University of Wolverhampton.
Surface engineering for additive manufacturing applications
Anopol developed specialist processes to improve corrosion resistance, surface quality and performance across complex stainless steel 3D printed components.
Additive Manufacturing Surface Engineering
Developing surface treatment for stainless steel 3D printing
Anopol has been developing specialist surface treatment and passivation processes for stainless steel 3D printed parts in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton.
The project focused on creating durable stainless steel surfaces for a wide range of additive manufacturing applications using processes specially developed by Anopol’s surface science team.
Cleaning, smoothing and creating a passive layer with a high level of corrosion resistance is particularly challenging on 3D printed components. Metal printing introduces additional material complexities within the ‘peaks and troughs’ of the micro surface layers created during the additive manufacturing process.
Precision control for high tolerance applications
In high tolerance applications it is essential to carefully assess how much material is removed during the surface treatment process. By understanding and controlling this material loss, compensation can be incorporated into production to maintain dimensional accuracy and component performance.