Automated depowdering is a comparatively new self-discipline in additive manufacturing and nonetheless: since Solukon was based and the world’s first depowdering system, the SFM-AT800-S, was launched in 2015, a variety of profitable rules have change into established in the marketplace. An important of those embrace:
- Depowdering should happen in a protected ambiance – Well being dangers from tremendous mud and the hazard of explosions are successfully managed solely when utilizing a sealed course of chamber. For reactive supplies, the method chamber is inerted with a protecting fuel.
- Depowdering have to be reproducible – This implies reaching constant cleansing outcomes for equivalent elements (i.e., repeatability). What could sound apparent or like a no brainer is definitely a typical that may solely actually be maintained with automated powder elimination utilizing Solukon.
- The very best cleansing result’s achieved by the mixture of rotation and vibration excitation – Countless rotation round two axes and focused vibration excitation make the adhering powder flowable inside inside channels. The excitation depth of the vibrator may be adjusted in Solukon’s powder elimination methods. Nonetheless, how the pneumatically generated vibrations really act on the half is very particular person and will depend on the geometry of the part. What issues is the end result: the powder behaves like a liquid and flows out of inside channels. Powder clumps are damaged up by a high-frequency knocker, which can be activated when wanted.
Till just lately, the mixture of a pneumatic vibrator and a knocker to stimulate vibration would have been on this checklist of fundamental rules for depowdering. It’s because pneumatic vibrators are dependable, cost-effective and extremely environment friendly. Nonetheless, they eat massive quantities of compressed air and are tough to manage, which might result in issues with delicate components. It’s because exceeding the resonance frequency may harm the components in delicate constructions.
With the introduction of the E model of the SFM-AT350 depowdering system, Solukon has due to this fact expanded the toolbox of excitations and introduced a system with ultrasonic excitation onto the market. The SFM-AT350-E depowders elements up to 400 x 400 x 400 mm and 100 kg totally routinely with programmable 2-axis rotation and frequency excitation within the ultrasonic vary.
What can ultrasonic excitation do, and what are its key benefits?
Within the SFM-AT350-E, the part is worked up at ultrasonic frequencies utilizing a piezoelectric system. The excitation is utilized instantly on the turntable of the automated depowdering system, permitting the part to be introduced effortlessly and exactly into an optimum vibration state.
What makes this strategy distinctive is that as a substitute of utilizing a set frequency, the system constantly and quickly sweeps by a particular frequency vary wherein cleansing is especially efficient. This sweeping ensures extremely dependable cleansing by using well-defined frequencies inside the ultrasonic vary.
The ultra-high frequencies used for electrical excitation are nicely above the part’s doubtlessly damaging pure resonance frequency. This prevents the part from resonating and eliminates the danger of structural harm. Because of this, ultrasonic depowdering is an particularly mild type of cleansing.
One other benefit: ultrasonic excitation is totally silent. This permits the SFM-AT350-E to be put in even outdoors noisy, high-throughput manufacturing environments.
When is ultrasound the suitable type of excitation?
As with many challenges associated to powder elimination, selecting between pneumatic and ultrasonic excitation largely will depend on the precise utility and the geometry of the part. Each strategies can ship efficient cleansing outcomes. Nonetheless, ultrasound is commonly the popular choice for components with extraordinarily delicate options or fragile help constructions, because it avoids the oscillations usually related to pneumatic excitation—significantly decreasing the danger of part harm from vibrational stress. Even very tremendous constructions (usually lower than 0.5 mm in diameter) reply exceptionally nicely to high-frequency ultrasonic excitation.
As well as, powder can change into clogged in slender and deep channels if the excitation will not be utilized accurately. Ultrasonic excitation is able to reliably cleansing such channels and may even dislodge present blockages.
The next comparative take a look at carried out by a Solukon buyer highlights the benefits of ultrasonic expertise in cleansing slender and lengthy channels:
What particular use instances are there?
Swiss m4m: Depowdering of medical components
The SFM-AT350-E has confirmed to be a perfect system for the medical trade particularly. Typical functions listed below are hip cups, which have a grid-like construction on the floor. Such acetabular cups, along with spinal inserts and dental instruments, have been a part of a construct job on the Swiss m4m Middle, a expertise switch heart for the medical and dental trade.
It took simply 7.5 minutes to scrub the chrome steel medical elements within the SFM-AT350-E with ultrasonic excitation.
The Exploration Firm: Depowdering of a Thruster Combustion Chamber of a rocket engine
The ultrasonic expertise of the SFM-AT350-E has additionally already confirmed itself within the aerospace trade, the place significantly excessive calls for are positioned on industrial depowdering. The worldwide aerospace firm “The Exploration Firm” depends on ultrasonic excitation with the SFM-AT350-E from Solukon for the depowdering of rocket components.
This combustion chamber fabricated from Inconel (IN718) weighs round 15 kg, is round 370 mm excessive and has a extremely complicated inside: the intricate channels are as much as 400 mm lengthy, and the smallest diameter of those channels is 1.5 mm.
With the SFM-AT350-E, the workforce led by Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer Maxi Strixner was capable of clear the part comfortably, gently and silently. For the focused cleansing of the rocket combustion chamber, the workforce ran a cleansing program specifically written for the part. After half-hour, the part was efficiently cleaned.
For the Exploration Firm, the silent cleansing and the dependable cleansing high quality are the principle explanation why they selected the SFM-AT350-E from Solukon:
“The Solukon ultrasonic depowdering system has been a game-changer for our small workshop. Its quiet design means we will run it proper subsequent to our workspace with none disruption — which is an enormous plus. When used with a program, the system drastically cuts down on handbook labor, and delivers constant, clear outcomes. All of this interprets into actual time and price financial savings, making the funding completely worthwhile,” says Boris Schaff, Additive Manufacturing Engineer at The Exploration Firm.
Ultrasonic expertise as a brand new software within the powder elimination toolbox
Because the examples present, the ultrasonic expertise of the SFM-AT350-E has already confirmed itself in the marketplace. And nonetheless: the E-version is in no way a alternative for the SFM-AT350’s normal depowdering expertise with pneumatic excitation. Ultrasonic excitation is slightly an extra software within the toolbox of automated depowdering.
SFM-AT350-E Fast Information
– Depowdering system with ultrasonic excitation
– For components as much as 400 x 400 x 400 mm and 100 kg
– Noiseless depowdering
– Low compressed air consumption
– Light cleansing
Head to the Solukon web site for extra data.
