Cleaning process suitable for AM

Metal Powder Report  Volume 00, Number 00  May 2016

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Additive Manufacturing Cleaning process suitable for AM BOC, a UK based supplier of industrial gases and medical gases, has launched the Cryoclean snow+ industrial cleaning process which it says cam remove oxides from 3D printed parts. Cryoclean snow+ combines dry ice blasting (using CO2 dry ice crystals) with sand blasting and it suitable for wide range of industry sectors including automotive, aerospace, additive manufacturing,

construction, food, metal and machine construction, pharmaceuticals, plastic manufacturing and steel. By changing the ratio of CO2 and abrasive material, the operator can adjust the intensity of the cleaning process to match the condition of the surface. Cryoclean works by pressurizing liquid CO2 to 60 bar, creating tiny dry ice crystals known as snow.

When the snow is accelerated onto the component using compressed air, the contaminant becomes brittle. The gas jet then permeates cracks and lifts the contaminant off the surface, after which it is expelled through exhaust systems. BOC; www.boconline.co.uk

0026-0657/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mprp.2016.04.016

1 Please cite this article in press as: Met. Powder Rep. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mprp.2016.04.016