Industrial gases company Air Products has developed a new continuous dew point monitoring system for powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing (AM).
Maintaining the appropriate atmosphere conditions in a furnace zone is critical to achieve consistent sintered product quality, the company says. The atmosphere dew point is an important parameter, but continuous monitoring of the dew point in the hot zone can be challenging. Dew point readings can drift significantly, causing erroneous measurement and necessitating frequent cleaning, recalibration, and sensor replacement. Using Air Products' continuous dew point monitoring system, these issues can reportedly be significantly mitigated. Continuous dew point monitoring can also help manufacturers comply with CQI-9 and NADCAP requirements, and enable operators to plan ahead for shutdowns and preventive maintenance of their furnaces.
This story is reprinted from material from Air Products, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.