Category: Blog

It’s no surprise that the additive manufacturing (AM) industry is continuing to expand at a rapid pace. In fact, it’s projected that 3D printing will grow to a whopping $49.1 billion industry by 2025. Particularly, MJF 3D printing technology is being utilized more and more as a means of developing complex functional parts with low unit pricing. If you’re considering 3D printing options, keep in mind that powder-based MJF print technology has a significant number of advantages over other 3D printing methods.

For example, MJF allows for faster overall cycle times and is capable of notably broader design flexibility compared to other popular 3D printing techniques like FDM or the powder-based SLS. As far as sustainability and eco-friendliness are concerned, MJF printing is a vetted sustainable option, as it allows a high percentage of the powdered material it employs to be recycled. This longer material purchasing cycle not only helps to reduce costs, but makes the MJF a sustainable choice for both your budget and the environment.

That being said, there is an aspect of the MJF printing process that is less than ideal – its surface finishing options. These current techniques hold the ability to cause a variety of issues in the additive workflow, as most require a significant amount of tedious manual labor. These processes tend to involve arcane tools like sandpaper, sanding blocks, or even small dremel tools. Plus, as anyone who has had to hire technical workers knows; manual labor can be quite costly, and at times, hard to come by.

If your business decides not to hire technicians to execute surface finishing, there is a good chance that instead, engineers will be spending precious working hours sanding away at printed parts. This engineering time devoted to post-processing could be otherwise spent working on more significant projects. These various inefficiencies tend to culminate as post-print bottlenecks, preventing production volumes from being achieved, and disrupting streamlined workflows.

Alternatively, traditional vibratory surface finishing systems are also frequently used to post-process MJF printed parts. The issue with this approach is that it lacks significant control as a subtractive manufacturing process. Vibratory systems run a high risk of damage, or at the very least, wearing down the intricate geometry of the parts. This technique has a tendency of resulting in wide inconsistencies and breakage. Our most recent white paper discusses a new, automated approach that mitigates these challenges with a software-driven solution designed specifically for additive manufacturing.

This paper covers:

• The benefits of a novel automated post-printing method for surface finishing.
• Opportunities to achieve surface finish values of less than 2-microns across a variety of MJF printer platforms.
• Key considerations like part density and hardness.
• Manufacturing factors including the impact of print technology and print orientation on the surface profile.

This aforementioned surface finishing technology prevents bottlenecks, frees up labor costs, and provides rapid, consistent results that preserve complex details.

Read through our white paper to learn about the software-driven automation, suspended rotational force, and patent-pending chemicals that make this automated technology so revolutionary to the MJF surface finishing process.

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As Automotive continues to be one of Additive Manufacturing’s top growth markets in both the number of applications and volume of printed parts, the importance of increased productivity, consistency, and quality is also ramping. Automotive applications are heavily weighted towards the use of FDM in rapid prototyping to help cut timelines and allow companies to iterate more effectively. But with this advancement of significantly improved design and build processes, the post-processing step is often overlooked as an opportunity to further optimize overall production times.

To date, many companies printing for Automotive applications have leaned on subtractive equipment from their factory floor and tried to adapt them for Additive, including hand tools, submersible tanks, and traditional tumblers. While this can work in some cases, as volumes ramp issues are arising. Even with assistance from these machines, there is a high component of labor, or what we call attended technician time. It is not uncommon for the attended technician time to last the entire cycle with a tumbler or submersible tank due to the frequent monitoring of the systems that are required.

Even with the best technicians, there can be inconsistent results. Variations in the level of precision and issues of rework are common. With traditional machines not optimized for Additive Manufactured parts, breakage levels can also be especially problematic. As print materials and labor are expensive, re-printing could be significantly affecting the ROI of your Additive operation overall.

