Solukon
SPR-Pathfinder calculates the cleaning sequence of a complete build job
Augsburg-based company Solukon says that the increasingly complex applications of powder-based 3D printing has led to rising demand for industrial depowdering. The company will be presenting its new automatic depowdering software, SPR-Pathfinder, at Formnext 2022 in Frankfurt.
Solukon claims that this software makes the digital twin of a part usable in post processing for the first time.
The new software works to remove excess powder from complex internal structures, achieving this through the build job’s CAD file to calculate the ideal motion sequence for the post processing system. The calculations are based on a flow simulation that analyses the part’s digital twin. The individually calculated motion sequence is then read by the Solukon system, which in turn runs the programmed paths.
According to Solukon, this new process ensures that even the most complex parts are cleaned in record time, without any human programming effort.
Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon, said: “In contrast to conventional manufacturing processes, 3D printing uses the part’s digital twin. To date, however, this was only utilised during the printing itself. With SPR-Pathfinder, the part’s digital twin can now also be used during depowdering. This is how we ensure that the potential of the digital twin can be used to the fullest in post processing as well.”
In 2018, a software developed by Siemens Technology in a joint project with Solukon was unveiled publicly for the first time under the name SiDAM. Siemens and Solukon received the TCT Post Processing Award 2019 for the use of the software in a Solukon SFM-AT800-S.
Until recently, the software prototype was only available to a limited number of Siemens’ and Solukon’s development partners. Solukon has now acquired exclusive rights to the software, and has developed it into a Solukon product, the SPR-Pathfinder. Solukon customers are now able to purchase licenses for the first time.
Solukon
The calculations of SPR-Pathfinder are based on a flow simulation
“It’s a logical step for us to license the depowdering software exclusively to Solukon, thereby enabling the pioneer in industrial depowdering to offer the market an even more effective product,” said Dr. Georg Bodammer, Senior Venture Director at Siemens Technology Accelerator. “This way, customers can get everything from a single source: the market-leading depowdering system and the exclusive, intelligent software.”
According to Solukon, the name was deliberately drawn from the established depowdering technology Smart Powder Recuperation, also known as SPR. This generally involves automated rotation on two axes as well as adjustable vibration in a safety-controlled atmosphere.
Hartmann added: “It is very important to us that the widest possible customer base can benefit from our software from the moment it hits the market. In the future, the software should also be compatible with other models, such as the SFM-AT350.”
In April 2022, new space company Launcher acquired Solukon technology for finishing of 3D printed rocket parts.
