Tag Archives: Consumables

Are Your Additive Polymer Parts Breaking During Post Processing?

Growing utilization of additive manufacturing for volume production of plastic components has increased the demand for cost-efficiency and high-quality surface finishes. That’s why AM Solutions, a brand of the Rosler Group, has further expanded its product portfolio with the development of a media type specifically for the post processing of plastic components.

Designed specifically for work pieces printed with MJF and SLS powder-bed-based technology, AM Solutions’ media permits the safe, cost-efficient finishing of 3D printed components with different shapes and sizes in one single process step and with absolutely repeatable results. This eliminates the time-consuming and costly media changes for different processing stages.

In combination with an understanding of respective printing processes, the media mix generates a perfect, finely structured, and highly homogeneous surface finish.

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Intuitive Post Processing Preserves Intricate 3D-Printed Details

AM Solutions, a brand of The Rosler Group, provides post-processing solutions for a number of customers worldwide.

For leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and high-precision cutting plotters, Mimaki, Rosler and AM Solutions collaborated with the Japanese printer manufacturer to develop a fully automated surface finishing system for a Full-Color Inkjet 3D Printer.

Through collaboration, a fully automatic machine capable of safely removing support structures for work pieces with the finest detail was developed.

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ITAR Compliance Protects Surface Finishing Customer Data, National Security

Protecting sensitive customer information is a priority at Rosler whether in the form of intellectual property, proprietary manufacturing designs, or non-disclosure agreements. When it comes to matters of security and safety, we’ve gone a step further to create International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Compliance Programs.

In addition to delivering industry-leading mass finishing and shot blasting equipment, consumables, and service, Rosler’s expertise includes discrete handling of customer information in all industries, including aerospace and defense.

What is ITAR?

Administered by the U.S. Department of State, the legislation that created ITAR regulates the import and export of defense and military-related technologies. Its intent is to prevent foreign access to technologies included in the United States Munitions List (USML) by controlling access to the technology itself and associated data.

All companies and organizations involved with manufacturing, exporting, or furnishing defense articles and services – including second- and third-tier suppliers – are required to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and comply with ITAR regulations.

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Partnership Provides Excellent Finish for Deep-Drawn Medical Components

Deep-drawn functional components are increasingly being utilized in the production of medical and pharmaceutical products. To meet the strict standards for manufacturing and quality management in the field of surface finishing, Hubert Stüken GmbH & Co. KG has relied on mass finishing solutions and consumables from Rosler for more than 30 years.

Founded in 1931, Hubert Stüken GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned business with manufacturing operations at five locations in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Its product range includes stamped and bent parts, plastic-coated components, and complex assemblies.

Rosler works with Stüken Medical, the company’s medical business division which focuses on medical and pharmaceutical engineering, to meet the increasing demand for deep-drawn metal components.

Andreas Hellman, Manager of the ISO 13485-certified business division, explained, “Components used in the field of medical and pharmaceutical engineering must meet strict quality standards. The same strict standards apply also to the actual production operations. For this reason, we have pooled the required know-how for the development and production of such precision components at Stüken Medical.”

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Single-Source Supplier Helps Job Shop Operation Expand into New Markets

As a supplier of mass finishing and shot blasting equipment as well as consumables and service, Rosler understands the need for multi-faceted operations and the corresponding flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and innovation required to be successful.

B+S Metallbearbeitung GmbH (B+S), a job shop based in Southern Germany, also provides various surface finishing services. Its multi-faceted mass finishing operations include deburring and polishing as well as shot blasting, part cleaning, and packaging.

B+S handles a broad range of work pieces with different shapes, made of different materials, requiring different finishes, and coming from all kinds of industries. To create a streamlined and one-stop supplier, B+S chose to work with Rosler for its surface finishing equipment and consumables.

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New Compounds Double Process Water Usability

Experienced manufacturers know that optimum mass finishing process water handling, dosing, and recycling can significantly reduce operational costs and improve finishing results.

