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DUST & FUME EXTRACTION
FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PRODUCTIVITY
M anufacturers
investing in 3D print technology are reliant upon
effective fume and dust extraction systems to maintain uptime, safeguard
print quality and help keep the workplace environment healthy for operatives. The growth in additive manufacturing (AM) processes has been particularly pronounced in recent years, partly as a result of supply chain issues experienced post-pandemic.
At the same time, the development of new generation functional materials is broadening the scope of 3D print applications away from advanced manufacturing and prototyping to mainstream manufacturing. Whether new resins, polymer filaments or metal and polymer powders, materials providers are working closely with end customers (manufacturers) and 3D print technology providers to develop new formulations fit for purpose. A good example is PEEK
(Polyetheretherketone), a very high performance and durable material used in the aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas industry now crossing into new applications, including PEEK printed medical devices. Increasingly, these new generation functional materials require increasingly high temperature 3D print environments to create the desired result. However, as referenced in research into 3D emissions undertaken by BOFA, processing chemicals, resins and powders at high temperatures is not without challenges. The research showed that the higher the
24 SPRING 2024 | INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE
temperatures required by the material’s properties, the greater the likelihood for both off-gassing, which can be toxic and smelly, and increased particulate. However, this innovation in technology and materials science is sparking investment to the point where we are starting to see the rise of print farms. Whereas just a few years ago, this was an industry characterised by just one or two 3D printers in a production environment, the vision for the future is for companies to invest in up to 50-100 printers in a single location.
That said, just like any manufacturing process, unplanned downtime in 3D printing, caused by
By Joshua Evans MEng (Hons) IChemE,
applications engineer and head of BOFA Academy
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