FAQ

Depowdering is an important postprocessing step in additive manufacturing that is directly downstream from the 3D printing process of the part. After being printed, the metal part is full of ultra-fine powder. For downstream processes like heat treatment, for example, the powder must be completely removed. If the part has internal channels or hollow spaces, this is a major challenge. The process of removing the powder is called “depowdering.” The unique SPR® Smart Powder Recuperation technology from Solukon enables fully automated depowdering.

Solukon wants to firmly solidify its position as market leader for industrial depowdering. In the entire 3D printing sector, postprocessing should be automated, safe and (cost-)efficient.

With our automated depowdering process, you achieve reliable, reproducible cleaning results. You save time and prevent residual powder in the part from disrupting downstream processes. Risks involving health, explosions and fire are reduced to a minimum.

To ensure that the part can be properly processed downstream after being printed, all of the powder must be removed from its interior. Otherwise, the powder can cause problems during postprocessing (e.g., in the furnace) or even limit the functionality of the part.

When depowdering is done manually, workers unavoidably come into contact with the metal powder. If it is inhaled or comes into contact with their skin, the harmful powder can enter their body. In the case of reactive materials, powder clouds also pose a risk of explosion.
Manual depowdering is not only risky – it is also very time-consuming and therefore expensive. What’s more, the cleaning results are not reproducible.

Solukon systems have achieved outstanding cleaning results for all customers. We have not yet encountered a geometry that cannot be depowdered.
Of course, we are also subject to the laws of physics. For example, closed or very narrow channels in which powder gets stuck are a problem. In the SPR-Pathfinder® software, you can simulate the depowdering of your build job in advance and check if the geometry can be 100% depowdered. Contact us for more information on the limits of depowdering.

Yes. To avoid the risk of explosion when reactive materials are used, our systems are equipped with the following features:

Through adjustable rotation and vibration, the parts are automatically cleaned without creating clouds of powder.
Inerting with protective gas like argon reduces the risk of explosion to a minimum.
The process chamber has a closed, ignition source-free design.

The Solukon systems enable serial cleaning. In other words, the same cleaning program can be used for structurally identical parts, thereby reliably achieving the same result every time: a perfectly clean part. You can either use SPR-Pathfinder® to program the cleaning program or do it yourself. The unique software from Solukon uses the CAD file of the part to calculate the ideal motion pattern for completely removing the powder.

The SPR® Smart Powder Recuperation technology from Solukon is based on the automated cleaning of laser-melted AM parts on a build plate in a protected atmosphere. In the process, adjustable high-frequency vibration is used to make the loose powder flow (fluidized). Together with the programmable rotation of the part, the powder can flow out of complex hollow spaces, lattice structures and the finest openings with optimal results.
With this automated cleaning process, you can save up to 90% of work time compared to manual cleaning.

The cleaning process runs in a sealed process chamber. The front doors and roof are doubly sealed. To vent air or inert gas from the chamber, an exhaust hose is attached to the exhaust gas nozzle provided. A dual HEPA filter system prevents minute particles from leaving the chamber. After the cleaning process, the front door cannot be opened until a timer has elapsed. This ensure that all clouds of powder have settled.

The duration of one cleaning process varies greatly and depends on the part geometry. As a rule, even very complex parts can be depowdered in only a few hours. Please use the contact form to get in touch with our application management team for insights into case studies.

The powder that escapes during cleaning falls directly into a funnel on the bottom of the process chamber. From there, it can be conveyed into a special container via a contamination-free dual valve system. For larger systems (as of SFM-AT800-S), Solukon offers the SFM-PCU powder collection station. Alternatively, the process chamber can be directly connected to a recycling unit (e.g., a sieving system). The closed system design makes it possible to discharge the powder in an inert atmosphere. The recovered metal powder can be reused after sieving and is available for other build jobs.

The following safety mechanisms are integrated into the depowdering systems:
1. The safety door can be unlocked with a button.
2. After the emergency switch is actuated, the machine must be restarted with a separate on/off switch.
3. After the main switch is actuated, the machine must be restarted with a separate on/off switch.
4. The electrical cabinet cannot be opened if the machine is switched off (via the main switch). The main switch can also be locked with a padlock.

Yes, you can individually adjust various parameters depending on the machine type. Alongside speed and motion limits, entire cleaning sequences can be individually specified. In particular, these include part motion and adjustment of the vibration function.

Yes, our systems have already become part of many production lines. If necessary, our SFM-AT800-S and SFM-AT1000-S can be equipped with an automatic rear door and an automatic clamping system for robot loading. Our machines can be controlled via OPC UA. Moreover, the optional Digital-Factory-Tool from Solukon (available for SFM-AT350, SFM-AT800-S, SFM-AT1000-S, SFM-AT1500-S) enables consistent quality assurance and automation integration.

