With the research project AutoSmooth, AM Solutions – 3D post processing technology, Neue Materialien Bayreuth and Headmade Materials are working on fully automated post-processing for parts from the ColdMetalFusion process. The goal is a process chain that is precisely tailored to CMF from depowdering through to surface finishing and thus secures series production of up to one million metal parts per year.
In an initial project phase, a new technology was developed for depowdering and surface treatment of “green” CMF parts, which significantly reduces post-processing times compared to conventional methods. Current investigations are now going one step further and focusing on the reuse of the feedstock, i.e. the polymer-bonded metal powder.
“Right now, all indicators point to full, meaning 100%, reuse of the feedstock,” says Sven Amon, project engineer at Rösler, who leads the AutoSmooth project and has spent nearly a decade researching and advancing automation and industrial applications of additive manufacturing. “This is a milestone. Until now, during manual depowdering or fine depowdering, only part of the feedstock could be reused, depending on part geometry.”
Neue Materialien Bayreuth is analyzing how repeatedly reprocessed powder affects part properties over the long term. In parallel, test series are being carried out on static strength, fatigue strength and bending vibration loading of parts made from recycled feedstock, supported by Headmade Materials as the developer of CMF technology. The closed material loop not only reduces powder costs and disposal efforts, but also lowers the CO₂ footprint of the entire process chain, as excess powder can be used virtually indefinitely and even the process media can be reused after cleaning and sieving.
“Interest in CMF continues to rise – against the general trend in the additive industry,” says project lead Sven Amon. “That’s because CMF makes metal printing economically viable, particularly in prototyping and serial production. With the new AutoSmooth post-processing method, the process can now reach its full potential.”
In addition to process economics, AutoSmooth also addresses the handling of delicate green parts. For complex structures that would be damaged in rotary blasting systems, a patented workpiece holder has been developed. The parts are embedded in a specially printed lattice that is clamped directly in the system and can be fully automated.
“With the system we intend to develop based on these research results, we will expand our established 2-in-1 approach – depowdering and smoothing – by adding sustainability. The result is a 3-in-1 process precisely tailored to the needs of metal-printing customers,” Amon explains. “This makes the production of highly demanding components – such as impellers – economically and industrially scalable. A decisive step that will allow CMF to establish itself as the leading 3D metal printing technology.”
The project, which will run until summer 2026, forms the basis for a new industrial post-processing system from AM Solutions. According to Amon, the previous two-in-one approach of depowdering and smoothing is to become a three-stage process that additionally integrates closure of the material cycle. This brings economically scalable CMF series production with a high degree of automation and stable surface qualities within reach.
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