Repeatable and reliable postprocessing plays a key role in New Space. This is why RFA relies on Solukon’s depowdering systems.
Rocket Factory Augsburg is a German New Space company. Its mission is to revolutionize the market for commercial satellite launches into space. The demand for satellites in space is on the rise – modern forms of communication, navigation or smart farming are just a few examples of applications for which more and more satellites will have to be launched into space.
RFA is committed to producing launch vehicles at low cost. Central rocket components, such as the Helix engine or the combustion chamber, are manufactured using additive manufacturing. This makes it possible to produce individual and complex parts quickly and easily. “Rocket parts need to be free of any powder to guarantee the functionality of the additively manufactured parts”, says Vasyl Kashevko, Team Lead AM at Rocket Factory. To achieve this, RFA trusts in automated depowdering by Solukon.
Solukon makes depowdering of rocket parts reliable and repeatable
The depowdering of rocket parts is quite challenging as parts often have complex inner structures, such as cooling channels. Before acquiring a Solukon system RFA did the depowdering manually or half-automated. “Here, however, we had no guarantee that the parts were fully cleaned”, says Vasyl Kashevko. “In contrast, depowdering with the Solukon SFM-AT800-S enables repeatable and reliable cleaning results.”
Learn more about the use case Rocket Factory Augsburg in this video:
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The Solukon SFM-AT800-S is an automatic powder removal system to clean complex metal parts. It is based on the Solukon Smart Powder Recuperation Technology SPR®. Using adjustable vibration and automated two-axis part rotation the powder flows out of even the smallest inner cavities. The SFM-AT800-S can handle parts with a maximum height of 600 mm weighing up to 300 kg. Learn more about the SFM-AT800-S here.
The SFM-AT800-S, the trusted powder removal system of RFA.
American aerospace company Launcher has announced Solukon as its preferred supplier for powder removal systems. Within the scope of the partnership, Launcher will utilize Solukon’s machine, the SFM-AT1000-S, for the postprocessing of extraordinary large and heavy rocket parts. Solukon’s depowdering system offers fast and efficient removal of metal powder for applications of up to 1,000 mm height.
The postprocessing of components in the Additive Manufacturing process is a significant step. Due to complex geometric shapes and, for example, internal cooling channels or internal structures, depowdering can become complicated and time-consuming. In addition, users are faced with risks including explosion, occupational health, labor costs, powder recovery, cleaning quality and process repeatability. Copper (CuCrZr), the material of choice at Launcher due to its high conductivity and efficient cooling, poses a particular depowdering challenge as copper powder residues tend to clog in cavities and show a sticky behavior. In addition, manual cleaning obviously reaches its limits when it comes to rocket parts with a height up to 1,000 mm weighing several hundred kilograms.
SPR® Technology for a safe and reliable depowdering
Solukon tackles these issues with its unique SPR® technology (Smart Powder Recuperation). The SFM depowdering systems remove residual and clogged powder from metal laser melted parts within a sealed process chamber, using adjustable vibration and automated two-axis part rotation while recovering superfluous powder. Through programmable rotation of the build plate in two axes, unfused metal build material is completely removed from complex channels and geometries, meaning a significant increase in efficiency, safety and quality – all while saving on costs.
SFM-AT1000-S becomes part of the Launcher fleet
Launcher from now on relies on the postprocessing knowledge of Solukon. They acquire the depowdering system SFM-AT1000-S, the unit for extraordinary large parts, to completely free rocket engines and combustion chambers from powder. Launcher, located in Hawthorne, California, is an industry-leading developer of highly efficient rockets and transfer vehicles. The company currently operates a fleet of cutting-edge metal additive platforms and other advanced manufacturing assets from partners including Velo3D, EOS and AMCM. Today, Launcher produces every major part of its transfer vehicle, Orbiter, and E-2 liquid rocket engine in-house, as part of its strategy to build, test, and iterate as cost-effectively as possible as it develops high-performance rockets and transfer vehicles.
