Elcan Hi-Sifter reports 96% Ti powder recovery in single pass
Elcan Industries, Tuckahoe, New York, USA, has reported that its Hi-Sifter 1001 sieving machine was able to recover 96.3% of -44 µm titanium powder in a single pass at a commercial throughput of 780 kg per hour, converting 51% of the material previously classed as ‘oversize’ back into usable feedstock. According to the company, the run produced clean, on-spec powder with no ultrasonics, no mesh blinding, and no signs of contamination.
This achievement came about after a leading Additive Manufacturing company approached Elcan. The company’s conventional ultrasonic recycle equipment was discarding large amounts of usable material and forcing the company to use a larger mesh opening to try and recover the spent material at its original spec (a process known as ‘cheating the hole’). Those workarounds introduce out-of-spec particles, however, which can lead to inconsistent melt pools, surface defects, scrap, and most importantly, weaker printed parts.
Elcan stated that its Hi-Sifter was able to sieve the powder to its original specification, keeping dense titanium powders in continuous motion through vertical high-energy screening. This prevented mesh blinding and allowed the material to be sieved at the original powder spec without the need to ‘cheat the hole’, going on to achieve the 96.3% yield.
Russell Grotto, Executive Vice President, Elcan Industries, said, “Recovering more than 96% of titanium feedstock in a single pass is real-world proof that the high-energy sieving abilities of the Hi-Sifter changes the economics of metal powder production and recycling. Reclaiming material that would otherwise be scrapped reduces cost, shrinks waste, and keeps manufacturers moving at production pace.”
Titanium powder can cost hundreds of dollars per kilogram. Recovering large quantities of material that might otherwise be scrapped results in immediate, measurable savings. Beyond cost, high recovery numbers also result in reduced waste, lower demand for virgin powder, and support sustainability goals for additive manufacturers and aerospace suppliers.
www.elcanindustries.com