Yes, the machines can be remote controlled via OPC UA. SFM-AT350, SFM-AT-800-S, SFM-AT1000-S and SFM-AT1500-S have both a USB interface and an Ethernet interface.

Yes, we offer as many as four modes, depending on the machine type:

1. Manual mode: The part can be moved to any position via joystick or buttons.

2. Automatic mode: The rotary table permanently rotates, while the swivel arm swivels around the horizontal axis between two configurable endpoints.

3. Profile mode: Manually specified positions of the part in space can be saved and combined as a program. Each position can be supplemented by individual functions like waiting time, vibrator on/off and speed, for example. You can save up to 1,000 individual positions and also adjust them manually at a later date. The programs are output as CVS files, which can be saved on an external medium such as a USB stick.

4. Intelligent mode: The Solukon system runs the cleaning program that was previously calculated by the SPR-Pathfinder® software based on the CAD file of the part. No manual programming is necessary.

That mostly depends on the memory capacity of the data carrier and the file size of the cleaning program. As a rule, several hundred cleaning programs can be saved.

If you have individual requirements, simply contact us. We would be happy to develop a customized solution for you. We have lots of experience in developing and shipping customer-specific systems.

Ultrasonic excitation is an additional option to the traditional tools developed by Solukon: vibration, knocking and rotation. It does not replace the existing tools, which achieve excellent cleaning results in most cases. Ultrasonic excitation works in the ultra-high frequency range and is electronically controlled for highly efficient part cleaning. Ultrasonic depowdering is ideal for delicate structures like the lattice structures in medical technology (since they are cleaned very gently), for channels with a very small diameter and when parts tend to vibrate due to resonance frequencies. SFM-AT350-E is equipped with ultrasonics as standard, but customer-specific solutions are also possible. Consult with our experts to determine which excitation option is the right one for your application.

Materials with poor flowability, like copper, often clump in the interior structures of parts. Particularly in the case of long channels with small diameters, clumps pose a depowdering challenge. A configurable knocker can break up the clumps by knocking the build plate at a high frequency.

The required quantity of protective gas depends on the machine type and size, as well as the level of inertization. Consult the data sheets of the individual machines.

Yes. Since the vibrating components are damped, the machine can be safely set up next to 3D printers.

Our machines are designed for a long service life. They are also designed for minimum maintenance, which primarily involves cleaning the machine and replacing the filter.

Windows 10 operating system or higher
RAM > 32 GB
Min. 50 GB hard drive memory
CAD file in STL, STEP or 3MF format

The software can be installed on any computer with a Windows operating system. Please note that the license is tied to a Windows device.

Yes. Maintenance updates and support are included for a period of five years. We continuously develop the software further and try to make it even more efficient with new functions. Extensive function updates are included within one year after we issue the software license.

Yes, one software license can create programs for as many Solukon systems as you like.

No, the Pathfinder software is not used on a subscription basis. Users purchase the software once and have lifelong access.

Yes, upon consultation. The prerequisite is that your company has a Solukon system.

Yes, upon request we can provide a 30-day demo version. Please contact our team.

With the purchase of a software license, SPR-Pathfinder® can be installed and used on one computer. The number of geometries that can be calculated is unlimited.

No. SPR-Pathfinder® does not require a network connection.

Yes. The SFM-AT800-S and SFM-AT1000-S systems are compatible with SPR-Pathfinder® as of serial number 1. Only the newest SFM-AT350 systems are compatible with the software as standard. And our latest system, SFM-AT1500-S, is also compatible with SPR-Pathfinder®.

To remove excess powder from complex internal structures, SPR-Pathfinder® uses the build job’s CAD file to calculate the ideal motion sequence in the Solukon system. The SPR-Pathfinder® calculations are based on a flow simulation that analyzes the part’s digital twin. The individually calculated motion sequence is then read by the Solukon system, which then follows the programmed paths.

Depending on various factors like the complexity and size of the CAD model and the minimum feature size, the software can process the file in anywhere from several minutes to several hours.

No. The SPR-Pathfinder® software is an on-premises solution.

Yes, the software is stand-alone software and does not forward data to third parties – not even to Solukon.

SPR-Pathfinder® is compatible with SFM-AT800-S, SFM-AT1000-S and FM-AT1500-S as of serial number 1, and with the latest SFM-AT350 models as well.

For calculations, it uses CAD files in the STL, STEP or 3MF format.

The geometries that are manufactured with the LPBF process are becoming increasingly complex. Their complexity poses a depowdering challenge for users. It is not obvious how the part needs to be moved so that the loose powder inside the part can be removed.
SPR-Pathfinder® manages this step. It uses the CAD file of the part to analyze the geometry and calculates the required motion pattern. During the design process, the software can also check whether the geometry can be depowdered.