Rohde & Schwarz, a global technology group, has commissioned a new depowdering system for 3D printing at its plant in Teisnach. The installation of the Solukon SFM-AT350 marks an important step in the company’s further development of additive manufacturing. The system enables the efficient and thorough cleaning of 3D-printed components, in particular the removal of excess powder from internal channels.
At the Teisnach plant, where mechanical and electronic assemblies are manufactured, the team led by Peter Scherer relies on 3D printing technology to produce a wide range of components. These include RF components as well as heat exchangers, which are manufactured using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process. The post-processing of these parts is crucial for their performance, which is why depowdering, i.e. the removal of the remaining powder, plays a central role. This is where the SFM-AT350 from Solukon comes into play.
The Solukon SFM-AT350 is designed for medium-sized components weighing up to 100 kg and with maximum dimensions of 400 x 400 x 400 mm. The system is characterized by its compact design, low inert gas consumption and high cleaning quality. It uses pneumatic vibration excitation and a high-frequency knocker to loosen powder clumps in the components. An optional digital factory tool ensures transparency in the depowdering process by tracking and documenting all relevant data.
Depending on capacity utilization, Rohde & Schwarz carries out two to four cleaning jobs per week, a number that will continue to increase as series production progresses. The focus here is on components made of stainless steel and the aluminum alloy AlSi10Mg. As aluminium is reactive, the chamber of the SFM-AT350 is inerted with inert gas before the process begins to ensure safe cleaning.
“We are very satisfied with both the cleaning quality and the processing of the Solukon system itself. The system is very easy to operate and there have been no faults or problems so far,” says Peter Scherer, Head of Additive Manufacturing at Rohde & Schwarz in Teisnach.
The implementation of this advanced depowdering technology ensures that Rohde & Schwarz can further optimize its 3D printing processes and expand its production capacities. This is a decisive step towards meeting the industry’s requirements for high-quality and precisely manufactured components.
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