Consider how automating the FDM support removal step of post-processing, such as with the PostProcess BASE™, can address these common issues in terms of productivity, consistency, quality, and of course, overall cycle time:

• Improves overall cycle times to enable rapid prototyping with over twice as many prototypes able to be produced every week
• Reduces processing time by over 50% and drying time by over 60%when compared to submersible tank systems.
• Minimizes part warpage and breakage without changes to dimensional accuracy due to lower temperatures and less liquid exposure. These challenges are almost inevitable in a submersible tank.
• Reduces attended technician time up to 90% from traditional solutions due to the system’s AUTOMAT3D™ software.

Maintaining a competitive edge will continue to propel prototype volumes in Automotive and other markets from thousands per year to hundreds of thousands per year, particularly in companies that rely on fast innovation to drive growth. Here at PostProcess, our mission is to help the industry move beyond brute-forcing post-printing with manual labor and traditional mechanical solutions towards software-based automated solutions to ensure throughput and consistency in line with the market’s expectations.

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2019 was an exciting year for Additive Manufacturing…a impressive array of announcements and collaborations, record-breaking trade show and conference attendance, and a myriad of exciting applications of 3D printing technology.

Here at PostProcess, we also have some pretty exciting accomplishments and milestones to celebrate. Let’s take a look back at our biggest stories and publications from 2019 as we continue our journey to unleash the transformative power of additive manufacturing with the world’s only data-driven post-printing solution.

• November – PostProcess Announces $20M Series B Round and European Strategy Expansion. We shared the news of our Series B funding, led by Grand Oaks Capital, the appointment of new EU Channel Partners, and EU facility expansion supported by a grant from regional authorities. Read more here.
• September – Annual Additive Post-Printing Survey: Trends Report 2019. PostProcess launched the first-of-its-kind annual survey report on Additive Manufacturing Post-Printing! We collaborated with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) to query end users on the state of post-processing, a critical but often under-reported final step of 3D printing. Read more here
• September – Toro Selects PostProcess to Implement Automated 3D Post-Printing. In an effort to reduce operator labor, The Toro Company implemented automated post-printing into its additive manufacturing workflow with the BASE support removal solution for their 3D printed FDM parts. Read more here.
• June – Considerations for Surface Finishing of 3D Printed Inconel 718. 3D printing with metal was one of the hottest topics of the year. We tackled challenge of surface finishing additively manufactured metals and alloys, with focus on the widely-used nickel super-alloy Inconel 718 printed with DMLS technology, in this white paper. Read more here.
• March – PostProcess Announces Fastest Processing Times in the Industry with new Resin Removal Solution. Our groundbreaking new solution for SLA, CLIP, and DLP resin removal provides dramatically improved processing times of 5-10 minutes, lower operator attendance time with reduced environmental hazards, preservation of fine feature details, and overall improved resin removal from SLA printed parts. Read more here.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with all of the exciting announcements that are yet to come in 2020!

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It is no secret in our industry that PolyJet support removal is considered by many to be an art rather than a science. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning support off of anatomical models. In this blog post, we’re going to discuss the three main challenges associated with traditional methods for support removal on anatomical parts, which is an increasingly popular application. These three challenges are high manual labor, breakage, and the cost associated with reprinting damaged parts.

Manual Labor

Most PolyJet users turn to manual removal of supports based on the assumption it’s their only option. In alternative applications, a waterjet can be used to speed up the process a bit. However, especially with anatomical models, water jetting significantly increases the risk of damage. Users are left to use picks, brushes, and other handheld tools to pick away at the support slowly. This is an extremely time-consuming process, as we hear stories of users spending over an hour on just one part. This loss of time makes the user less productive and prevents them from performing more value-added activities. The final issue with manual labor is breakage. Because of human error involved, many anatomical models get damaged during support removal.

Breakage

The challenge of breakage is so prevalent when it comes to anatomical models for two reasons; the materials used and the geometries printed. Often for anatomical applications, soft-durometer materials are utilized for a more realistic feel. These materials can have a low shear modulus, making them much easier to damage during handling, especially when picking or scraping off support. The second component attributing to these high breakage rates is how fragile the geometries typically are. Anatomical models are often comprised of thin walls, complex internal geometries, and fine-featured details. These features, combined with the delicate nature of the material itself, are what lead to parts breaking at a costly rate. This leads to the final challenge, costly reprinting of damaged parts.

