Wilting optimizes AM powder recovery for 3D metal printing

Dutch manufacturer Wilting has significantly optimized the powder recovery process in its additive manufacturing. By using the Russell AMPro Sieve Station, the time required to sieve the metal powder has been reduced by 50 percent. This not only improves production efficiency, but also reduces manual labor and increases occupational safety.

Wilting specializes in precision mechanics and combines CNC machining, 3D printing and final assembly. In additive manufacturing, the company previously relied on 3D Systems DMP Flex 350 metal 3D printers. However, the previous powder recovery process was time-consuming and required extensive manual intervention. In particular, emptying the overflow container took 40 minutes, and the entire sieving and reprocessing of the powder took three hours.

With the introduction of the Russell AMPro Sieve Station, Wilting was able to speed up this process considerably. The new solution uses a vacuum system to remove the powder from the overflow container in just ten minutes. This eliminates the cumbersome manual handling of powder bottles, improving workplace ergonomics and reducing the risk of contamination. At the same time, the integrated Vibrasonic Deblinding System ensures better sieving performance, which extends the service life of the sieve meshes and reduces downtimes.

The automation of the screening process has shortened the entire process from 180 to 90 minutes. This not only reduces machine changeover times, but also increases the overall capacity of AM production. Wilting can therefore complete more build jobs in less time without compromising the quality or reusability of the powder.

By implementing this technology, Wilting is committed to a more efficient, safer and more productive use of metal powders in additive manufacturing. The company’s experience shows that the targeted use of automated screening processes can avoid production bottlenecks and make operations more sustainable.