Depowdering of extra-large parts: Nikon SLM Solutions installs Solukon SFM-AT1500-S at AM Technology Center in Long Beach

With the new Solukon system, Nikon SLM Solutions has acquired the ideal postprocessing system for the NXG 600E. The AM team has now put the system into operation in the USA.

 
Offering a holistic and customer-centric approach, the Nikon AM Technology Center provides comprehensive Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) services, engineering and manufacturing solutions, as well as prototyping and production capabilities. The 90,000 m² area includes the NXG 600E large format printer, which can print components up to 1,500 mm high in one piece. The perfect depowdering system for such components is the SFM-AT1500-S from Solukon, which the team around Production Manager Joshua Forster has now installed at the Technology Center in Long Beach.

The SFM-AT1500-S as a perfect fit for the NXG 600E

SFM-AT1500-S is currently the largest metal depowdering system from Solukon. It can accommodate parts with dimensions 600 x 600 x 1500 mm or 820 x 820 x 1300 mm with a maximum weight of 2100 kg, including build plate – an immense intake weight for depowdering systems. This makes SFM-AT1500-S the ideal depowdering system for heavy-duty requirements and dimensions, such as those that arise with the NXG 600E.

Intelligent cleaning of complex structures

The SFM-AT1500-S enables fully automated, programmable cleaning of complex structures and channels. The SPR-Pathfinder® software makes it easy to calculate how the component needs to be moved in the Solukon system. It analyzes the CAD file of the component and calculates the ideal movement pattern. This calculation can take place as soon as the CAD file of the component has been created. Users can therefore simulate depowdering during the design process and see whether their geometry can be depowdered.
 

Maximum capacity, minimum footprint

In addition to its intelligent features, the SFM-AT1500-S is characterized above all by its compactness. “Maximum capacity, minimum structure was one of the guiding principles when designing the system. This means that the system can accommodate extremely large components, but at the same time has a very narrow design. This is because space in production sites is very valuable and limited, especially in modern production environments,” says CEO/CTO Andreas Hartmann, who developed the system. It is not only the chamber volume and the machine’s design that are perfectly adapted to the handling of NXG 600-E components, but also the procedure for loading the huge parts: Using front-top loading, components can be lifted into the system by crane. When the roof is opened, the frame of the Solukon system folds up completely, making it much easier to load the components.

Safe powder handling with SFM-PCU

When depowdering the massive parts, significant amounts of powder accrue and standard collection containers are too small. This is why Nikon SLM Solutions has also purchased the compatible SFM-PCU powder collection unit from Solukon. With the SFM-PCU, the powder can be safely extracted and collected in a large container in a process monitored by sensors.

Nikon SLM Solutions once again relies on Solukon technology

With the SFM-AT1500-S, Nikon SLM Solutions has once again opted for Solukon’s market-leading technology. This is because the AM Technology Center, which is also home to Nikon AM Synergy (formerly Morf3D), already has another Solukon system in operation, an SFM-AT1000-S.

“At our Nikon AM Technology Center in Long Beach, we offer our customers a machine portfolio that meets the highest demands. With the SFM-AT1500-S from Solukon, we have installed the ideal system for the postprocessing of highly complex, very large components. We were already in close contact with the Solukon team during the concept phase, so that our wishes were incorporated into the development of the depowdering system,” says Gerhard Bierleutgeb, Chief Operating Officer at Nikon SLM Solutions.

“We would like to thank Nikon SLM Solutions for their confidence in our technology. For optimum production conditions, the printing process and automated depowdering must be closely interlinked. With the SFM-AT1500-S, we have achieved this perfectly, as our depowdering system is precisely tailored to the needs of Nikon SLM Solutions customers,” says Andreas Hartmann, CEO/CTO of Solukon.