The SFM-AT1000-S, the trusted powder removal system of Launcher.
“We’re happy to include the state-of-the-art system for depowdering to our outstanding AM fleet”, says Max Haot, founder and CEO of Launcher. Tim Berry, Launcher’s Head of Manufacturing, adds: “We see that automated powder removal is an essential step in the production process. For final heat treatment and Hot Isostatic Pressing all parts must be free of any powder, a special challenge for large and heavy parts with hard-to-access internal channels. The SFM-AT1000-S will help to further automize our production process as we achieve reliable and repeatable cleaning results. In addition, we benefit from Solukon’s experience and support when optimizing our fast and forward-thinking production lines.”
Launcher acquires a perfect-fit postprocessing system for rocket parts
The one-meter-high Launcher E-2 engine, first time presented in 2019, was made in Germany by AMCM using its specialized M4K printer. With the purchase of the SFM-AT1000-S through Launcher, the wheel has come full circle as this Solukon system was initially developed at the request of AMCM for a depowdering solution for parts exactly from this M4K printer.
The E-2 engine combustion chamber of Launcher. Credits: Launcher
The Solukon SFM-AT1000-S, an advancement of the SFM-AT800-S-system and a special version particularly designed for large and heavy parts, allows to easily move parts with a size up to 600 x 600 x 1.000 mm (XYZ) with a weight up to 800 kg. This makes it the ideal postprocessing system for the Aerospace & Space industry. The SFM-AT1000-S has two endless rotating axes with programmable servo-drives so that it can move the part along any imaginable path. Individual control is also possible by using a joystick to move the component flexibly in any direction at variable speed and to save the movement pattern afterwards. The optional Digital Factory tool enables quality assurance and automation integration of the depowdering process.
“Yet again, it’s an honor to support a leading New Space company with our SPR® technology. Shortly after the demand for a machine compatible with the AMCM M4K printer came up, we responded directly by developing the SFM-AT1000-S. I’m sure pioneers like Launcher will keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Additive Manufacturing. Likewise, I’m sure we’ll always stand by their side with the ideal depowdering solution”, says Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon.
The SFM-AT1000-S handles large parts weighing up to 800 kg.
Official deal at Rapid + TCT show in Detroit, MI
Solukon and Launcher will officially announce their partnership at Rapid + TCT show in Detroit, Michigan (May 17-19). Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the Launcher system live and in color at the Solukon booth 2137. The Solukon team is looking forward to seeing you there.
A Solukon customer survey reveals insights into the limits of manual depowdering.
In additive manufacturing steps subsequent to the build process are covered under the umbrella term postprocessing. Powder removal is the very first postprocessing step right after the printing. As a result, it has a significant influence on the quality and safety of all subsequent processes such as heat treatment, wire EDM, support removal and powder recovery.
Depowdering is the main field of Solukon, being the first to develop automated solutions to remove trapped powder from complex geometries within metal laser melted parts in 2014.
The machine manufacturer has asked 23 AM experts about the challenges of manual powder removal.
Health hazards and repeatability as main concerns in powder removal in additive manufacturing
The short survey shows that AM experts see health hazards as greatest challenge when it comes to powder removal in additive manufacturing. 78% percent of respondents therefore assess the issue of occupational health as very challenging or at least challenging. Another issue is repeatability: 74% of the AM experts find it difficult to achieve repeatable cleaning results when the powder is removed manually. This is also reflected in the fact that 70% perceive quality as an important issue.
The results of the Solukon survey on the challenges of manual powder removal.
“Occupational health and quality of cleaning results are the main concerns of our AM community”, states Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon. “This is exactly what we tackle with our Smart Powder Recuperation technology. SPR® enables fully automated, scalable and repeatable cleaning of 3D printed metal parts in a protected atmosphere.”