Reprint Cost

Breaking an additively manufactured part creates a ripple effect when it comes to cost. Think of the time the user has already spent attempting to perform support removal before the part broke. You are spending twice as much of your own time for each part that is damaged. That time spent costs money. And if you plan on any design iteration, your plan has just been set back. Additionally, you are spending twice as much on both build and support materials for each part you have to reprint. It is easy to see how quickly a high breakage rate slows down your process while wasting your time and money.

In order to scale the anatomical modeling industry, these issues must be resolved. If you are interested in learning about our software-driven technology approach to tackle these issues, contact us today.

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PostProcess is excited to launch the first Annual Additive Post-Printing Survey: Trends 2019, conducted with support from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Our aim is to deliver insightful data and perspective on this segment of the booming Additive Manufacturing market that has never been captured before.

As a pioneer of the automated 3D Post-Printing space, or Post-Processing as it is also known, it makes perfect sense for us also to pioneer analysis of this market segment – one that is poised to become increasingly critical to the scaling of the industry as printing moves in greater volumes to the factory floor. The early identification of the trends and challenges in Post-Printing is instrumental to continued innovations and advancements to support the overall market’s forecasted growth.

In the years to come, this annual survey will generate thought leadership with insightful year over year trends on the Post-Printing market. We thank all who participated this year for their time and insight.

DOWNLOAD THE RESULTS NOW

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Welcome to the final post of our four-part series breaking down PostProcess’ core technologies. Our goal has been to help you understand how our integrated approach of software, hardware, and chemistry delivers the most transformative 3D post-printing results in the industry. In this last piece, we explain the building blocks of our patented Submersed Vortex Cavitation (SVC) technology, utilized in our popular DEMI 400, DEMI 800, and DEMI 4000 support and resin removal solutions. The key components to SVC are our:

• Proprietary detergents
• Vortex pumping scheme
• Variable ultrasonics
• AUTOMAT3D® software

Now let’s unpack the role each one of these components plays in our soluble support and resin removal solutions.

Proprietary Detergents:
A key contributor to the effectiveness of the SVC technology is our proprietary chemistry. The three primary detergents we currently offer for use in our SVC line were all developed by our PhD chemists specifically for additive materials, an approach unlike any other in the market. We provide a detergent specific for each of the main polymer-based print technologies – material extrusion (i.e., FDM), material jetting (i.e., PolyJet), vat polymerization (i.e., SLA). For each one of these technologies, PostProcess’ detergent will dissolve soluble support material or uncured resin without compromising the build material. The chemistry is optimized for the materials used by each technology, and then further optimized through multiple fine-tuned mechanical energy sources which we will cover in the next section. The parts processed while submerged in our detergent covers the Submersed portion of SVC technology.

Vortex pumping scheme:
Our SVC solutions utilize a strategic pumping scheme that creates a proprietary rotating motion of the part while submerged in the detergent. Here at PostProcess, we like to say this motion ensures that “parts that float sink, parts that sink float.” What that really means is that regardless of density or geometry and how that affects a parts buoyancy, the Vortex component of SVC technology will ensure that the part is uniformly exposed to the detergent and cavitation from the ultrasonics.

Variable Ultrasonics:
To optimize the chemistry, PostProcess uses ultrasonic generated cavitation as another form of mechanical energy. The ultrasonics emit soundwaves at varying frequency and amplitude creating waves of compression and expansion in the detergent. This agitation of the liquid causes microscopic bubbles, cavitation, to form on the surface of the part. These bubbles agitate the support material as it is weakened by the chemistry, accelerating the processing time. What sets us apart from other machines in the industry? It’s the level of control we have from our AUTOMAT3D software and the fact that our ultrasonics are mounted on the side of the machine as opposed to the bottom. In a conventional system, the support material breaks down and settles on the bottom of the machine. This settled material would then impact the effectiveness of the wave emitted from the transducer. PostProcess’s SVC machines have mitigated this issue by mounting them on the side of the machine, ensuring maximum efficacy throughout the cycle.

