Was ist Entpulvern / Depowdering?

What is depowdering?

Depowdering is the process of removing loose or unbound powder residues from the surfaces and cavities of 3D-printed parts. This process is particularly important in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to ensure that the part can fulfill its intended function.

Powder can be removed manually (e.g., by tapping or brushing) or automatically using specialized equipment.

Why shouldn’t the powder be removed manually?

During manual depowdering, the operator inevitably comes into contact with metal powder. This powder is harmful to health and can enter the body through inhalation or skin contact. There is also an explosion risk when powder clouds form, especially with reactive materials.

In addition to these safety risks, manual depowdering is time-consuming and costly. Furthermore, cleaning results are not reproducible; cleaning the same part twice does not necessarily produce the same result. This further limits process reliability.

What are the advantages of automated depowdering?

Automated Depowdering offers the following advantages:

• Protection against hazardous dust
  The cleaning process takes place in a sealed chamber. This prevents fine powder from escaping. Users no longer come into direct contact with the powder.
• Explosion protection
  For cleaning reactive materials (e.g., titanium), the process chamber can be flooded with a protective gas (i.e., inerted), ensuring reliable explosion protection.
• Time savings
  With automated depowdering, components can be cleaned faster than with manual methods. Very complex components are dust-free within a few hours.
• Repeatable cleaning results
  With automated depowdering, you can reliably achieve the same cleaning result for identical components. Thanks to part-specific cleaning programs, the process is optimally tailored to the component’s geometry and can be carried out for any number of identical applications.
• No programming effort
  This applies to Solukon depowdering systems. You don’t need to program cleaning programs yourself. The unique SPR-Pathfinder® software does this based on the CAD file by calculating the ideal sequence of movements in the Solukon depowdering system.
  The best part is that you can check if the component’s geometry can be fully depowdered during the design phase. Best of all, you can check if the component’s geometry can be fully depowdered as early as the design phase. This prevents production failures and disruptions in the process chain.

What are the advantages of Solukon depowdering system?

• Depowdering Software SPR-Pathfinder®
  Solukon’s software is the only one in the world that can simulate and calculate depowdering based on a component’s CAD file. With SPR-Pathfinder®, users can test whether their component’s geometry can be fully cleaned during the design phase. If necessary, they can modify the geometry of the build job immediately.
• Process monitoring and automation integration
  With the Digital Factory Tool (DFT), a sensor and interface kit, all relevant depowdering process data can be tracked and fed into the printer’s digital dashboards via OPC UA.
• Variable excitation modes
  Solukon systems are available with different exciters for various applications and materials. Options include pneumatic vibration excitation, ultrasound (for delicate structures), and a high-frequency knocker.
• Compatible with all LPBF printers
  Solukon systems are compatible with all common additive manufacturing systems thanks to their individual turntable mount.
• Low-maintenance premium product
  Solukon systems are built to last. Maintenance is minimal and essentially consists of cleaning the machine and replacing filters.