The 3D printing company Parts on Demand relies on automated post-processing for series production of end parts. With two S1 blasting systems from AM Solutions, the company has reduced processing time, energy consumption and waste - and increasing quality at the same time.

Founded in 2014, Parts on Demand is based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. As an experienced partner in industrial 3D printing with roots in product development and manufacturing, the company supplies customers from a wide range of industries. The company specialises in the series production of end parts and can handle production quantities flexibly, from 1 to 100,000 units Today, Parts on Demand operates eight industrial 3D printers and produces between 20,000 and 30,000 components per week. The business model is not focussed on standard 3D printing; rather, the company is already going beyond this by continuously developing innovative solutions. Using specially optimised process parameters in combination with extensive material expertise, the team is working on breaking new ground in order to transfer conventional manufacturing standards to the world of 3D printing.

Post-processing is used to enhance efficiency and reproducibility
To further optimise series production and ensure consistently high quality, Parts on Demand recently invested in two S1 blasting systems from AM Solutions - 3D post-processing technology: one for white parts and one for dark parts. "We have significantly more orders to process today, and we are also facing challenges such as the sharp rise in energy costs," explains Neil van Es, founder of Parts on Demand. ‘That's why we need to make our processes more efficient. With the post-processing solutions from AM Solutions, we have reached a new level."

67 % time saving and 15 % less energy
In the past, post-processing took place in other blasting cabinets that also had a rotating basket. This required two separate systems: one for cleaning and one for surface finishing. Today, this process is automated. After unpacking, the parts printed in the powder bed pass directly through the S1 blasting system, which, thanks to its unique 2-in-1 solution, performs both cleaning and surface finishing in just one step This reduces the required time from 45 to just 15 minutes. At the same time, overall energy consumption was reduced by 15 percent due to significantly lower compressed air demand.

High surface quality and reduced waste
S1 blasting systems ensure consistently high surface quality for 3D-printed components, a benefit that customers now enjoy automatically. Previously, a time-consuming sorting step was necessary to remove components that should not be given a surface finish; this step is now automated as part of the 2-in-1 process.

The system uses polybeads for blasting, which are more durable and lead to significantly better results. "In the past, we used glass beads for de-powdering, but they had a short service life, so we ended up with a lot more waste," explains Neil van Es. 'We now go from using one big pack per month to using one big pack every three months. This protects the environment and reduces another cost factor significantly."

The decision was made after extensive testing
In advance of the investment, the Parts on Demand team was afforded the opportunity to undertake rigorous testing of the S1 systems at the AM Solutions - 3D post processing technology Customer Experience Centre. "We tried to push the system to its limits. No matter how unclean the parts were, they always came out clean," reports Neil van Es. 'This extremely high performance, combined with the excellent support provided by our local branch in the Netherlands, was a key factor in our decision.'

For further information please go to: www.solutions-for-am.com

For over 90 years, the privately owned Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH has been actively engaged in the field of surface preparation and surface finishing. As global market leader, we offer a comprehensive portfolio of equipment, consumables and services around the mass finishing and shot blasting technologies for a wide spectrum of different industries. Our range of about 15,000 consumables, developed in our Customer Experience Centers and laboratories located all over the world, specifically serves our customers for resolving their individual finishing needs. Under the brand name AM Solutions, we offer numerous equipment solutions and services in the area of additive manufacturing/3D printing. Last-but-not-least, as our central training center the Rösler Academy offers practical, hands-on seminars to the subjects mass finishing, shot blasting and additive manufacturing. The Rösler group has a global network of 15 locations and approx. 150 sales agents.

For more information, please go to: www.rosler.com