Metal Additive Manufacturing Post Processing Powder Removal
Compressed air or vacuum lines are limited to removing bulk powders from densely packed, additively manufactured (3D-printed) components. During flushing with air or water, fluids preferentially follow the path of least resistance, propagating through larger, more accessible, and tortuously spaced channels, which can result in powders becoming lodged within narrower, less accessible channels.
The VCN (Vacuum Cycling Nucleation) process addresses this challenge by leveraging vapor nucleation phenomena. Vapor formation initiates preferentially within small voids and crevices, subsequently generating a pressure gradient that expels the fluid from these confined spaces into the bulk fluid domain. This mechanism effectively transports entrapped powders into larger cavities, facilitating their removal. Continuous flushing cycles, typically ranging from one to three seconds, ensure rapid and thorough cleaning of all internal channels.
READ MORE ABOUT VCN IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MAGAZINE
The video above shows the progression of solution turbidity over time as post-processing powders are removed from a 3D-printed part.