With approximately 15,000 different products and the largest, continuously expanding range of media and compounds in the world, Rosler has the machines, consumables, and the experience to develop and maintain precise, efficient, and sustainable surface finishing processes.

Our latest innovation in the field of consumables, Long Life Compounds known as LF compounds, allows mass finishing operations to further optimize their process water cycles.

Advantages

LF compounds utilize a special combination of raw materials to guarantee a remarkably high degree of sanitary stability. So much so that, in most cases, the addition of biocides to process water can be eliminated or greatly reduced when using these new compounds.

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Mass Finishing Water & Compounds, Part 2 – Precise Water Flow, Dosing Drive Results

A number of factors contribute to mass finishing success. Machinery, consumables, compounds, and process water must be evaluated individually and as a whole to create optimal results and stable process conditions.

When considering the flow rate of compound and process water into the processing bowl of a mass finishing machine, careful calibration is required based on the machine type and size, finishing task, condition of the raw work pieces, and process water conditions.

For example, high‐energy machines require a much higher flow rate than vibratory finishing systems. Similarly, work pieces heavily contaminated with oil, grease, and/or dirt require more compound and water than less contaminated work pieces.

Water flow and compound dosing rates are usually determined by processing trials in the test lab of the equipment supplier. Once a finishing process has been defined, the user must make sure that the established water and compound flow parameters are precisely maintained. This requires a well-calibrated and well-maintained dosing system.

At Rosler, we draw upon more than 80 years of worldwide experience to create and maintain effective mass finishing systems and deliver precise results. Our ability to do so is thanks, in part, to understanding the importance of water flow and compound dosing.

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Mass Finishing Water & Compounds, Part 1 – Identifying, Correcting Hard and Soft Water Issues

Achieving the desired surface conditions in a mass finishing process requires the machinery, consumables, compounds, and process water to work together in a balanced manner. Independent of the other process elements, the process water itself must be evaluated for hard and soft water issues.

Rosler has more than six decades of experience designing mass finishing machinery, supplying consumables and compounds, and developing processes. Understanding the ramifications of too hard or too soft process water is a key to our success.

Classifications and Measurements

Depending on its geological source, the water used in mass finishing processes may have varying mineral content levels, specifically calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates, and sulfates. A high amount of mineral content is used to classify the water as “hard”, whereas low mineral content classifies it as “soft”.

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Centrifuge Technology, Part 4 – Pre-Conditions and Consumables Enhance Process Efficiency

Establishing and maintaining an effective and cost-efficient process water recycling system requires consideration of a few essential points. Without the proper compounds, additives, and monitoring, even a well-designed piece of centrifuge technology is bound to falter and, eventually, fail.

Rosler has extensive experience in mass finishing, including designing and manufacturing equipment, fine-tuning processes, and supplying the right consumables for a variety of processes. With our knowledge, preconditions and consumables can be calibrated for maximum process efficiency.

Special Recycling Compounds

Mass finishing compounds fulfill numerous tasks such as degreasing/de-oiling work pieces, burnishing/brightening surfaces, and providing a temporary corrosion protection. Above all though, the primary task of the compounds is to keep the media and work pieces clean to achieve the desired finishing goals and keep the mass finishing process stable.

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Avoid Media Glazing to Prevent Process Inefficiencies, Breakdown

Media plays an essential role within a mass finishing process. Whether ceramic, plastic, or polishing and drying, optimal media mix and conditions must be maintained to produce precise finishing results.

“Glazing” occurs when the surface of the media becomes contaminated with metal fines and other debris from the work pieces. As a result, the media becomes very shiny and frequently looks like a piece of aluminum, brass, steel, zinc, etc.

Because glazed media completely loses its original surface properties, it no longer has any grinding effect. Instead, glazed media creates a sort of uncontrolled burnishing. It also retains dirt and other particles which are then deposited on the work pieces.

The image above depicts (from left) media states include clean, heavily glazed, partially cleaned, and fully cleaned.

Rosler has more than 60 years of media production experience. In that time we’ve seen—and corrected—countless examples of ineffective surface finishing as a result of media glazing.

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