MULTITRENN | Recycling of powder materials in multi-material LBM

A selection of relevant sorting principles has been available since the end of 2019, including flotation, gravity processes such as sedimentation, heavy turbidity separation, screening, sifting, and ferromagnetic sorting processes, among others. Selected processes were also investigated in detail and further developed in specially designed testbeds. Ferromagnetic sorting and sieving are particularly worthy of mention in this context.

The findings from the MULTITRENN project on the magnetic reprocessing of mixed powders could be further developed into an industrially suitable solution in a parallel project and thus also validated. Industrial users gratefully accept the recommendations for reprocessing and reusing the powder material because additive manufacturing costs are high. Furthermore, screen sorting, based on findings from the MULTITRENN project, could be implemented in the form of an industrially suitable prototype, which is now available to users. The two implemented solutions provide powder throughputs and purities as required for continuous manufacturing processes and quality-assured production.

A selection and evaluation methodology was also developed in addition to the technical testing and implementation of relevant sorting processes. In addition to the technical applicability, the economic efficiency of the entire powder process chain is also taken into account to select the optimum sorting process for the application. THUS, the MULTITRENN project contributes significantly to the economic viability of additive multi-material processing and enables pioneers and early adopters to implement these new technologies commercially.