3D printers.

URMA Solukon Entpulverung Depowdering Metallbauteile Innenbereich

Why depowdering?

An important step in the post-processing of the additive manufacturing chain is depowdering, which directly follows the actual 3D printing process of the component. The metal component is full of the finest powder after printing. For further processes, such as heat treatment, this powder must be completely removed. This is especially difficult if the component contains internal channels or cavities. Thanks to the unique Solukon Smart Powder Recuperation technology SPR®, fully automatic depowdering is possible.

What are the challenges of depowdering metallic 3D printed components?

After the actual printing process, the components must be freed from excess powder so that they can be further processed. During manual powder removal, users inevitably come into contact with metal powder. Hazardous powders may enter the body by inhalation or through the skin. In some cases, powder clouds also pose an explosion hazard.

However, manual powder removal is not only dangerous, but also time-consuming and therefore expensive. The cleaning results are also not reproducible.

Can the system be placed directly next to a 3D printer?

Yes, because the vibrating components are damped, the depowdering system can be positioned next to 3D printers without affecting the print result.

URMA SFM-AT800-S Entpulverung Depowdering Metallbauteile Innenbereich

What happens to the recovered powder?

The powder released during cleaning falls directly into a hopper at the bottom of the process chamber. From there, it is fed into a powder container via a double valve system without contact to the ambient air. Alternatively, the process chamber can be directly connected to a material handling system, such as a screening plant. The closed system design allows powder discharge under inert atmosphere. The deposited metal powder can only be reused for further print jobs in a resource-saving manner.

Can Solukon systems be integrated into automated production lines?

The large systems SFM-AT800/-S and SFM-AT1000-S can be equipped with an automatic back door and an automatic clamping system for robot loading on request. They can also be operated remotely via OPC UA. The optional Solukon Digital Factory Tool (available for SFM-AT800/-S and SFM-AT1000-S) also enables end-to-end quality assurance and automation integration.

How is the explosion risk of reactive materials prevented?

To avoid explosion risks, our systems are equipped with the following features:

  • Self-cleaning of the components through targeted rotation and vibration without the formation of dust clouds
  • Inerting with an inert gas such as argon minimizes the risk of explosion
  • The workspace is self-contained and free of sources of ignition

 

Learn more about the automated depowdering systems!

Solukon portfolio