Volkmann Modular Powder Supply Stages Material in High Volumes
The Metal Powder Supply hopper holds material in process and, once collected, the recovered metal powders may be screened and reintroduced to the printing process or stored for future reuse.
Volkmann’s Modular Powder Supply enables the printer to begin its next part without waiting for man-ual extraction. Photo Credit: Volkmann
Volkmann USA’s Modular Powder Supply (MPS) was developed to help additive manufacturers safely manage metal powder storage. As production rates and volumes increase, the MPS provides an inline holding container that can be installed between the printing, sieving, and/or depowdering processes to quickly collect unused metal powder from a build box.
It also enables the printer to begin its next part without waiting for manual extraction, among other applications. Once collected, the recovered metal powders may be screened and reintroduced to the printing process or stored for future reuse.
Offered as a stand-alone unit or integrated with the company's automated PowTReX metal powder sieving station and/or depowdering station, the MPA features a Volkmann pneumatic vacuum conveyor with a stainless steel hopper and touchscreen controls, all set within a dust-tight housing.
The powder hopper holds 120 L as standard and may be custom designed to store other capacities. The metal powder storage system may be operated with tungsten, cobalt, silver powder, iron, stainless steel, alumina, nickel chrome, copper, titanium and other metallic powders in both normal air environments and under inert conditions.
- Learn about Volkmann’s depowdering station that automatically cleans unused metal powder from 3D printed build jobs, The Volkmann additive manufacturing technology is designed to safeguard workers from toxic materials and boost efficiency.
- Check out this article on Volkmann’s PowTReX that can roll to 3D Printers for easy installation and movement. The metal powder transfer and recovery system features a mobility package as standard, making it easier for companies to automate the powder transfer, extraction and sieving processes at multiple printers without investing in multiple machines.
Related Content
-
Possibilities From Electroplating 3D Printed Plastic Parts
Adding layers of nickel or copper to 3D printed polymer can impart desired properties such as electrical conductivity, EMI shielding, abrasion resistance and improved strength — approaching and even exceeding 3D printed metal, according to RePliForm.
-
Top 10 Additive Manufacturing Stories of 2023
Laser powder bed fusion, proprietary AM processes, machining and more made our list of top 10 articles and videos by pageviews this year.
-
VulcanForms Is Forging a New Model for Large-Scale Production (and It's More Than 3D Printing)
The MIT spinout leverages proprietary high-power laser powder bed fusion alongside machining in the context of digitized, cost-effective and “maniacally focused” production.