IB Additive for effective powder handling.
Powder handling
“Then we’ll just print a product ourselves”. With the rise of additive manufacturing in industrial production, the importance of fully automated powder handling and supplying 3D printers with powders of various metals, alloys or plastic blends is increasing. IB Verfahrenstechnik is a brand of Piab Additive GmbH and provides solutions for quality assurance and handling (peripherals) to ensure maximum supply reliability and product quality in powder bed fusion processes.
Powder management systems from IB Verfahrenstechnik
Our systems cover powder handling throughout the 3D printing process – from loading 3D printers with metal powder, to precise sifting or hopper filling, to reclaiming powder from the printer. Our systems are designed to be flexible enough to be used with all major printing systems. This gives you the freedom to design truly bespoke additive production systems without limits.
How does powder recycling work in 3D printing?
The 3D printing process uses the powder cycle to ensure maximum material efficiency and minimum waste. This is done in several steps:
Powder recovery
After the printing process, unused powder is collected from the build chamber. In technologies such as selective laser sintering (SLS), much of the unsintered powder can be reused. However, it must first be processed.
Powder processing
For the processing of fine powder materials in 3D printing, ultrasonic screening has proven to be the most efficient form of protective screening. It provides high throughput, optimal separation accuracy and efficient cleaning of the screen fabric. In addition, the varying ultrasonic vibrations reduce the frictional resistance between the powder particles and the screen mesh, reliably removing trapped particles during the sieving process.
Powder conveying with vacuum technology
The vacuum conveyor acts as a link between the individual stations, connecting silos, sieving stations or feeding stations to the 3D printer. This allows the correct amount of powder to be precisely fed into the printer and old and excess powder to be returned after the printing process.
Inertization for product quality assurance & dust explosion protection
Only in closed systems can powders for additive manufacturing processes be conveyed safely, cleanly and reliably. It is particularly important to ensure that different powder qualities and materials do not contaminate each other. This applies in particular to new powders as well as old and overflow powders.
Safety is our top priority. Our systems are ATEX certified, equipped with inert gas purge and oxygen monitoring, and designed for contamination-free operation. Our systems ensure a closed and safe powder cycle and protection against dust explosions.
Automated powder handling with IB Verfahrenstechnik
You can expect us to build good machines. You can also expect us to design a total solution that perfectly fits your additive production. That is why we see ourself primarily as a system partner for handling plastic and metal powders for 3D printers. Beyond pure technology, the expertise of our employees is crucial. We bundle this knowledge into services for planning, design, and seamless system integration into our customers’ automation technology..
Technical Sales
+49 5232 69190-200
ib-sales@piabgroup.com
