In collaboration with Assonic Dorstener Siebtechnik, Oerlikon AM has launched the SPC Sonic Powder Conditioner, a new metal powder preparation system that helps in performing several steps of the Additive Manufacturing process under one unit.
In collaboration with Assonic Dorstener Siebtechnik, Oerlikon AM has launched the SPC Sonic Powder Conditioner, a new metal powder preparation system that helps in performing several steps of the Additive Manufacturing process under one unit. It effectively integrates three vacuum conveyors into one single sieving system.
Key features of the new powder preparation system
Metal powder preparation systems are a crucial part of the Additive Manufacturing production chain, as they ensure consistency in the quality of the 3D printed parts produced through highly specific properties. The new SPC Sonic Powder Conditioner system can process both reactive and non-reactive metal powders as starting materials. Now, 3D-printed part manufacturers can seamlessly combine feeding, mixing, screening, weighing, filling and recirculation of metal powders.
As a prominent figure in aerospace additive manufacturing, Oerlikon AM holds AS9100 certification and has instituted an internal Aerospace Readiness Program in pursuit of NADCAP certification. These credentials demand not only stringent quality control, but also comprehensive digital traceability of both materials and products. To maintain unwavering quality, reproducibility, and thorough documentation, Oerlikon AM places significant reliance on a sophisticated level of automation.
Hence, the main objective when designing the SPC Sonic Power Conditioner was to ensure automated and reproducible results at a high-quality level, making the new powder preparation system adaptable to individual customer standards and requirements.
Oerlikon AM used Assonic’s patented Sonic Speed Screen technology as it is currently developing AlSiMg, titanium, IN718 and IN625 materials-based products which are highly oxidative, where the blending, mixing and screening are done under inert gas atmospheres. The Assonic technology also enabled the creation of the highly sticky metal powder preparation. All other aluminum-based materials are problematic to use because of their high rheology.
The Sonic Speed Screen technology utilizes ultrasonic and tapping excitations at the bottom of the screen for accurately screening the metal powders from 20 µm. The ultrasonic frequency is flexible and adaptable to fit into the sieve geometry.
The SPC powder feed options range from vacuum conveyors to wide-neck, with Oerlikon's variant being the first screening machine with three vacuum conveyors for material feed. The new powder preparation system is highly versatile, containing features like quick screen frame replacement and easy height adjustment.
Other dynamic characteristics of the new powder preparation system include sieve programs where you can store recipes, and oxygen and humidity-detecting sensors. This ensures that the inert gas atmosphere is maintained using nitrogen or argon.
The Head of Technology at Oerlikon AM Europe, Ralph Mayer, described the SPC Sonic Powder Conditioner as a system that can “blend and screen in one system and have full process control over the removal points“.
“I like that the SPC was implemented exactly to our specifications and delivered what we had hoped for“, Mayer added.