The new SFM-AT1500-S is designed to automate the depowdering of extra-large parts, making it perfect for heavy load uses, says its creator Solukon.
The new metal powder removal system can accommodate parts built from metals SLM technologies that weigh in excess of two tons, with dimensions 600 x 600 x 1,500 mm or 820 x 820 x 1,300 mm with a maximum weight of 2,100 kg, including build plate.
The SFM-AT1500-S removes the powder by vibrating the part, yet the vibrations must not be transmitted to the rest of the system, which is why Solukon has developed a completely new decoupling concept. The part is made to vibrate optimally in any position, while the rest of the chamber is immune to the vibration.
In addition, a newly developed, ultra-robust drive technology is used to move the heavyweight 3D printed parts.
The chamber of the new SFM-AT1500-S is made of stainless steel and the rotary table has four separately controlled compressed air lines for different configurations of vibrator, knocker and blower connections.
The system is also relatively compact given the dimensions of the parts it can depowder. The new drive technology allows the unit to be very narrow, and is arranged so that no platforms or stairs are necessary to load the parts, allowing parts to be inserted by crane or a lifting device via front-top loading, while keeping its factory footprint small and adding safety to the overall process.
SFM-AT1500-S is compatible with SPR-Pathfinder software, which automatically calculates the ideal motion sequence based on the CAD file of the part. Thanks to the integrated Digital-Factory-Tool, the depowdering procedure is fully transparent to users during the entire cleaning process.
“Digital features are also essential in the large-scale part segment. Smart software is the only way to depowder complex structures without human programming effort. Plus, continuous tracking is the only way to achieve real transparency,” says Solukon CEO Andreas Hartmann.
Solukon started back in 2015, the year it was founded, with a system designed for the largest machine on the market at the time, the Xline 2000R from Concept Laser measuring 800 x 400 x 500 mm. As early as 2020, Solukon impressively proved its depowdering expertise in the large-scale part segment again when it launched SFM-AT1000-S.
