This speech Daniele Da Prato presents the results in terms of cleaning and smoothing of internal channel surface of AlSi10Mg printed parts obtained through different mechanical and chemical processes. These techniques can enhance the development of Additive Manufacturing in the mobility sectors.
With the advent and rapid development of Additive Manufacturing techniques, the design freedom of component geometries has expanded and requires the treatment of the inner surfaces of chambers or channels. The high roughness and the presence of metal particles partially bonded to the surfaces of the components printed with this technology may limit the applications in various sectors, such as Aerospace, where liquids of different types often must flow through channels or depressions. With today’s approaches to mass finishing, it is not possible to effectively treat small to medium-sized channels; for this reason, Rösler Italiana, in collaboration with AM Solutions, has developed mechanical and chemical ad hoc processes, that are specifically tailored to these problems. According to the dimensions of the channels and the starting superficial conditions, it is possible to study and apply different combinations of chemical processes and mechanical treatments that can guarantee better performances in the mobility sector. These particular and ad hoc processes can be applied to mechanical parts such as heat exchangers, cooling channels, hydraulic pipes, and nozzles.
In this presentation the approach and results on different materials and a specific case study on a representative component made of AlSi10Mg are presented. The initial conditions of the 3D printed component are presented showing several defects such a as spatters, balling and partially melted powders. In particular, this kind of residuals can adversely affect the flowing performances of the waveguide. Thanks to a preliminary analysis it was possible to implement a process resulting from the combination of chemical and mechanical treatments. Final results will show how the superficial conditions, both in terms of cleaning and roughness, have been improved thanks to the applied process.
The inner channel finishing techniques, related to the use of different media, compounds and machines can enhance the development of Additive Manufacturing in the Aerospace and mobility sectors.
Speaker: Daniele Da Prato, AM Solutions, Sales Manager