Hiperbaric develops HIP equipment aimed at the Additive Manufacturing industry
November 7, 2019
Hiperbaric, Burgos, Spain, has launched a new Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) system designed for use in the metal Additive Manufacturing industry. The move was announced at the company’s twentieth anniversary event, which coincided with the inauguration of its recently expanded facilities.
Hiperbaric was launched in 1999 with the development of its first High Pressure Processing (HPP) equipment, a technology which employs high isostatic pressures (up to 6000 bar) to extend the shelf life of food and guarantee food safety. Its new business line will focus specifically on the production of HIP systems for the post-processing of metal parts.
At the anniversary event, attended by over 500 people, Andrés Hernando, Hiperbaric CEO, stated, “This new technology has been developed thanks to an investment of over €4 million and a tremendous engineering effort over more than three years.”
HIPing has multiple applications, among which are the elimination of defects in parts produced by AM, the sintering of Powder Metallurgy parts, and the densification of castings. The new equipment developed by Hiperbaric has a maximum operating pressure of 2,050 bar and an oven with molybdenum resistors that allows it to reach 1,400°C. Its hot zone has a diameter of 380 mm and a length greater than 1,000 mm, enough to house the build volumes of most AM systems on the market.
The HIP pressure vessel incorporates proven wire winding technology that is said to provide a vastly improved fatigue life and maximum safety, thanks to its ‘leak before burst’ failure mode. In addition, thanks to this design, Hiperbaric states that it has been possible to implement a rapid cooling system that significantly shortens the cooling stage, guaranteeing the metallurgical properties of the parts and improving the productivity of the equipment.
“Hiperbaric’s dedication has allowed the company to become the world benchmark on HPP for the food industry. Today, its target is to become the leader of high pressure technology, regardless the industry of application,” added Hernando.