Handling of large components within powder removal
It seems obvious that depowdering becomes more difficult the larger and thus heavier the components are. Therefore 70% of the AM experts report handling of heavy weight metal parts as a challenge. “Especially with heavy weight components manual depowdering reaches its limits. Parts weighing several hundred kilos obviously require auxiliary equipment. We offer the SFM-AT1000-S, a depowdering unit for parts weighing up to 800 kg for this challenge”, states Hartmann.
Surprisingly, the respondents perceive the challenges with regard to powder as less relevant. Only 43% respectively 35% of the AM experts rate powder recovery and disposal of powder as challenging. This could reveal that AM experts being interviewed possibly have already established successful powder handling processes.
Companies will integrate sensor-data from depowdering into end-to-end workflow
Authentise, the leader in data-driven workflow tools for additive manufacturing, and Solukon, the ground-breaking pioneer and market leader of automated depowdering systems for metal and polymer additive manufacturing, have today agreed the integration of the Solukon Digital Factory Tool into the advanced Manufacturing Execution System (aMES).
Seamless data flow to ensure overall AM process traceability
The integration of the Solukon powder removal environment will enable users to continue the powder to part genealogy using Authentise’s leading material traceability module. This will increase opportunities for improved postprocess inspection recording and recycling of recovered materials. In addition, real-time alerts generated by the Solukon system inside aMES will help the user address any deviations during the process and improve powder recovery. Since aMES already captures data from AM machines and manages the printable geometry, the system passes this information on to Solukon automatically, saving the user from locating and uploading this information separately. The insight generated is appended to the existing aMES part report to ensure end-to-end traceability. In the future, both companies aim to integrate Solukon’s automatic toolpath creation into the Authentise aMES to help users identify the optimum automated powder removal process for their specific application.
The Solukon depowdering in aMES by Authentise.
“By partnering with Authentise, we are taking the next logical step after the introduction of the Solukon Digital Factory Tool. Seamless data collection and interpretation throughout the entire production and postprocess is the only way to achieve a true production line in additive manufacturing. Together with Authentise, we are closing a gap in data transparency and open the way for real Industry 4.0 projects,” says Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon.
“This is the first time that Authentise has extended its ability to communicate beyond additive devices into postprocessing equipment,” says Andre Wegner, CEO of Authentise. “The benefits are immediately obvious: higher labour and material efficiency, as well as better traceability for users. The partnership is driving near immediate Return on Investment for our users. The collaboration proves once again that customers can benefit from leaders in AM workflow joining to create tools that not only benefit the customer but make the all-important step to creating pathways to more sustainable industrial additive manufacturing.”
Solukon will introduce a new depowdering system for metal components at Formnext 2021.
Not only extraordinary large metal parts, such as rocket engines, are becoming more and more complex inside. Medium-sized components, like heat exchangers, also increasingly have complex internal structures and cavities. This means greater challenges in the downstream processes, especially in industrial depowdering. Solukon, pioneer and market leader for automated powder removal with the Smart Powder Recuperation technology SPR®, takes up this challenge and presents a new powder removal system for medium-sized metal parts at Formnext 2021.
Presentation of the new powder removal system at booth A139, hall 12.0 at Formnext
“Regarding our newest depowdering system, I don’t want to give the game away,” says Solukon CEO Andreas Hartmann who is in charge of the development of the new machine. “Without giving to much away we can state that Solukon’s new powder removal system will set a new standard of depowdering and postprocessing for medium-sized metal parts,” he adds.
2021 is a year of expansion for depowdering pioneer Solukon. For a greater market reach the company has already won distribution partners for Canada, UK, Ireland and Turkey this year. Now, HDC Co. joins the team and partners with Solukon for the South Korean market in Additive Manufacturing.
Solukon is the known pioneer and technical leader of industrial powder removal systems in Additive Manufacturing. Solukon systems rely on the unique Smart Powder Recuperation technology SPR® and remove loose powder from metal laser melted parts within a sealed process chamber, using adjustable vibration and automated two-axis part rotation. Through programmable rotation of the build-plate in two axes, unfused metal build material is completely removed from complex channels and geometries. This means a significant increase in efficiency, security and quality while saving costs.
