Solukon
Inside the SFP770 system
Solukon has announced that the SFP770 post processing systems for polymer parts can now accomodate build boxes from EOS P 1 and P 5 series SLS manufacturing systems.
According to Solukon, this will enable it to tap new markets in the area of polymer post processing.
Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon, said: “We’ve received several requests for a post-processing system, especially for the EOS P 500. Since the EOS P 500 is a standard plastic printer, our SFP770 post processing system paired with the correct adapter is now available to a much larger user base.”
The process of the SFP770 begins with the build box being placed in the system by a lift truck. A vibrating sieve cover is then placed over the box, which then rotates gently overhead following an optional programmable process, separating the components from the powder.
The loose powder is extracted from the sieve cover directly and conveyed to a recycling unit or storage silo. Once the unpacking process is complete, the build box rotates towards the basket and opens the sieve cover. The cover now functions as a slide and the parts are slipped into the basket.
After the components are transferred into the basket, a new build box can be loaded into the system, while the first batch is cleaned in the second half of the system. The cleaning process works by the basket rotating in the direction of the blasting unit, where the automated process involving glass bead blast and ionised air to remove residual powder.
Solukon introduced the SFP770 in late 2020, presenting it as a post processing system for plastic parts manufactured by a P 7 series EOS printer.
The company says it was approached by an automotive industry customer with a request to be able to both unpack and clean polymer components automatically, without the user coming into contact with the plastic powder. This is when the SFP770 was introduced.
Hartmann added: “We expect plastics manufacturing to trend strongly towards a focus on post-processing, because it constitutes the decisive step in determining if something is truly manufactured in series or not. You can optimise a manufacturing process for serial production as much as you want, but if the subsequent postprocessing fails to meet the same high standards, you will not have true serial production.
“At Solukon, we therefore expect to see an increased demand for automated unpacking and cleaning stations. Thus, we are also ready to automate the loading and unloading steps. Discussions with international manufacturers and system suppliers are already in full swing. We are proud to be able to participate in the future of additive manufacturing in this area.”
In October 2022, Solukon launched the SPR-Pathfinder software for intelligent depowdering.
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