Fringe Inspection Now Available for Renishaw 500Q Revolutionizing Precision with Advanced Optical Metrology
Phase3D’s breakthrough in-situ quality assurance solution, Fringe Inspection, is now available for the Renishaw 500Q and other 500-series platforms (500S, 500D, and 500Flex). The new Fringe Inspection 500 Kit delivers high-resolution, layer-by-layer heightmaps for powder bed fusion users seeking to advance their metal additive manufacturing using the only repeatable, calibratable, unit based in-situ inspection product on the market. Fringe Inspection is optimized for qualification to production, including the material and product development process, to reduce scrap, optimize production workstreams, and enable metal additive manufacturing to be used for critical-use applications at economic scales.
“We’re thrilled to expand our offering to the Renishaw 500Q. With this launch, our current customers can now access the latest and greatest in in-situ inspection on their 500Q platforms as well as expanding into new production facilities. Fringe Inspection is purpose-built to meet the demands of today’s most advanced metal additive manufacturing systems and many of those users have 500Qs on their production floor,” said Niall O’Dowd, PhD, Founder & CEO of Phase3D.
Developed in collaboration with HRL Laboratories, a renowned research institution known for its leadership in materials science and additive manufacturing innovation, the Fringe Inspection for Renishaw 500q is fully non-invasive, reversible, and can be installed in just 24 hours with minimal machine downtime. This product was developed to directly support the DARPA SURGE initiative, a historic push for the United States to develop quality assured AM part production.
“Collaborating with Phase3D allowed us to unlock new insights into the printing process. Fringe Inspection augments our in-situ sensor suite with high-fidelity, layer-by-layer data, which greatly enhances our ability to assess part quality while printing,” said Eric Clough, R&D Group Lead at HRL Laboratories.
What Is Fringe Inspection?
Fringe Inspection is an advanced optical measurement technique that utilizes structured light fringe projection combined with sophisticated image processing algorithms to capture highly detailed surface profiles and geometries. Unlike traditional tactile probing or single-point scanning, Fringe Inspection provides a rapid, non-contact method to gather dense 3D data points, making it ideal for complex surfaces, freeform shapes, and delicate components.
Fringe Inspection on the 500Q outputs three distinct heightmaps for every layer, providing a comprehensive view of the powder bed fusion process:
Powder Heightmap: Captured immediately after the powder is spread, this map shows the uniformity or anomalies of the powder across the build plane.
Melted Heightmap: Captured after the laser fuses the powder, this map reveals how the melt process has altered the surface profile and detects spatter, melted region variations, and powder redistribution.
True Layer Thickness: This is a calculated heightmap that quantifies the actual amount of powder deposited over every layer. It is derived by taking a heightmap after the build elevator repositions and subtracting that from the powder heightmap. This provides direct insight into powder delivery and process stability.
Fringe Inspection also outputs a visual image corresponding to every heightmap, enabling users to maintain traditional image-based layer assessment while benefiting from precise, quantitative data.
For more information: www.phase-3d.com
