Design and Manufacture Superior Performing Manifolds with Optimized Flow that Reduce Pressure Drop, Mechanical Disturbances, and Vibration
90%
reduction in flow-induced disturbance forces demonstrated
20+
part assembly to a single, reliable monolithic part

Optimize Flow and Reduce Pressure Drop, Mechanical Disturbances, and Vibration

3D Printed DMP Manifold on Side

With our many years of experience in semiconductor fluid and gas flow applications, we’ve helped customers optimize manifold designs for improved performance. The traditional manufacturing of complex fluid manifolds results in large, heavy parts that have abrupt fluid flow and stagnant zones and are prone to leakage. Semiconductor capital equipment, with performance specifications in the nanometer range, are influenced by the resulting pressure drops, mechanical disturbances, and vibration.  

Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of optimal fluid manifolds that reduce pressure drop, mechanical disturbances and vibration. With our metal additive solutions, you can also avoid traditional complex manufacturing assembly by consolidating several parts into one, which improves yield and reliability and reduces labor and inspection costs. 

The Benefits of Metal Additive Manufacturing

  • Design Flexibility ‘Function over Form’

    Additive manufacturing makes it possible to optimally design, rapidly iterate, and manufacture manifolds with complex freeform channels that decrease turbulence and pressure fluctuations while consolidating parts to reduce weight and space requirements.

  • Semiconductor DMP Manifold in 3DXpert
  • 3d systems laserform ti gr5 (a) dmp hydraulic manifold gf post machined alternate

  • High Quality and Accuracy for Clean Room Environments

    High material quality and part accuracy produced in an inert atmosphere with a steady, ultra-low oxygen level—coupled with proprietary processes for optimal particle cleanliness—result in metal parts that meet clean room requirements and are fit for use in semiconductor equipment.

  • a person standing next to a 3D printer

  • Performance and Productivity

    A 90% reduction in flow-induced disturbance forces reduces system vibration and realizes a 1–2 nm accuracy improvement. An increased machine speed and uptime leads to more wafers processed and higher overall lifecycle value.

    Additive manufacturing also delivers structurally optimized manifolds with reduced part counts and assemblies. Replacing multipart assemblies with monolithic parts increases reliability, improves manufacturing yield, and reduces labor costs.

Solve Fluid Flow Performance Issues

  • Reduce Fluid Flow Disturbances

    Semiconductor equipment depends on manifolds that must have optimally designed and manufactured fluid channels. Traditional manufacturing methods have abrupt corners and stagnant flow zones that result in turbulence and increased pressure drops. 

  • Minimize Weight and Volume

    Traditional manufacturing, based on the geometric limitations of milling and tooling, can lead to the design of manifolds with excess weight and volume, negatively affecting system performance. 

  • Eliminate Fluid Leakage at Connections

    The geometric limitations of subtractive manufacturing means that manifolds typically undergo an assembly process that requires connection points prone to failure and leakage.

  • 3d systems laserform ti gr5 (a) dmp hydraulic manifold gf post machined alternate

    Wilting Uses Metal Additive Manufacturing to Improve Semiconductor Equipment

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    CERN LHCb Advances Particle Detection Capabilities

    CERN used 3D Systems’ metal additive manufacturing technology and expertise to develop and produce reliable, leak-tight custom cool-bars to achieve −40º temperatures within its Large Hadron Collider detector.

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  • Application Innovation Group

    Our team can help you solve your most difficult design and production challenges with additive manufacturing solutions. Together we’ll identify your needs, working with you to optimize your designs, prototype, validate and define a manufacturing flow.

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