Automatic cleaning and surface finishing of AM parts

3-D printing workshop — Renault Flins S1 machine from AM Solutions

Renault Flins has invested in a new machine for the automatic cleaning of polymer parts 3-D printed on a powder bed at the end of 2022 and has integrated AM Solutions’ post-processing technology.

The workshop at the Refactory Renault in Flins 3-D prints prototype parts, manufacturing support tools and mass-produced vehicle parts for the needs of the Group and external companies. With more than 20 years’ experience in additive manufacturing (AM), French automotive manufacturer Renault Group has opened its own 3-D printing centre at its Flins site in the Paris region. The centre has 18 polymer 3-D printers, spread over 500m². A dedicated post-processing area has been set up, equipped with an AM Solutions surface finishing machine and a colouring machine.

Investing in the future is part of the Renault Group’s DNA, which is why it embarked down the AM route some 20 years ago. It began with wire deposition processes to design tooling. In the meantime, AM has been developed further at various production sites. In 2020, the Refactory project focused on four main areas of activity: retrofit; re-energy; recycle; and restart at the Renault Flins. The aim is to extend the lifetime of vehicles and refurbish car parts.

In addition to 3-D printing prototype parts, manufacturing support tools and production vehicle components, the company serves the needs of both the Group and external companies. Mélanie Chevé, AM process manager at Renault Flins, said: “Industrial 3-D printing must be reliable, repeatable and efficient in terms of cost, quality and lead time.”

Many post-processing operations still had to be carried out manually on Renault parts. Manual post-processing was time-consuming, labour-intensive and produced inconsistent results. To optimise this, Renault Flins chose the S1 post-processing machine from AM Solutions - 3-D post processing technology. The machine was designed to reduce blasting and cleaning times and improve the durability and appearance of the dyed parts. The challenge was therefore to automatically clean MJF PA 12 3-D printed parts and then finish them by colouring.

Consistant results
The S1 machine met the challenges faced by Renault Flins for the post-processing of parts from powder-based polymer printing processes. This installation impresses by being able to perform cleaning and surface finishing with only one processing media in one self-contained unit. The S1 is capable of automatic and effective removal of residual powder after 3-D printing. The constant rotation of the workpieces during the cleaning process ensures consistent and repeatable blasting results.

The ergonomic design, combined with a process-optimised nozzle placement for automatic operation, round off the overall package. Thanks to its compact and robust design, this multi-talent solution can be easily integrated into any production line and offers maximum reproducibility, traceability and is cost-efficient.

Nicolas Blondel, head of Flins’ 3-D printing team, said: “The ability to use the S1 for different blasting programmes, with different recipes and different media, was the trigger for the post-processing project.”

For over 80 years, the privately owned Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH has been actively engaged in the field of surface preparation and surface finishing. As a global market leader, we offer a comprehensive portfolio of equipment, consumables and services around the mass finishing and shot blasting technologies for a wide spectrum of different industries. Our range of about 15,000 consumables, developed in our customer experience centres and laboratories located all over the world, specifically serves our customers for resolving their individual finishing needs.

Under the brand name AM Solutions, the company offers numerous equipment solutions and services in the area of 3-D printing. Last-but-not-least, as its central training centre the Rösler Academy offers practical, hands-on seminars on mass finishing, shot blasting and AM. The Rösler Group has a global network of 15 locations and around 150 sales agents.