Support for your toughest challenges

De-powdering: The removal of residual powder from metal 3D printed parts is a necessary step when making parts from metal powder since excess powder will impact part performance and make finishing difficult. Gases like argon and nitrogen are used during de-powdering to reduce electrostatic adhesion between the powder and finished part. These same gases also minimize the risk of combustion when working with reactive metals like titanium and aluminum.

Sintering: Argon, hydrogen and nitrogen are used when sintering AM parts to prevent oxidation and contamination. A nonflammable argon/hydrogen mix called 3D Heat Mix is a gas produced by Airgas specifically for sintering. In addition to gas selection, the gases need to be introduced at the correct flow rate to ensure uniform heating within the sintering chamber. It is this uniformity that contributes to material strength, density and overall durability.

Hot isostatic pressing: HIP combines high temperatures with pressure to eliminate internal porosity, improve fatigue resistance and strengthen additive manufacturing parts. Argon is an ideal gas for HIP because of its inert properties which ensure uniform pressure distribution across the entire part without unwanted chemical reactions.

Heat treatment: This post-processing method exposes printed metal parts to controlled heating and cooling cycles to refine a part’s microstructure, relieve internal stresses and improve overall performance. Argon and nitrogen are commonly used to create a controlled atmosphere that minimizes oxidation and prevents unwanted chemical reactions during heating. This is particularly important for materials like titanium and stainless steel since exposure to oxygen can degrade part quality.

Cleaning: Dry ice blasting, which uses CO₂ pellets, effectively removes powder residues and surface impurities from additive manufactured parts without damaging delicate features. This method is ideal for cleaning intricate AM parts, where traditional abrasive methods might compromise part performance.

Surface Treatment: Beyond cleaning, surface treatments such as passivation are used to coat 3D printed parts with a protective oxide that prevents or slows corrosion. Passivation works by introducing oxygen in a controlled manner to facilitate the creation of the oxide layer without causing excessive oxidation.