Highly experienced reseller for South Korea
HDC Co. has been in the 3D printing business since 1999 as a 3D printing bureau, a consulting service and a distributor for additive manufacturing solutions. In South Korea, HDC among others already represents German OEM EOS. Therefore, Solukon put their trust in a highly experienced AM partner.
Brian C.G. Seo, President of HDC Co. is delighted about the partnership with Solukon, “For years, HDC Co. has been working with the international leaders in the AM industry. By partnering with Solukon, we’re fortunately able to offer our customers the top-of-the-line depowdering solution, too.”
Michael Sattler, Global Sales Director at Solukon responsible for the reseller network adds, “Awareness of the need for safe and repeatable postprocessing is increasing around the world. We’re pleased to have HDC Co. as a trusted partner for the South Korean market who will meet the increased demand for automated depowdering there.”
Solukon and HDC Co. partner for the AM market in South Korea.
We’re excited to announce that we will be at Rapid + TCT in Chicago this year. Visit us on booth E8922 and let’s talk shop about our top-of-the-line depowdering systems. Our US representative Thomas Mueller is looking forward to meeting you in person.
With the introduction of the Smart Powder Recuperation (SPR®) technology in 2015, Solukon succeeded in automating depowdering of complex metal parts in a safe and economical way. Since then, the pioneer of automated powder removal has continuously developed its systems and has now equipped the SFM-AT200 with ultrasonic frequency excitation. MedTech industry in particular will benefit from this new feature.
The SFM-AT200 is Solukon’s entry-level depowdering system. Its small footprint and easy operation make it the ideal unit for small and medium-sized metal parts. In addition, since the process chamber can be inerted within minutes, the SFM-AT200 is the perfect solution to depowder medical components with lattice structures. So far, the SFM-AT200 is based on the unique Solukon Smart Powder Recuperation Technology (SPR®) – removing residual powder from complex metal parts by part rotation and controlled vibration in a safety-controlled atmosphere. Occasionally, however, powder residues can get stuck in particularly narrow internal channels or porous structures, as is often the case with medical components, despite rotation and vibration.
Pushing boundaries of depowdering with ultrasonic excitation
In order to completely depowder these particularly challenging geometries as well, Solukon has developed a new, highly efficient ultrasonic excitation. Electric frequency excitation in the ultrasonic range makes the powder “flowable”. Thus, the powder can flow out of even the smallest channels within seconds. In combination with the fast inertisation of the system, components can thus be cleaned comfortably and reproducibly within a few minutes with the SFM-AT200.
Depowdering of medical components with the SFM-AT200 with ultrasonic excitation.
Cooperation with MedTech-expert Swiss m4m Center
For testing the new excitation system Solukon collaborates with the MedTech experts fromSwiss m4m Center. The Swiss m4m Center, located in Bettlach, Switzerland, is a technology transfer center for medical applications in 3D printing. Recently certified with the ISO 13485:2016 standard for medical devices, the center is an authorized consulting partner for additive manufacturing of medical devices, such as implants or joint prostheses. 45 partners are currently part of the Swiss m4m Center production line. Solukon is represented with the SFM-AT300 depowdering system.
Swiss m4m Center provided medical components for testing the new ultrasonic excitation within the Solukon SFM-AT200. In equivalence to the American standard ASTM_F33F these parts have extremely fine internal channels and cavities, making them ideal for testing frequency excitation under real conditions.
The results reveal that the ultrasonically excited SFM-AT200 completely depowders the test components within a few minutes. Nicolas Bouduban, CEO of Swiss m4m Center shows his content about the new feature, “Frequency excitation further shortens the already short process time of the SFM-AT200 when cleaning medical components. Now, powder flows out of lattice structures, too. Automatic depowdering with the SFM-AT200 is a real door-opener for validated postprocessing.”
