Linköping, Sweden, December 2019 – Wematter, the designer and manufacturer of a powerful and accessible SLS 3D-printing system, expanded its offering with the BlasThing Cabinet, a new hardware product that cleans components created with selective laser sintering (SLS) equipment without expensive infrastructure. The BlasThing Cabinet cleans components by removing excess powder from the print heads, and it does so while safely handling the powder.
The benefits
- A user-friendly solution for removing powder from SLS 3D-printed components
- Quick installation with only one power socket needed
- Easy accessible powder filter
- No need for water nor sewage system
- Big window, spacious working area and bright working light
- Stainless grid preventing small 3D-printed parts flushing away
BlasThing Cabinet: leading the way to powder-free SLS
One of the biggest problems with powder-bed 3D-printers like SLS systems is to handle the powder in a safe way. This problem is compounded when removing powder from a work surface. SLS powders are flammable and, when dispersed in the air, becoming explosive. They also present breathing hazards that can stop production in its tracks. The conventional way of removing loose and partly solidified powder uses compressed air and a vacuum, which takes time and further disperses the powder.
Wematter has been diligently working on a solution to the problem. The fruits of its labour are the BlasThing Cabinet. The device uses a closed system with recirculating water and a unique filtering system. Wematter’s new cabinet provides a safe, easy-to-use, and powder-free approach to cleaning. Pressurized water up to 100 bar is blasted onto the work surface, which extracts the powder without allowing it to disperse or aerosolize. The process takes seconds instead of minutes. The water binds with the powder, thus preventing it from spreading. The grey water passes through filters, which are designed to be accessible.
High-pressure water is a fast cleaning solution that also gets into nooks and crannies. It forms the base for a more effective solution for detailed cleaning than competing methods.
“The two driving factors that lead to the creation of BlasThing Cabinet were to reduce the risk of spreading powder, and to find an effective solution for extracting powder from cavities.” – Robert Kniola, founder and CEO
No expensive infrastructure or materials
The BlasThing Cabinet uses tap water and recirculates grey water, so there is no need for a sewer nor for a water connection. The machine only needs a normal 230-volt socket to power the pump and light.
“The main goal is to lower the barriers of entry for advanced printing technologies, such as SLS, which empower engineers and designers to accelerate and innovate directly at their office or laboratory.” – Robert Kniola
About Wematter
Wematter manufactures advanced office-sized selective laser sintering 3D printers. The company exists to accelerate the move towards additive manufacturing by lowering barriers to entry. Its innovative 3D-printing SLS technology lets companies quickly prototype ideas, which increases overall design and engineering efficiency.
Wematter’s Nordic roots suffuse the company’s creative cycle. The team focuses on balancing user experience, ease of use, sustainability, and performance in all of its activities. The resulting quality and reliability are testaments to not just a client focus but to corporate responsibility in the face of a changing environment and industrial landscape.
Wematter attracts top customers like Siemens, Volvo, and Husqvarna. The company was founded by design engineers working with FDM SLA and FDM 3D printers, injection molding, and CNC-milling. Since its inception in 2014, Wematter has delivered 3D printers and 3D-printed components to car manufacturers, hospitals, and aerospace clients. For more information about Wematter visit www.wematter3d.com or follow on YouTube.
For more information about Wematter visit www.wematter3d.com or follow on YouTube.