Blowers for Demanding Additive Manufacturing Processes

To produce high quality components in selective laser melting (SLM), a stable, inert gas atmosphere in the building chamber of the machine as well as a specified temperature range are essential. It is also necessary to remove metal splash and smoke developing during the melting process.

Image:The gas-tight Variair SV 300 side channel blower for greater inert gas volumes. (Source: Gebr. Becker)

The key factor in these blowers is their gas-tight design that permits the precise control of gas flow as well as the removal of contamination during the process. Used together with gas-tight heat exchangers, which Gebr. Becker also offers, these blowers provide the conditions for exact temperature control in additive manufacturing.

Image:The compact gas-tight Vasf 1.50 side channel blower with an integrated frequency converter.  (Source: Gebr.Becker)

For plants with small building chambers, the ideal blower is the gas-tight, speed-controlled Vasf side-channel model in the size 1.50. According to the company, this model has a very compact construction and can be easily integrated in such plants to allow for inert gas flow management within the closed circuit. Moreover, this blower has low-energy operation requirements. For larger plants in additive manufacturing and the correspondingly higher volume flows of inert gas, the gas-tight side channel blower Variair SV 300 is used. The speed-controlled, energy-efficient drive of this model allows for the delivery rate to be adapted to actual requirements.

Both blowers are designed for 24/7 industrial operations and are said to be well proven in numerous demanding applications. Thanks to their gas-tight designs, they are suitable for the requirements of additive manufacturing processes with high-grade atmospheres.

Source: ETMM