AUTOMAT3D Software:
At this point, we have covered the hardware and chemistry portion of PostProcess’ SVC technology. However, being that we pride ourselves on being a comprehensive solution provider, there is one last vital piece to the puzzle, and that is our AUTOMAT3D software. What is essential to all of our technologies is the acute control of the system’s energy sources. AUTOMAT3D acts as the conductor of the whole process, configuring all of the energy output sources in response to sensor input data. The software manages temperature, ultrasonics output, and pump flow, all in concert with cycle time. Not only does the software provide the solution with the highest degree of energy management but also simplifies machine operation for the user. With recipe storage, process parameters can easily be saved for easy recall, requiring minimal operator time and promoting consistency with each cycle. Lastly, preventative maintenance and warnings allow users to plan for maintenance, further minimizing any downtime.

Now that you have a better understanding of our Submersed Vortex Cavitation technology,  is right for your application? Contact us today to discuss your specific needs and get the benchmark process started.

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Welcome to the third in our series of four blog posts highlighting each of PostProcess’ proprietary technology approaches. Here, we will take a deep dive into Suspended Rotational Force (SRF), utilized in our Surface Finish family of solutions.

The building blocks that drive the performance of our SRF technology are the following:

• Our proprietary detergent
• Our proprietary abrasive media
• Our AUTOMAT3D® software

Now let’s dig into what’s so special about each one of these components:

Proprietary Detergent:
First off, I want you to understand that we are not leveraging any chemical energy in this technology. This detergent was explicitly designed by our chemists to optimize the mechanical, abrasive energy that is provided by the media. The detergent ensures the additive manufactured part being processed can circulate through the media as well as wash away any broken down media or part material that accumulates during processing. When you’re thinking SRF detergent, you’re thinking media optimization. By optimizing the media, we are ensuring consistency throughout the batch. Using one detergent that is safe for all materials gives you the freedom to process a variety of materials in one batch.

Proprietary Abrasive Media:
Now onto the real work-horse of our SRF technology – media. Our development engineers performed extensive testing on a variety of different materials, shapes, and sizes of abrasive media to determine the most effective combination specific to additive manufactured materials. Depending on your application, our engineers will help you choose the right media based on your finishing requirements. With the range of offerings we provide, you can address multiple materials in one batch for a more one-size-fits-all approach. Alternatively, we can choose a specific material, density, shape, and size tailored to your part material and geometry.

Now that you know the role of the detergent and media, you now understand the Suspended aspect of SRF. With the 3D printed part suspended in the media/detergent mixture, these two components alone have provided you with the most advanced and additive-specific abrasive technology. But in real PostProcess nature, we take it to another level and give it a brain.

AUTOMAT3D Software:
By introducing software, we are providing our customers with an unprecedented level of process insight and control. In our SRF technology, our AUTOMAT3D software is controlling the friction force that a part is experiencing to provide process flexibility. The software comes pre-loaded with four different customizable agitation settings. These settings allow you to alter your process specific to how much friction force is applied to each batch of parts to adjust to different materials and geometries effortlessly. Additionally, AUTOMAT3D keeps you in the loop with what is happening with your machine with process monitoring. By keeping you up to date with tank levels and respective smart cycle times, we allow you to plan ahead for maintenance and minimize downtime.

With a better understanding of the software, you now know the Force aspect in SRF. Where does Rotational fit? That part is simple. When the motor in our machines kick on, a vibratory motion is initiated, moving whatever media/part mixture is sitting within the part envelope in a circular motion along the Y (vertical) axis. While the parts are suspended, the media/detergent mixture will rotate as a result of the circulating motion. This motion will ensure uniform exposure of the part to the media/detergent mixture and provide the consistent results that we promise. This summarizes the Rotational component of our SRF technology.

Suspended Rotational Force should make a lot more sense now, but how can you know if it is right for your application? Contact us today to discuss your specific needs and get the benchmark process started.

