Green part processing for mass production in metal 3DP

Green part processing for mass production in metal 3DP

The AutoSmooth project by Headmade Materials, AM Solutions, and Neue Materialien Bayreuth is showing its first promising results regarding highly efficient processing times and significantly improved surface quality to advance surface treatment of ColdMetalFusion (CMF) parts. With this, AM Solutions provides the missing link to make CMF technology and metal 3D printing (3DP) suitable for mass production.

Since the project began, the partners have worked to significantly advance the development of a fully automated process chain for unpacking, depowdering, and surface treatment of CMF parts. The result is a system that’ll significantly improve green part processing. An innovative shot blasting process ensures the surfaces of the parts are finely depowdered and smoothed in a single operation. Staircase effects are effectively removed, and the surface quality is already so high that in most applications there’s no need for an additional, lengthy finishing process after sintering. This saves an enormous amount of time. For example, the process of depowdering and smoothing takes only a few minutes, whereas conventional post-processing methods can take several hours.

As part of the AutoSmooth project, AM Solutions relies on its 2-in-1 principle, combining the two process steps of depowdering and smoothing in just one machine. Additionally, the powder is recovered and can be reused, resulting in significant cost reductions and conservation of resources. A specialized part clamping solution also ensures the careful handling of sensitive green parts during the process.

CMF technology already allows users to produce high-quality metal parts in series through cost-effective additive manufacturing. The main advantage is a standard, inexpensive powder bed-based polymer printer is sufficient for printing, making the process a drop-in technology for many companies. The parts don’t require support structures, which would need to be laboriously removed after printing. Compared to other binder-based processes, CMF technology also excels, as the green parts are significantly more stable, offering greater process reliability.

“If we now provide the missing link in post-processing with our new development, CMF technology will take a huge leap forward,” says Dr. Till Merkel, division manager technology at Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH. “For the industry, this paves the way for cost-efficient, automated processes that will fully unlock the potential of additive mass production for metal parts and significantly reduce unit costs.”