Fringe Inspection Brings Layer-Level Metrology to Additive Manufacturing
In the rapidly evolving world of additive manufacturing (AM), success is increasingly determined by the ability to monitor, certify, and control every layer of the build process. Rooted firmly in the principles of metrology, Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection is rewriting the rulebook for in-situ process monitoring by enabling layer-by-layer inspection with unit-based, repeatable, and calibratable measurements — delivering clarity, traceability, and confidence to AM users like never before.
Layer-Level Metrology for AM
Unlike traditional in-situ monitoring systems that rely heavily on machine learning models with opaque results and inconsistent reliability, Fringe Inspection delivers true metrological measurements with known uncertainty. This groundbreaking technology outputs proprietary heightmaps for every layer of the AM build, precisely identifying and quantifying anomalies with X, Y, and Z coordinates. The result is a unit-based, real-time inspection of powder bed fusion (PBF) and binder jetting (BJT) processes — revealing issues such as recoater streaks, short feeds, part protrusions, and spatter with micron-level clarity.
With its repeatable and calibratable inspection approach, Fringe Inspection moves beyond detection to control. For every anomaly, the technology provides go/no-go decision criteria rooted in measurable data — not probabilistic guesses. This makes Fringe Inspection not just a monitoring tool, but a process control platform built for certification and repeatability at industrial scale.
Plug-and-Play Across Printer Fleets
Phase3D has engineered Fringe Inspection to be both machine-agnostic and scalable, allowing users to deploy the system across a full fleet of PBF and BJT printers. Installed externally via existing machine ports, the Fringe Inspection Hardware Kit includes a camera assembly, projector, microcontroller, and a dedicated PC — everything needed to transform any metal AM printer into a real-time inspection and certification platform.
For example, the EOS M290 Kit provides a turn-key solution for one of the industry’s most widely used metal AM platforms. The hardware integrates seamlessly and is paired with a one-year Fringe Inspection software license, enabling rapid deployment and instant value across development or production environments.
Insight in Real Time: Fringe Operator
At the heart of the Fringe ecosystem is Fringe Operator, an intuitive visualization and analytics tool designed for engineers, technicians, and process developers. Fringe Operator enables real-time, interactive analysis of every layer — transforming raw data into actionable insight.
Whether optimizing build parameters, validating geometry, or investigating print failures, users gain a powerful digital twin of the process. With Fringe Operator, teams can:
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Identify build failures and root causes in first prints
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Measure internal wall thickness and complex feature shapes
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Analyze build consistency over time
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Compare heightmap data across different machines or builds
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Load and correlate data from external sensors and modalities
By quantifying deviations at each layer, Fringe Operator closes the gap between process development and production oversight, ensuring reliable and predictable output.
Certification at Scale: Fringe Qualification
Fringe Inspection doesn’t stop at the build chamber. For organizations seeking enterprise-level certification and control, Phase3D offers Fringe Qualification — a centralized quality assurance platform that aggregates inspection data across entire fleets and facilities.
Fringe Qualification enables:
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Automated go/no-go decision making
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Executive build summaries and traceability reporting
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Fleet performance dashboards with anomaly alerts
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Machine, material, and build benchmarking over time
With every layer’s inspection data traceable and certifiable, manufacturers can ensure process repeatability, regulatory compliance, and fleet-wide oversight — all from a single interface.
Rethinking In-Situ Inspection for the AM Era
In an industry increasingly reliant on data and quality assurance, Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection redefines what’s possible in in-situ process monitoring. By fusing optical metrology with additive manufacturing, the company delivers the only market-ready solution that is truly unit-based, repeatable, and calibratable — a major leap forward from AI-dependent or camera-only monitoring systems.
With scalability across machines, quantifiable data for every build layer, and real-time certification tools, Fringe Inspection is already changing the way manufacturers approach AM quality control. For companies looking to reduce failures, speed qualification, and deliver certified builds at scale, Fringe Inspection represents a foundational shift in how AM quality is defined, measured, and managed.
For more information: www.phase-3d.com
