FKM and AM Solutions
Partnership for more efficient 3D serial printing
FKM Additive Manufacturing and AM Solutions are now working together to optimize SLS printing. The aim is to solve the conflicting goals of high quality and cost-effectiveness with various intelligent post-processing solutions, particularly with regard to series production.
FKM Additive Manufacturing from Biedenkopf in Hesse offers its customers high-quality 3D printed products on an industrial scale and is considered the technology leader for industrial powder-bed-based laser melting. FKM has also recently become one of the first German companies in the additive manufacturing sector to meet the strict requirements of IATF 16949, qualifying it as a supplier of series parts for the international automotive industry.
Automation and streamlining of the process chain
"When it comes to series production with high quantities, two factors play a decisive role for us: quality and cost-effectiveness. We have identified post processing as a very big lever here," explains Matthias Henkel, Managing Director of FKM. "We started talking to AM Solutions - 3D post processing technology at the last Formnext, explored the possibilities together and ultimately came to the conclusion that AM Solutions, with all its experience and expertise, is the right partner for us to achieve these goals and further expand our leading market position."
Purchase of an S2 as a starting signal
The partnership began with the purchase of an S2 system from AM Solutions. It is used to finish plastic parts produced using the powder bed process fully automatically in a continuous process with reproducible results at the highest quality level. "Thanks to our investment in an S2 and the resulting further automation of our processes, we can continue to guarantee the best quality for our customers in the future. It helps us to arm the company against expected external factors, such as the emerging shortage of skilled workers, and to streamline process chains," says Henkel.
Thanks to the machine concept of the S2, which enables a high component throughput, the post-processing of several printers can be centralized. A special loop belt ensures gentle transportation of the workpieces through the machine and therefore the best cleaning results with homogeneous surfaces. The integrated abrasive preparation system ensures consistent abrasive quality and thus produces absolutely reproducible processing results.
Beta partnership for C2 and further projects planned
In addition to investing in an S2, FKM will also become a beta partner for the new C2 in 2024. The system, which AM Solutions exhibited at this year's Formnext, combines the chemical smoothing and coloring of polymers in just one machine and is more environmentally friendly than comparable systems thanks to newly developed process agents. It thus picks up on the 2-in-1 principle familiar from AM Solutions and also maps two process steps in just one system. The two companies are also working closely together to address the issue of automated depowdering in the SLS sector in the future.
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