Certifiable cleaning results for the depowdering of medical components
Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon, points out, “Solukon is keen to support MedTech with depowdering solutions. Solukon systems depowder in a standardizable and reproducible way and pave the way for wholistic process chains in MedTech.” “With the new frequency excitation, we are taking another important step and can now also completely depowder particularly small openings and porous structures of medical components,” he adds.
From fall 2021, frequency excitation will be available as an option for the Solukon SFM-AT200.
This year German Solukon Maschinenbau, pioneer and technical leader of automated powder removal, has started a new event series: the AM User Day. The first edition of this event was a full success with great speakers and registrations from 20 various countries.
The Solukon AM experts’ event was split in two blocks. In the morning the event took a closer look at Industrial Serial Production in AM. After a short keynote by Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon, stage was open to Chris Barefoot, Head of Sales at Materials Solutions. Chris gave an insight into data driven improvement of production lines by decreasing the so-called lead time, which means the time customers have to wait until the AM product can be delivered. “Beside quality and cost, lead time is a key factor for decision making in the AM sector. Decreasing the lead time is more difficult than expected. In the end, it is all about detailed data, which are often difficult to track in between the different steps of the production line”, Chris concluded.
Automation in AM
Later on, the User Day community focused on the subject of automation in AM. “The ability to provide smart machines which can be integrated in the existing factories and the corresponding IT systems is key to the success of Additive Manufacturing”, said Rainer Salzberger, Digital Manufacturing Consultant at EOS, in his presentation about EOS Connectivity. He also presented the EOSCONNECT product landscape for connectivity which is perfectly suitable to Solukon’s Digital Factory Tool for quality assurance and automation integration. Asked after the main pain point in implementing connectivity projects in AM Rainer Salzberger concluded: “Fulfilling the requirements of the IT departments is the biggest challenge. Every new software or tool you bring into your AM facilities has to be screened for cyber security reasons and for compatibility with the existing infrastructure”, he added.
Sticking with the subject of automation Rainer Salzberger handed over to Felix Hantsch and Dr. Achim Fischer from German pneumatics specialist Festo who presented a world premier at AM User Day. Festo and Solukon actually are collaborating in a joint research project to investigate handling solutions and kinematics within a Solukon depowdering unit.
Automated depowdering processes can sometimes struggle to remove powder from component surfaces despite rotating and vibrating the component, particularly when dealing with difficult-to-handle materials like copper. Using a light and direct blow of air will dislodge these fine deposits. By blowing air through the channels, it is also possible to check that they are free of deposits. Currently this is a manual procedure that can be carried out easily at the Solukon system using glove ports. However, larger components with a height of at least 1 meter make access more difficult and this requires automated support. The joint project between Festo and Solukon to investigate handling solutions and kinematics will show how this process can be designed with maximum efficiency.
AM in the high complexity sector MedTech at AM User Day
The second half of AM User Day focused on AM in the MedTech industry. With Nicolas Bouduban, CEO of the Swiss m4m Center in Switzerland, undoubtfully a real industry expert spoke about AM technology transfer in the medical sector. “Additive Manufacturing is not only 3D printing. It’s basically the ability to link all parts of the process chain together”, explained Nicolas Bouduban. According to him, what makes the difference at the end is a global approach and understanding of quality assurance in every single step of the process. That’s why Swiss m4m Center offers services along the holistic process chain for verification or even validation of the customers’ project. In MedTech AM experts should pay particular attention to Solukon’s field of depowdering according to Nicolas. “Depowdering is the entry door for proper postprocessing activities. Without a proper depowdering process, you risk having medical parts that are not cleanable or even not certifiable at all”.
Not only theoretical knowledge was shared at AM User Day but also practical insights were given. Alexander Bauer, Application Manager at Solukon, gave a live tour through the assembly area of Solukon followed by a live depowdering within the Solukon powder removal system SFM-AT800-S. Alexander Bauer also spoke about the functionalities and part capacities of the different depowdering systems.
After seven hours of deep AM knowledge and discussion the stage was open for free table talking and networking.
