With the launch of its SFM-AT350-E depowdering system, Solukon has prolonged the vibration choices inside automated depowdering with ultrasonic excitation.
Going past the mixture of automated rotation and focused vibration, Solukon’s SFM-AT350-E answer offers enhanced depowdering in lengthy and slender channels.
One firm to have benefited from the brand new system is justairtech, a producer of extremely environment friendly cooling methods that use air as a refrigerant, primarily focusing on knowledge facilities and industrial cooling wants. Having additively manufactured a Fractal Warmth Exchanger, which is designed to be 4-5 instances increased effectivity than standard methods, justairtech turned to the SFM-AT350-E system to take away extra powder from the half’s tight channels.
How the method unfolded
Earlier than the ultrasonic depowdering course of within the SFM-AT350-E, a pre-cleaning was carried out. There was a time frame between the primary and second cleansing throughout which the element was uncovered to regular room air. It might probably subsequently be assumed that the powder remaining contained in the half reacted with moisture from the encircling air, which might additional complicate the depowdering course of.
The depowdering course of was carried out on the SFM-AT350-E with everlasting ultrasonic excitation and with out an choice for a pneumatic vibrator or excessive frequent knocker. Through the depowdering, a excessive impression blasting gun was additionally used to loosen the powder. Throughout depowdering in automated mode (swiveling angle 60°-220°, rotating and swiveling velocity 10°/s with ready instances of 5 seconds in every place), a robust powder circulation was detected. All in all, the ultrasonic depowdering technique of this Fractal Warmth Exchanger on the Solukon SFM-AT350-E took 337 minutes. Regardless of pre-cleaning, greater than 1.9 kg of stainless-steel powder that had hooked up might be eliminated. The Warmth Exchanger is now utterly depowdered.
This use case clearly demonstrates that ultrasonic excitation could make a major distinction when coping with slender, lengthy channels. Significantly extra powder was eliminated in comparison with standard pre-cleaning utilizing vibration and knocking. Ultrasonic cleansing with the SFM-AT350-E is one other highly effective software in Solukon’s complete industrial depowdering toolbox. Nonetheless, the selection of excitation technique nonetheless closely will depend on the geometry of the half.
“The powder removing take a look at impressively confirmed that even powder that will get caught in element areas which might be extraordinarily troublesome to entry – in our case over 1.9 kg – could be eliminated mechanically. The comparability with the goal weight of the warmth exchanger reveals that the take a look at with Solukon was extraordinarily profitable and that the element is now freed from powder. This not solely offers us with the required course of reliability, but in addition strengthens our confidence within the industrial sequence software of additively manufactured elements.” – Philipp Komurka, Head of Product Growth & Know-how Additive Elements & Testing at justairtech.
Half dimensions (incl. construct plate): 350 x 350 x 350 mm
Printer with which the half was manufactured: EOS M 400-4
Materials: EOS Stainless Metal 316L
Utility: Fractal Warmth Exchanger
Construction / floor: Advanced inner geometry with many horizontally operating, lengthy and slender channels; Channel opennings of varied geometrical shapes; Unfold over all the base space, roughly midway up: an space (100 – 150 mm excessive) in which there’s a vertical grid with extraordinarily small gaps (“channels” of 0.5 x 0.5 mm).
Smallest diameter of inner characteristic: 0.5 x 0.5 mm
Length of automated depowdering: 337 min
Depowdering system: Solukon SFM-AT350-E with ultrasonic excitation
Mode used: Automated mode + handbook mode
