Page 44 - ITA Journal 3-2018

Technical Papers
SMS group GmbH
The future is additive
The core process of metal powder production: Atomization of the liquid metal.
conditions, i.e. at high temper- atures and pressures and in long production cycles. SMS works with the cooperation partner Additive Industries, developer and provider of selective laser melting systems for 3D metal powder printing.
The plan is to set up a demon- stration plantfor customers at the SMS group facilities in Möncheng- ladbach. That plant will comprise all process steps of additive man- ufacturing.
A SOPHISTICATED PROCESS BASED ON SMS GROUP KNOW-HOW
The function of the new pilot plant built by SMS group is to atomize powder. Its main components are a vacuum induction furnace with a crucible and a tundish, atomi- zation equipment arranged in the powder tower, vacuum pumps, cyclones, gas coolers, bag lters, air separators and screens for powder grading.
The plant melts the metals and the alloys inductively and under vacuum. The vacuum technology is key to achieving an ultra-clean product and reliably preventing the material from reacting with oxygen. If this is not guaranteed, oxides, oxide inclusions and other contaminations may result. Ultra- clean powder can only be produced under inert conditions. Especially in this area, SMS Mevac’s exper- tise and know-how in secondary metallurgy technology has con- tributed largely to the success of the process.
In the next step, the liquid metal is atomized in a jet nozzle of just a few millimeters by means of pure argon. This process pro-
SMS groups rst plant for metal powder
The new powder atomization plant operated by SMS group produces only high-quality metal powder because the quality of the powder is deci- sive for the quality of the printed product.
The plant performs the tests under realistic conditions – temperatures, pressures and production cycles are adapted to those prevailing in indus- trial plants.
The pilot project is a cooper- ation between SMS group and Additive Industries – special- ists in laser melting systems.
A ne, gray powder with an unspectacular look, but with prop- erties on which a completely new growth sector is going to evolve. This extremely homogeneous metal powder is the basis of addi- tive manufacturing – the process
of 3D printing of metal. It is made up of perfectly round minute spheres measuring only 15 to 45 micrometers (one thousandth of a millimeter). It is hard to imagine how these microscopic particles are produced in a 13 meters tall and highly complex plant involv- ing an extremely sophisticated technique. SMS group has recently commissioned a pilot plant for the industrial-scale production of this type of powder.
A MILESTONE FOR THE FUTURE
The successful commissioning of the powder atomization plant marks a milestone for SMS group because only a high-quality powder can make a high-quality 3D printed component. The objec- tive is to master – and allow the customers to master – the com- plete process chain of this inno- vative technology. This is why SMS deliberately chose to not build a small-scale but an industrial-scale pilot plant. Only this way the process can be tested under real
ITAtube Journal No3/October 2018
44