The powder sieving machine, as a crucial powder recycling module in metal 3D printers (PBF-LB/M machines & systems), is responsible for filtering metal powder. It can effectively remove large particles from virgin powder, and facilitating powder recovery by eliminating large particles in the printer’s powder collection bucket.
During the printing process, the challenges of sieving metal powder increase significantly due to the powder’s tendencies to adsorb, agglomerate, oxidize, and explode. Furthermore, different metal or alloy powders have diverse physical properties, making it difficult for traditional powder sieving machines or systems to handle the sieving process for advanced materials.
To address these challenges, BLT developed an innovative powder sieving machine.
01 Enhanced Safety Mechanisms for Personnel
Traditional powder sieving machines require the use of forklifts or traveling cranes to lift powder-filled buckets above the screen mesh, which has high requirements for space and auxiliary equipment and also poses safety risks such as mechanical injury and falls from heights. BLT’s powder sieving machine revolutionizes the process by employing a new powder transportation method. This approach eliminates the need to lift the powder bucket during powder sieving, increasing operational convenience while significantly reducing safety hazards, and thus protecting the safety of operators.
02 Safe, Non-destructive Powder Handling
Exposing fine metal powder to air can lead to oxidation, which compromises powder quality. Additionally, certain metal powders are flammable and explosive, and if they reach a certain concentration in the air, they can explode upon coming into contact with an open flame. Therefore, it is important to control oxygen content in the air during metal powder sieving. BLT’s powder sieving machine is equipped with an inert gas protection system throughout the sieving process, effectively lowering oxygen concentration, guaranteeing powder quality, reducing explosion risks, and ensuring safe production.
03 Improved Powder Quality to Ensure Part Quality
BLT’s powder sieving machine combines an ultrasonic system with an oscillating sieving machine. During sieving, the ultrasonic system transmits acoustic energy to the sieve mesh, altering its surface tension. This ensures a more even distribution of powder particles on the mesh, reduces agglomeration, prevents fine powder adsorption, and minimizes mesh clogging, resulting in a more efficient and reliable process for metal powder sieving.
04 One-click Operation for Increased Sieving Efficiency
BLT’ powder sieving machine features a large-particle collection design that automatically gathers large particles to a designated location, preventing powder scattering and simplifying powder collection. Moreover, it integrates gas purging, powder sieving, and ultrasonic control into a one-click intelligent operation that eliminates the need for human intervention and significantly enhances powder sieving efficiency.
05 Flexible Adaptation to Various Production Demands
High adaptability and mass productivity are also one of the highlights of BLT’s powder sieving machine. It caters to different powder circulation solutions, including “1V1”, “1V2” and “1V4”, allowing it to handle both small-batch trial production and mass production with ease. Currently, BLT offers two models, BLT-SF400 and BLT-SF800, both of which are compatible with the full range of BLT’s PBF-LB/M machines & systems, demonstrating its impressive adaptability.
