Case Overview
| Artikel | Beschreibung |
|---|---|
| Customer / Location | A well-known high-performance metal powder manufacturer in Thailand |
| Material | A type of high-performance alloy metal powder |
| Equipment Type | Spiralstrahlmühle |
| Core Challenge | Achieving ultrafine metal powder classification with an extremely narrow Partikelgröße distribution in etal Powder Processing to meet the stringent quality requirements of advanced manufacturing (such as additive manufacturing/3D printing or metal injection molding). |
| Target | Final product particle size D99.9 ≤ 8 μm |
Challenges & Requirements
With the rapid growth of global advanced manufacturing—especially the widespread adoption of additive manufacturing (3D printing)—the requirements for powder purity, sphericity, and particle size distribution have become more demanding than ever. As a leading high-performance metal powder supplier in the region, the Thai customer faced several key challenges:
- Extremely High Fineness Requirement
The target particle size index was D99 ≤ 8 μm or even finer. This means 99.9% of particles must be below 8 μm, requiring exceptionally precise classification performance. - Combined Need for Effective Deagglomeration and Classification
Metal powders tend to agglomerate easily. Strong energy input is needed for effective deagglomeration, and accurate classification must follow to prevent oversized particles from entering the final product. - Maintaining Material Properties
The grinding and classification process must minimize impact on powder morphology and chemisch purity, preserving the material’s inherent high-performance characteristics.
The Solution of Episches Pulver
To address these challenges, Epic Powder recommended and implemented a Spiralstrahlmühle–based ultrafine metal powder processing system.
1. Initial Deagglomeration & Pre-classification — Spiralstrahlmühle
- Funktion:
The spiral jet mill generates high-velocity airflow to form a supersonic vortex inside the grinding chamber. In this vortex, particles collide and rub against each other, resulting in efficient deagglomeration and preliminary micronization. - Vorteile:
Its built-in dynamic classification zone effectively removes most coarse particles, reducing the load on downstream classification and eliminating contamination from mechanical contact.
2. Precise Ultrafine Classification
After pre-treatment by the spiral jet mill, fine classification is achieved by adjusting air pressure and classifier wheel speed.
This system thoroughly breaks down agglomerates and removes oversized particles, ensuring a very narrow particle size distribution that meets stringent D99 requirements.
Umsetzungsergebnisse
After commissioning and several optimization rounds, the system successfully met the customer’s strict metal powder particle-size specifications:
| Key Performance Index | Target | Actual | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| D99 | ≤ 8 μm | 7.58 μm | Exceeded target |
| Particle Size Distribution | Very narrow | Reached world-class standard | Significant improvement |
| Product Yield | Maintain high level | >95% | High economic efficiency |