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Welcome to part two of the four-part series highlighting each of PostProcess’ core 3D post-printing technologies. In part one, we discussed our VVD technology, ideal for automated support removal on technologies such as SLA, PolyJet, and FDM. In this post, we’ll explore the building blocks of our Thermal Atomized Fusillade (TAF) technology, utilized in our one-of-a-kind Hybrid DECI Duo. TAF technology performs surface finishing allowing for fast cycle times and consistently finished end parts. The key components to TAF are:

• Proprietary detergents
• Suspended solids
• Fusillade jets
• AUTOMAT3D® software

Let’s dive into the role each one of these elements plays in the engineering of TAF technology.

Proprietary Detergents:

The detergent utilized in the DECI Duo is designed specifically by our chemists to optimize the mechanical and abrasive energy that is provided by the suspended solids. So another way to think of it is suspended solid optimization. The detergent helps the suspended solid circulation through the machine and enhances the solution’s capability to finish internal channels while reducing safety hazards associated with dry blast processes. We offer a primary detergent that is effective across a breadth of print technologies offering the freedom to process a variety of materials without swapping detergents.  Additionally, we continuously perform research to optimize each application; our most recent findings on Inconel 718 are available in this recently released white paper.

Suspended Solids:

A suspended solid is a fine particle, either metal or ceramic, that mixes with a detergent to create distinct abrading solutions to improve various surface properties. Our development engineers performed extensive testing on different materials, shapes, and sizes of suspended solids to determine the most effective combination specific to additive manufactured materials. Application dependent, our engineers will help choose the right suspended solids based on the user’s geometry and profile requirements. Together, our suspended solids and proprietary detergents provide the “Atomized” component of our TAF technology. This atomized approach offers flexible and consistent powder removal and surface finishing across a wide range of geometries.

Fusillade Jets:

With our TAF technology, each jet emits compressed air, detergent, and suspended solids at variable software regulated pressures. The two “Fusillade” jets fire either simultaneously or in rapid succession, depending on the Agitation Algorithm setting within the software. The wide range of pressures, typically from 20 psi to 130 psi (138kPa – 896kPa), provides the level of flexibility needed to process materials across all technologies for a variety of finishing requirements. TAF technology uniformly processes a variety of geometries by having two software-controlled jets on single axes spraying the parts fixed on a rotating turntable. One jet is on the top of the machine moving front to back and the other moves up and down. This video animation helps demonstrate the process further.

AUTOMAT3D Software:

Our AUTOMAT3D software acts as the conductor of the whole process, configuring all of the energy output sources in response to sensor input data. AUTOMAT3D is integral in our TAF technology due to the intricacy of coordinating all of the numerous software-enabled energy sources. The software manages temperature, jet movement, turntable speed and direction, fluid and air pressure, all in concert with cycle time. This control over the temperature is the “Thermal” piece of TAF technology. AUTOMAT3D provides the solution with the highest degree of energy management while simultaneously simplifying machine operation. Recipe storage allows for process parameters to be saved for easy recall, requiring minimal operator time and promoting consistency with each cycle. To further minimize downtime, preventative maintenance and warnings allow users to plan ahead of time for maintenance.

Now that you have a better understanding of how our Thermal Atomized Fusillade technology works for surface finishing, find out if it is right for your application!  Contact us today to discuss your specific needs and get the benchmark process started.

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Welcome to the first in our four-part series guiding you through a deep dive into the building blocks of our first-of-their-kind automated support and resin removal and surface finishing solutions 3D post-print technologies. You may know us as the world’s first and only software-driven solution for post-processing of additively manufactured parts for all 3D print technologies. What you may not know is that we have four unique key technologies that harness various chemical and mechanical energy sources that form the basis of all the innovative solutions we offer.

