Hot isostatic press for additive manufacturers

With a workload capacity of 600 kg (1,322 lb), the new model QIH 60 M URC® combines heat treatment and cooling in a single process, HPHT, for faster throughput, higher quality, and lower capital investment and logistics costs. (Photo courtesy of Quintus Technologies)

 

Quintus Technologies has introduced a new Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) that will accelerate the additive manufacturing (AM) process by reducing the number of steps in the production line. Equipped with Quintus’ proprietary Uniform Rapid Cooling™, the new model QIH 60 M URC® combines heat treatment and cooling in a single process known as High Pressure Heat Treatment (HPHT), for faster throughput, higher work piece quality, and capital investment, logistics, and energy savings. The QIH 60 is a revolutionary piece of equipment that will enable mass production of parts with exceptional quality and reduced cost.

 

Hot Isostatic Pressing has become the standard method to eliminate pores and remove internal defects in metal and ceramic parts, improving properties such as toughness and fatigue life. With the ability to stress-relieve, heat treat, and age parts in one system, Quintus® HPHT allows manufacturers to consolidate several steps and remove discrete equipment from the production line. It is rapidly emerging as the go-to post-processing path to lean AM operations.

 

Equipped with digital controls for precise heating and cooling performance, the new press has been designed to integrate with Industry 4.0 and factory-of-the-future connectivity. The QIH 60 operates at a maximum temperature of 1400°C (2552°F) and pressure of 30,000 psi (2,070 bar) when using the molybdenum furnace. Graphite furnace options are also available for temperatures up to 2000°C (3632°F). The working dimensions of the vessel are 410 mm (16.14”) in diameter and 1000 mm (39.37”) in height, with a capacity of 600 kg (1,322 lbs) per load, allowing loading of full build plates from the majority of printers.

 

The innovative wire-winding technology introduced by Quintus is widely recognized as the most reliable and durable pressure containment system ever designed. Completely documented quality systems govern all phases of the production process and comply fully with ASME U3 and CE (PED) quality standards.

Active controlled cooling facilitates stress relief, hot isostatic pressing, quenching, and aging in the same HIP system with significantly higher productivity. This capability makes the QIH 60 M URC especially well-suited for materials that require rapid cooling or quenching after annealing, decreasing lead times and often eliminating the need for outsourced treatments.

 

A rigorous Quintus® Care agreement secures operational excellence and provides access to Quintus’ vast HIP application knowledge.

 

“HPHT introduces multiple efficiencies and dramatically lowers per-unit processing costs,” comments Jan Söderström, CEO, Quintus Technologies. “We are very pleased with the role this new, state-of-the-art HIP can play in moving additive manufacturing forward into robust, lean production.”