A new chemical immersion treatment to enhance the surface of additive manufactured parts is promising to help revolutionise the aerospace industry.
South West Metal Finishing (SWMF) has been working on its Almbrite process for the last three years and believes it could be the future choice of aircraft manufacturers around the world.
James Bradbury, lead researcher at SWMF, said: “We were approached by our clients in the aerospace and defence sectors soon after additive manufacturing started to be used."
“But one of the challenges regularly mentioned was the poor finish of additive manufacturing (AM) components. They were often rough or porous, with semi melted powder particles. That can obviously effect the performance of the component which cannot happen when you’re making an aircraft. Safety is paramount.”
AM uses various techniques to construct a three-dimensional component which is built up in discreet layers by using a high-energy heat source to melt or fuse powders.
SWMF’s new process greatly improves the finish of components made using AM by chemically removing material from each surface to achieve the final condition required.
Mr Bradbury added: “We are taking [AM] to the next level and we believe Almbrite could address many of the issues currently facing those in the aerospace industry.”
SWMF began working on the Almbrite project in 2014. The company now believes this finishing process could help double its turnover from £6m to £12m within four years.
The Exeter based company specialises in surface coatings including electro and electroless plating, anodising, paint and powder coating and non-destructive testing.