M&H CNC Technik, an Austrian 3D printing company, has acquired a new SFM-AT1000-S depowdering system from German quality manufacturer Solukon – with the system recently going into operation at the company’s headquarters in Austria.
The automatic powder removal system is specially designed for cleaning and post-processing 3D printed parts. In particular, large and heavy metal components with a height of up to 1,000mm and a maximum weight of 800kg, as well as tasks with particularly high post-processing requirements, can be freed from powder residues particularly efficiently on the powder removal system.
“With the Solukon system, we can efficiently and thoroughly remove powder residue from complex parts with internal channels and cavities. This feature is a decisive advantage, as such complex geometries often present a challenge in post-processing, and powder residues in the components could mean a loss of performance. With the introduction of the SFM-AT1000-S, we are setting new standards in the post-processing of 3D printed parts in titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, and materials such as Scalmalloy and Inconel. This technology enables us to further increase the quality of our products and make our production processes more efficient and even safer through series cleaning,” said Patrick Herzig, CEO of M&H.
Technologically, this is realized by two endlessly rotating axes with servo drive – the component thus moves along the programmable path. A built-in high-frequency knocker also loosens powder clumps in particularly narrow channels. For reactive materials, the Solukon SFM-AT1000-S can use inert gas – a process that offers maximum explosion and health protection.
“The SFM-AT1000-S sets new standards in the manufacturing industry – also thanks to its compatibility with our innovative SPR-Pathfinder software. With this unique software, individual motion patterns can be calculated automatically for each component based on the CAD file. By optimizing and automating their post-processing procedures, we offer our customers – like M&H – a clear competitive advantage. With the Digital-Factory-Tool, a sensor, and interface kit, our partners also have maximum transparency over the depowdering process,” said Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon.
At M&H, the SFM-AT1000-S is used to post-process components for the aerospace and international racing industries in particular – especially Formula 1. “The ability to clean components with extreme precision enables us to meet the specific and stringent requirements of these industries, where precision and reliability are particularly crucial. Using the SFM-AT1000-S from Solukon ensures that even the finest geometries can be reworked without compromising on quality,” said Herzig.
In combination with the company’s new SLM 800 3D metal printer, M&H is now well-positioned for the production of complex, large-scale components.
