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EDRO Specialty Steels and voestalpine Additive Manufacturing have collaborated to create the Flow Filter, a metal 3D-printed component that sits within a machine nozzle filtering contaminates, aiding mixing of additives and more.

Both the Flow Filter V and X offer the same small mesh size for all filter diameters; ensure easy cleaning and trouble-free color changes; and promise a long lifetime with high wear and corrosion resistance. The Flow Filter V, meanwhile, contributes to only a small pressure drop and exposes plastic to minimal shear stress, while the Flow Filter X offers greater mixing and more even distribution of color particles.

The Flow Filter V is designed to have the least possible impact on the injection process with a small mesh size of ≤0.6 mm; no undercuts or dead zones; very high corrosion resistance; and a hardness of 50 HRC. Because of it having the lowest possible pressure drop, EDRO and voestalpine say the Flow Filter V creates only a minimal increase of injection pressure, resulting in reliable mold filling and lower energy consumption.

The Flow Filter X combines a filter and a static mixer into a single component. The result is low shear stress to the plastic melt and good melting properties. These too feature a small mesh size of ≤ 0.6mm; no undercuts or dead zones; high corrosion resistance; and a hardness of 50 HRC. The companies note that combining the filter and mixer gives the Flow Filter X a space-saving installation that’s suited for many standard nozzle bodies.

The filters can be customized but are available in three standard sizes 14 by 45 mm; 20 by 45 mm; and 25 by 50 mm. With regards to installation and cleaning, the flow filters are mounted into the machine nozzle’s bore with arrow markings on the outer diameter indicating plastic flow direction. If needed, nozzle bodies can be modified to allow installation. The flow filters are cleaned by reversing the filter orientation and flushing with plastic melt.