AM Solutions showcases F1 and D1: automated powder handling and depowdering in SLS operations

One year after unveiling the first prototypes at Formnext 2024, AM Solutions – 3D post processing technology – takes stock: the systems co-developed with EOS for powder preparation (F1) and automated depowdering (D1) ran in beta under production conditions and are now set to enter day-to-day series use. Tests at Formrise in Töging am Inn and at a Swiss medical technology company show how bottlenecks at the beginning and end of the polymer AM process chain can be addressed.

In selective laser sintering, the correct mix of recycled and virgin powder determines surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and homogeneity. The F1 combines sieving and mixing in a closed 2-in-1 system. Formrise replaced manual weighing and sieving with automatic dosing at ±2 percent accuracy. Up to 45 kilograms per hour are conditioned in 1.5-kilogram batches, which reduces mixing time and electrostatic charging; the powder’s resting time was shortened from two to three days to a maximum of twelve hours. Thanks to the ultrasonic sieve, the proportion of new powder could be reduced by up to five percent. Within the connected infrastructure, the F1 supplies eight printers—currently with around 380 kilograms weekly demand—with minimal operator effort and no direct powder contact.

At the other end of the line, the D1 solution halves the depowdering time of a densely packed build job. According to field trials, operator time drops by up to 80 percent while the scrap rate remains at the level of manual processes. Parts proceed directly to downstream steps such as blasting without rework. The closed system reduces dust exposure, the HMI guides users through the workflow, and powder recovery can be tuned to the respective job. Tests also showed that complete cooling before depowdering is not necessary, which can save eight to ten hours of idle time depending on geometry.

The practical data suggest that F1 and D1 automate key tasks in SLS operations, stabilize costs, and increase reproducibility—one building block on the path to series-capable, end-to-end digitized polymer AM.