Standard rectangular Flexible Enclosure® (photo: HFT®)

When welding titanium and any other reactive metal for additive manufacturing, it is important that the welding zone is purged of oxygen and nitrogen to a level as low as 10 parts per million (ppm) of O₂ or less.

After more than 40 years of experience in the field of manufacturing flexible welding enclosures, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques, HFT® have broadened their range from the standard circular enclosures, to include purpose designed and manufactured models to encompass volumes of 30 m³ and greater to meet the needs of research and production entities internationally.

The ultraviolet stabilised, transparent, low vapour pressure polymer used for these enclosures, is tough and not easily damaged, but for those cases where damage may occur, a repair kit is included with all enclosures as they are shipped, with extra kits assembled and shipped on a next day delivery process if ever required.

These purpose designed enclosures have leaktight zips placed anywhere that they may be required for access and entry points. Argon entry points are placed at floor level as is good practice for purging with argon with matching volume exhaust points at the top. Additional valved ports are available for adding Weld Purge Monitors® to inform the users when welding is safe to start to avoid risk of oxidation of the deposited material.

Leaktight glove ports are incorporated at the design stage and these can be integrated at any desired positions around the enclosures.

Service Panels are provided that allow the leak tight feed through of all required hoses, tubes, entries and outlets to allow for utilities such as gas, power, water etc to be fed through to service automatic and manual welding positions.

Enclosures® have been manufactured to date for WAAM (Wire plus Arc Additive Manufacturing and they are suitable for manual TIG (GTAW) as well as for robotic TIG and laser deposition methods.

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