Additive manufacturing with plastic powder and granulate

The automatic loading of 3D printers for the additive manufacturing of plastic parts requires a high level of experience with the handling of critical raw materials. The requirements are diverse:

Uninterrupted supply of one or more 3D printers with plastic powders or granulates
Storage, provision, conditioning, transport and processing of various powders or granulates
Screening of virgin material, overflow and unpacked material
Economic efficiency and careful use of resources due to reuse of overflow and unpacking powder
Explosion protection for explosive plastic powders

Unique selling points

Reliable automated material handling and gentle, segregation-free conveying
High product quality thanks to reliable screening technology
Saving of raw materials due to material reuse
Gentle mixing with efficient cycle times
Hygienic design for medical applications
Easy-to-clean design enables quick material changes
Space saving due to compact design
System security due to ATEX design
Contamination-free thanks to the closed system

AZO is the expert for automatic raw material handling. Thanks to decades of experience in the areas of compounding, PVC dryblend, additive production and granulate processing, AZO can now also offer complete systems for feeding 3D printers with plastic powders and granulates. The AZO solutions can be individually and optimally adapted to the requirements:
Dosing, weighing, mixing, screening and conveying – many functions, everything from a single source

Storing and discharging

The modular AZO big bag discharge station is ideal for emptying big bags safely and with little dust in a closed system.

Comfortable lifting of the big bag from the transport pallet into the big bag emptying station.
Low-dust connection thanks to the big bag docking system.
With the option of vibration discharge aids and/or massager devices for poorly flowing bulk materials.
Suitable for various sizes and types of big bags
Easy to use thanks to ergonomic design.
Standard individually configurable thanks to the modular principle, thus cost-efficient.

Various versions of AZO feeding hoppers are available for the safe and low-dust emptying of bagged goods into a closed system

Low-dust feeding of sacks through integrated aeration with filter
Integrated screen holds back packaging residues and other impurities
Discharge support for poorly flowing bulk materials

Screening and processing

The overflow and unpacked powder from the printers is processed using AZO cyclone screeners.

Hard lumps are automatically screened out and removed
Loose lumps are broken up
Optimum screening performance and quality thanks to exchangeable screen baskets with different mesh sizes and adjustable speeds
Easy access to the screen baskets for cleaning and screen control through pull-out devices

Depending on the application, other AZO screening technologies such as vibration screening or ultrasonic support are possible.

Dosing and mixing

AZO®MIXOMAT – conveying, dosing, weighing and mixing in a compact, economical system.

High repetition accuracy through precise weighing and recording of all components
Homogenization of the different product streams – virgin material, overflow and unpacked powder
Simple feeding of several components via multiport valve
Good accessibility and easy cleaning

Conveying and feeding

The reliable feeding of the 3D printers as well as the return of the overflow and unpacked powder for processing takes place via a proven AZO vacuum conveying system.