With the delivery of an SFM-AT800-S for the de-powdering of beam-melted metal parts to the Swiss manufacturer of satellite components SWISSto12, Solukon reaches a milestone in its still young company history.
With the foundation of the company and the introduction of the SPR® (Smart Powder Recuperation) de-powdering technology in 2015, Solukon revolutionised the post-processing of beam-melted metal components. The Solukon SFM-AT800 system, introduced at that time, was the world's first industrial system for automated de-powdering, where the component is moved around two axes in a protected atmosphere and powder is removed by targeted frequency excitation and collected for reuse.
Pioneer of an entire industry
Since its inception, Solukon has made it its mission to highlight the risks of manual de-powdering and to establish automated de-powdering in the international 3D printing market. With renowned customers and partnerships with leading OEMs, it has succeeded in significantly optimising post-processing in terms of labour protection and efficiency. Industry-wide, this in turn has led to greater acceptance of industrial depowdering.
In just a few years, Solukon, as an owner-managed company, has established four different systems for powder removal from metal components on the market. Solukon now has systems in operation in 28 countries, with more countries to follow. In addition to the now 200 metal plants, Solukon has many other machines in the field, including post-processing systems for polymer, and supplies OEMs with system solutions for their product portfolio. The company does not concentrate on the development of the de-powdering systems alone. Solukon has also developed solutions for quality management and integration into fully automated processes, as well as intelligent software in cooperation with Siemens.
Aerospace as a top sector for industrial de-powdering
The fact that SWISSto12, a company from the aerospace industry, is now receiving its 200th system reflects the current trend. "Aerospace is the industry with the most Solukon systems in the field, because here the requirements for repeatable and reliable post-processing are particularly high," says Andreas Hartmann, CEO and CTO of Solukon.
The Solukon system is also used at SWISSto12 to clean complex components fully automatically. Using additive manufacturing, the company produces, among other things, high-frequency antenna components and complex waveguide structures that are needed, for example, for satellite telecommunications. "By using additive manufacturing methods, we achieve a significant reduction in weight and costs as well as excellent frequency properties of our antennas. With the Solukon SFM-AT800-S, we clean the printed components reliably and quickly. Due to the unlimited movement possibilities, even complex structures inside the components become powder-free", says Mathieu Billod, Head of Manufacturing Technology at SWISSto12, who received the 200th Solukon system.
For Solukon, the 200th delivery of a depowdering system marks another milestone. "We are honoured that so many well-known companies, institutes and OEMs trust in our technology. This spurs us on to always grow with the challenges of our customers," Andreas Hartmann is pleased to say. The next highlight for Solukon will follow soon: at Formnext 2022, the Augsburg-based machine manufacturer will present the brand-new SPR-Pathfinder® depowdering software to the public for the first time.
