RECOVERY OR INERTIZATION OF UNUSED POWDERS
New printing processes face new vacuuming challenges. When removing excess powders and debris to ensuring clean and pristine printing environments, vacuum solutions deliver optimal performance and reliability. Enhance your additive manufacturing workflow and achieve superior results with our industry-leading vacuums for powder bed fusion systems.
Using an industrial vacuum cleaner alongside powder bed fusion 3D printers offers several compelling benefits. Firstly, it enables the recovery and reusability of unused powders, minimizing material waste and cost. With an efficient vacuum system, excess powders can be effectively collected, sieved, and returned to the printing process, optimizing resource utilization. Additionally, industrial vacuum cleaners play a crucial role in the final cleaning of printed parts. They remove residual powders and debris from intricate geometries and hard-to-reach areas, ensuring the finished products meet the desired quality standards. Moreover, integrating a vacuum solution enhances the overall cleanliness of the working environment by capturing and containing potentially hazardous particles, promoting a healthier and safer workplace for operators. By investing in an industrial vacuum cleaner, you can streamline your powder bed fusion 3D printing workflow, achieve cost savings, enhance part quality, and maintain a clean and efficient production environment.
Powder bed systems in additive manufacturing, such as selective laser sintering (SLS) or selective laser melting (SLM), greatly benefit from the use of industrial vacuums throughout the entire process. These vacuums are essential for ensuring optimal powder management and maintaining a clean working environment.
At the start of the process, industrial vacuums are instrumental in efficiently recovering and recycling unused powders that can be recollected. Specific systems allow to eliminate the explosion risk by render inert the metal powder, in case it doesn’t need to be recycled. After each build, excess powders need to be removed from the build chamber, and a vacuum system can effectively collect and store these powders for future use. This not only reduces material waste but also saves costs by maximizing powder utilization.
Additive manufacturing powders can be quite expensive, especially when using materials such as metal alloys or high-performance polymers. Recovering and recycling unused powders allows for their reuse in subsequent printing jobs, reducing the need for purchasing fresh powders. This helps lower material costs and contributes to overall cost savings in the long run.
Metal powders used in metal 3D printing, such as aluminum, titanium, or stainless steel, can be highly reactive and pose a fire and explosion risk when exposed to certain conditions. By inerting the metal powders, you introduce an inert gas, such as argon or nitrogen, into the cleaning chamber, displacing oxygen and creating an atmosphere that is less likely to support combustion. This greatly reduces the risk of fire or explosion during the cleaning process.
Cleaning and dedusting prepare the printed part for subsequent post-processing steps, such as surface finishing, painting, or coating. Removing any excess powders or debris ensures optimal adhesion and uniformity of post-processing materials or treatments. It provides a clean and consistent surface for achieving the desired aesthetics, functional properties, or coating adhesion.
We will give you all the required information