During the day Solukon welcomed about 70 attendees from various nations around Europe. “We are overwhelmed by the positive outcome of our event”, shows Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon, his content about the first instalment of the AM User Day. The next volume is in the pipeline, yet. “In late autumn, we will arrange the event in particular for American AM experts”, he says. The Solukon team is already looking forward to the second edition of AM User Day and for sure will be burning the midnight oil for the American AM community.
The attendees collaborated on a word cloud about the main challenges in AM.
Joint development project by Festo and Solukon boosts efficiency
Industry experts are forecasting a golden era for additive manufacturing, with annual growth rates of 24% anticipated into 2024. The automation of 3D printing processes offers further growth potential, for example in feeding or depowdering the components. When it comes to the depowdering of laser-melted metal parts, Solukon is the world’s leading supplier. It is working together with Festo, the global player in industrial automation technology, to establish whether it is possible to push the level of automation for depowdering even further and, if so, by how much.
Solukon’s powder removal systems are already considered to have the leading technological edge. Based on Solukon’s proprietary Smart Powder Recuperation technology (SPR®), these cleaning systems remove the powder residues from complex 3D-printed metal components through an automated process of swivelling and vibration excitation. With the advanced frequency system, the flow of the powder can be continually controlled so that narrow openings and channels can be depowdered.
Thanks to this technology, Solukon machines can also depowder components with complex voids and channels such as heat exchangers. The Solukon systems already offer three benefits compared with the conventional manual cleaning of components: reproducibility, cost reduction and safety. The automated process for swivelling and vibrating the components can be standardised and is reproducible.
Blowing off powder using compressed air
Automated depowdering processes can sometimes struggle to remove powder from component surfaces despite rotating and vibrating the component, particularly when dealing with difficult-to-handle materials like copper. Using a light and direct blow of air will dislodge these fine deposits. By blowing air through the channels it is also possible to check that they are free of deposits. Currently this is a manual procedure that can be carried out easily at the Solukon system using glove ports. However, larger components with a height of at least 1 metre make access more difficult and this requires automated support. A joint project between Festo and Solukon to investigate handling solutions and kinematics will show how this process can be designed with maximum efficiency.
Automated surface treatment using compressed air for residue-free depowdering. The air gun nozzle is moved using a multi-axis kinematic system.
Increasing complexity
One trend that is becoming clear in additive manufacturing is that components are increasing in size and in the complexity of their inner geometries. Solukon’s aerospace customers have particularly high requirements. It is also a sector where the demand for large components manufactured using additive methods is steadily growing. However, these large components are more complex to handle than small components with simple geometries.
The aim of the joint research project is to optimise existing automated processes for depowdering. A fully automated and integrated process chain would also be possible. Overall, the manufacturing costs for the components would go down.
Automated handling system
The project involves adding a handling system to the depowdering system. This system automatically moves the blowing or machining tool. The challenges for this automation solution lie in the flexible adaptation of the motion profile to changing component contours and in the ambient conditions, where the key issues are dust protection, ATEX and protected atmosphere.
Festo and Solukon are currently working on a concept to simulate the automation platform that provides the necessary, flexible machining possibilities. This includes a feasibility analysis of how accessible the working space is. In a visionary move, artificial intelligence could support contour detection using the CAD data of the component to be machined. “We are delighted to be partnering with Festo, and to have its innovative strength and expertise in automation technology on board for this project”, says Andreas Hartmann, CEO and technical director of Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH.
Andreas Hartmann, CEO von Solukon
Taking full advantage of the potential of automation
Fully automated and residue-free depowdering should lead to accelerated, precise and reproducible processes and ensure that manual rework is no longer necessary. This will significantly cut the manufacturing costs for different batch sizes. “Up to now, we have not taken advantage of the potential of automation in many process steps. We therefore see these innovative automation approaches as great opportunities for the future topic of additive manufacturing”, explains Felix Hantsch, project manager in Innovation and Robotics Cluster DACH at Festo.
In an animation, the project partners Festo and Solukon visualise the potential of their project for the optimisation of fully automated depowdering processes:
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