ExOne and Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH work together on the development of a new depowdering station for binder jet 3D printing.
If you are a regular reader of 3D ADEPT Media, then those names should be familiar to you. Nevertheless, let me reintroduce them for those who might discover them for the first time: ExOne is a manufacturer of sand & binder jet 3D printers whereas Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH is the developer of automated powder removal and processing systems for metal and polymer additive manufacturing technologies.
The two machine manufacturers have combined their expertise to develop the X1DPS 160, a new depowdering station designed for use with the X1 160Pro™ production metal binder jet 3D printer, that customers will probably receive in Q1 (year to be confirmed). The X1 160Pro is anExOne 3D printer that culminates two decades of metal 3D product development.
This means that the depowdering solution will be compatible with the industrial 3D printer’s build boxes. In a practical way, two operators would need to use glove ports on both sides of the machine to depowder or unpack the build box at one time. The semi-automatic, servo-driven Z-axis enables a smooth lifting while the chamber integrates an HEPA dust-extraction unit, as well as a vacuum and air gun for cleaning off parts. All powder retrieved by the depowdering station is directly connected to a powder recycling system.
“Comfortable, safe and efficient unpacking of 3D printed parts is the prerequisite for productive work flow,” said Andreas Nagy, Vice President of Printing Systems at ExOne & Managing Director ExOne GmbH. “In order to address this issue, we are happy to have Solukon as a leading expert in the design of peripheral additive manufacturing equipment.”
ExOne says the new powder handling solution is being manufactured at Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH’s HQ in Augsburg, Germany, in close proximity to its facility in Gersthofen, Germany, where the X1 160Pro is manufactured.
Andreas Hartmann, Co-founder and Technical Director of Solukon, added, “We are delighted about our new collaboration. ExOne’s complete metal system is exemplary thought out and groundbreaking. It is great to become a part of this production AM technology.”
When they recently unveiled the Solukon Digital Factory, Hartmann said on his LinkedIn profile that their “solutions attach great importance to the safety of employees and quality validation of the production process when it comes to removal of trapped powder. To meet all expectations, we work closely together with our customers and partners all over the world and never stop improving.”
This might sound cheesy but it is definitely not. Being part of ExOne’s trusted supplier partners today and a part of this production AM technology confirms, as per the words of Michael Sattler, the company’s Global Sales Director, that the team does not only talk the talk but actually walks the walk.
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