Our four core technologies are:

• Volumetric Velocity Dispersion (for soluble support and resin removal)
• Submersed Vortex Cavitation (for soluble support and resin removal)
• Suspended Rotational Force (for surface finishing)
• Thermal Atomized Fusillade (for excess powder removal and surface finishing)

In a series of four blog posts, we’ll educate you on the building blocks of each technology and relate them to the flashy words our technologies are tagged with. First up is our Volumetric Velocity Dispersion (VVD) technology for support and resin removal, which is used in our VORSA 500 and BASE Solutions.

The key components to VVD are our:

• Proprietary detergents
• Two jet rack manifolds
• AUTOMAT3D® software

Now let’s dive into the role each one of these components plays…

Proprietary Detergents:

Our additive-formulated chemistry is leading the charge, playing a key role in the power of our VVD technology. Unlike anyone else in the industry, our three primary detergents for use in the VVD line were all developed by our chemists specifically for additive materials. We have a detergent specific for each supported print technology – material extrusion (i.e., FDM) and material jetting (i.e., PolyJet). For each one of these technologies, the PostProcess detergent will dissolve the soluble support material or uncured resin without compromising the build material. Our chemistry is optimized for the materials used by each technology, and our solutions then take it a step further by optimizing multiple fine-tuned mechanical energy sources which we will cover in the next section.

The parts being doused in a high volume of our proprietary detergent while processing covers the “Volumetric” portion of VVD technology.

Two Jet Rack Manifolds:

Leveraging spray technology rather than submersion introduces a mechanical energy source that is unique in the industry. PostProcess VVD technology utilizes two jet rack manifolds, the first a bottom-mounted manifold intended for low pressure, full tray coverage. The second top-mounted manifold runs along the top of the chamber. The user may set parameters for varying levels of energy output from the jets via the AUTOMAT3D software for a more focused agitation. Together the two opposing jet streams keep the parts in equilibrium throughout the cycle mitigating the need for fixturing. The mechanical energy from these two streams, flowing at rates upwards of 200 GPM (over 750 liters/minute), optimizes the chemistry by disposing of the support material as it weakens, dramatically accelerating the cycle times. This high volume flow complemented by low pressures (less than 35 PSI, or 241 kPA) remains gentle on part geometries throughout processing. These powerful yet gentle flow patterns are what accounts for the “Velocity” component in our VVD technology.

AUTOMAT3D Software:

At this point, we have covered the hardware and chemistry portion of PostProcess’ VVD technology. Our AUTOMAT3D software is the final and most imperative part of our technology. The acute control of the system’s energy sources is essential to all of our solutions. AUTOMAT3D acts as the conductor of the whole process, configuring all of the energy output sources in response to sensor input data. The software manages the temperature, pH, jet flow patterns, and movement, all in concert with cycle time. This control over the combination of jet usage and movement is the “Dispersion” piece of the technology. Not only does the software provide the solution with the highest degree of energy management, but it also simplifies machine operation for the user. With recipe storage, process parameters can easily be saved for easy recall, requiring minimal operator time and promoting consistency with each cycle. Lastly, preventative maintenance and warnings allow users to plan for maintenance, further minimizing any downtime.

Now that you have a better understanding of our Volumetric Velocity Dispersion technology, find out if it is right for your application! Contact us today to discuss your specific application and get the benchmark process started.

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Metal and metal alloy parts can now be made with near limitless design freedom to high standards using a wide range of metal powders via additive manufacturing (AM). And while prototyping metals with 3D printed technologies has proven quite valuable, it is no longer solely for design validation. It is now being used for the production of components for the most demanding applications in aerospace, automotive, medical, dental, and industrial industries.

This added value does not come without its challenges, however. Many of these challenges appear in the post-print stage after the geometry has been generated in achieving an acceptable finish on the part.

Our latest white paper discussions a novel approach to smoothing the surface profile for one particular metal produced by AM, nickel superalloy Inconel 718. Key considerations reviewed in this paper include part density and hardness, corrosion (chemical) resistance, grain structure, as well as manufacturing factors including the impact of print technology and print orientation on surface profile outcome.

Learn about how combining software-driven automation and a patent-pending chemistry solution dramatically improves surface finish results including reduced technician touch time and increased consistency and productivity.

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