Becker to showcase gas-tight blowers for metal Additive Manufacturing at Formnext 2018
October 22, 2018
Becker’s compact gas-tight VASF 1.50 side channel blower with integrated frequency converter is suitable for smaller scale AM systems (Courtesy Gebr. Becker GmbH)
During Formnext 2018, set to run in Frankfurt, Germany, November 13-16, 2018, Gebr. Becker GmbH, Wuppertal, Germany, will showcase two gas-tight blowers which help to ensure stable gas atmospheres within metal Additive Manufacturing machines. For the production of high-quality components by Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (LB-PBF), a stable inert gas atmosphere must be ensured within the build chamber of the machine, as well as a specified temperature range. In addition, metal splash and smoke created during the melting process must be removed.
The two blowers which Becker will present are said to have been developed precisely for these and similar applications. Both incorporate a gas-tight design, which permits the precise control of the gas flow as well as the removal of contamination from the LB-PBF process. In combination with Becker’s gas-tight heat exchangers, they can also be used to aid in achieving exact temperature control in the AM process.
For greater volumes of inert gas flow, the gas-tight Becker VARIAIR SV 300 side channel blower is recommended (Courtesy Gebr. Becker GmbH)
Becker stated that, for Additive Manufacturing systems with a small build chamber, its gas-tight, speed-controlled VASF side channel blowers are ideal. These blowers are compact, and can reportedly be integrated easily into AM systems, enabling flow management of the inert gas in the closed circuit. For larger AM plants, which use a correspondingly higher volume flow of inert gas, the gas-tight side channel blower VARIAIR SV 300 is said to be better suited. Here, too, the speed-controlled drive enables the delivery rate to be adapted to the actual requirements of the process.
Both blowers are designed for 24/7 industrial operation and Becker stated that they have been proven worldwide in numerous demanding applications. The family-owned company manufactures vacuum pumps, compressors and air supply systems for a variety of applications and industries, including the packaging, AM, printing & paper, electronics and medical industries. It has a global footprint of three production sites, sixteen subsidiaries and more than fifty agencies.
