Materialise Introduces Holistic Process Quality System For AM
Materialise, a global leader in 3D printing software and service solutions, has announced technological advances to drive the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) for volume production and end-use part manufacturing.
Bringing Light to the AM Black Box
Materialise has introduced its CO-AM Quality & Process Control (QPC) system, a software solution for companies that want to take AM quality and process control in certified manufacturing to the next level. QPC will enable them to track, monitor, analyze, and correlate all data critical to part quality. It interconnects AM data sources such as 3D models, raw materials, process parameters, in-situ process monitoring, post-processing, and quality inspection. QPC users can collect and monitor this data during the different stages of product development, like research, validation, and production. This will help provide manufacturers with an unparalleled, holistic view of their process and its interrelationships.
Correlation of Results with CT Scans
Earlier this year, Materialise introduced the first QPC Layer Analysis module, a software to analyze and correlate layer data from the 3D printing process. The QPC Layer Analysis module has been further developed to include more in-situ process monitoring data sources and to correlate its results with CT scans. The new QPC Process Lab module fosters collaboration between different teams to centralize research and production data in a structured way. This allows them to accelerate product development, support process validation, and seamlessly monitor process stability and material properties from research to actual production.
The QPC system is part of the Materialise CO-AM software platform. CO-AM gives manufacturers access to a full range of software tools to plan, manage, and optimize every step of the 3D printing process. It provides access to complementary solutions from Materialise and third parties, including CO-AM partner solutions for design automation, mass customization, automated labeling, and various post-processing technologies. CO-AM enables AM users to connect and manage technologies from different machine builders over one platform.
Driving Simulation For The AM Process
Ansys and Materialise have also announced a partnership to drive the integration and performance of simulation for the 3D printing process. AM users often have to use one application for data and build preparation and switch to another to run simulations. This slows down build optimization and preparation and requires expert knowledge that occupies costly engineering capacities. Materialise and Ansys’ partnership will make simulation more accessible for all Materialise Magics users, helping them drive down costs and work more efficiently.
“Usability and performance are crucial when it comes to simulation,” explains Chris Robinson, Senior Product Manager, Ansys. “By integrating Ansys technology into Materialise’s comprehensive software solutions, AM users can benefit from a seamless workflow using the gold standard in simulation.”
As a first step of their partnership, Ansys’ highly acclaimed simulation technology, Ansys Additive Suite, has been introduced into Magics, Materialise’s leading data and build preparation software. This will create a seamless workflow, offer fast simulation, and lower the complexity of applying simulation results to the build preparation. Ansys and Materialise plan to explore further opportunities for simulation in the AM process.
“We look forward to supporting our customers with Ansys technology,” says Karel Brans, Senior Director Partnerships at Materialise. “Simulation is a key element for metal 3D printing to improve cost-efficiency. Ansys and Materialise will work together to integrate simulation technology even further into the AM workflow and offer unparalleled connectivity.”
For more information: www.materialise.com
