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SLM Solutions’ Automatic Powder Recovery System

Just as EOS announced the future of an unboxing station for their M 400 3D printer at Euromold, their competitor, SLM Solutions, demonstrated similar moves towards fully-automated manufacturing using 3D printing at the European event. This year, SLM Solutions debuted its PSA 500 automatic powder recovery system, a machine that will autonomously process unused print material upon completion of a print.

In order to make industrial 3D printing efficient enough for large-scale manufacturing, a number of modifications to additive manufacturing processes need to be made. The more automated industrial 3D printing can become, the easier it will be to use it for mass production. And, so, SLM Solutions has developed the PSA 500. With the PSA 500, powder left unused during the selective laser melting process, according to the company, will be “led from the build chamber through a discharge station for vibrating screens conditioning. By being coupled with the sieving ultrasound unit a very fine grain size and a higher yield can be ensured. The sieving process has no influence on the parallel construction processes and reduces unproductive downtime.

The PSA 500 should, then, increase the amount of material recycled for future prints, cutting down on production time. The new machine is evidence of further progress in the additive manufacturing industry, representing a step taken by one company, among many, to increase the efficiency of industrial 3D printing.

Source: SLM Solutions